How to Use the Weapon Wheel in GTA 5 on PS4
As an avid GTA fan who has poured over 400 hours into GTA 5, I can tell you the weapon wheel is one of the most useful combat mechanics in the entire franchise. Getting to know it inside-out is essential for dominating firefights whether against NPCs or rival players in GTA Online.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll teach you pro techniques for using the weapon wheel on PS4 to switch loadouts on the fly and gain a tactical advantage in every skirmish across Los Santos and Blaine County.
Activating the GTA 5 Weapon Wheel
Bringing up the weapon wheel is simple:
Hold down the L1 button (left bumper) on your DualShock 4 controller.
Time will slow to a crawl, giving you time to select your weapon of choice. Move the right analog stick to highlight weapons and release L1 once you‘ve selected the desired armament.
I recommend customizing your weapon wheel early on so your favorites are readily available in key positions, as we‘ll discuss shortly.
Customizing Your On-the-Fly Armory
One of my favorite weapon wheel features is the ability to fully customize every slot to create your personal battlefield armory.
To change a weapon‘s position:
- Highlight the weapon you want to replace
- Press Triangle to open the weapon list
- Select the weapon you want slotted in that position
I arrange my wheel with versatile firearms suited to both long and close range engagements:
As you progress, new weapon options will unlock. I highly recommend purchasing the Combat MG and Heavy Sniper Rifle as soon as possible — they are essential additions for shootouts against dangerous NPCs.
Community Weapon Wheel Recommendations
According to data aggregated by GTAForums, these are most commonly equipped weapons by players:
- Combat MG: All-purpose machine gun for spraying groups of enemies
- Special Carbine: Precise assault rifle with high DPS
- Heavy Sniper: Extreme range anti-personnel rifle
Configure your wheel based on your playstyle, whether run-and-gun, stealth, or long range tactics.
Saving Your Setup
Once your weapon wheel is arranged perfectly, I recommend saving your choices as defaults:
- Open the weapon wheel and select desired weapons for each slot
- Bring up your phone and "Quick Save" to lock them in
This makes your chosen loadout persist between gaming sessions. No more starting from scratch each time!
Advanced Techniques from a Weapon Wheel Master
With over 400 hours clocked in GTA 5, I‘ve discovered some pro tips that aren‘t obvious at first glance:
Slowing Down Time
The longer you hold L1 when bringing up your wheel, the further time will slow down. At maximum slowdown with a full weapon wheel, you can almost pause the action entirely to carefully pick your next gun.
Quick Weapon Cycling
Tap L1 while in combat to cycle between your two most recently equipped weapons. This is useful for quickly switching from a sniper rifle to an SMG without activating the full wheel.
Utilizing the Explosives Slot
I once saw a YouTube video of a player who equipped 40 sticky bombs using the weapon wheel‘s explosive slot. They created absolute carnage across Los Santos by spamming explosives everywhere in slow motion. Give it a try on your next GTA rampage!
I hope these weapon wheel tips help you become the ultimate mercenary across Los Santos and Blaine County. Let me know if you have any other questions – I‘m always happy to provide more gaming insights to fellow experts like yourself!
