If you’re into the Battle Royale mode or any of the game modes that allow Fortnite building, you’ll need to master the mechanics quickly. The speed and efficiency of creating your Fortnite structures can make a huge difference between a quick elim and a Victory Royale.
But if you’re new to the game or simply kept to Zero Build, especially on consoles, it can be incredibly overwhelming. Especially when you see someone next to you build the Eiffel Tower in a matter of seconds.
So, for all you controller players out there, we’re showing you exactly how to build on controller in Fortnite to optimize your build speed and accuracy. It’s going to be a struggle, but eventually, you’ll be a master architect of Fortnite building!
That said, if you’re new to Fortnite, you probably don’t have that many skins or emotes just yet, so if you want to buy cheap Take the L Fortnite accounts, or any other specific emotes you’re hunting for, check U7BUY for the best deals!
Fortnite Building Tips 101: Understanding the Controls
Builder Pro vs. Default Controls
Fortnite has multiple controller configurations and layouts, and you might simply be using the wrong one. If you’re still on the default layout or ‘Combat Pro’ control scheme, it might be time to switch things up if you’re struggling to create a Fortnite building efficiently.
Regarded as the best layout for controller players, especially for Fortnite Build Mode, is the ‘Builder Pro’ layout.
With this layout, each of the four Fortnite building pieces is configured to a specific button (wall, floor, ramp, cone). This does away with that dreaded scrolling through building pieces in an intense firefight and allows faster and more reactive building.
Here’s how the Builder Pro layout looks:
| Build Piece | Xbox Controller Buttons | PlayStation Controller Buttons |
| Wall | RT | R2 |
| Floor | RB | R1 |
| Ramp | LT | L2 |
| Cone | LB | L1 |
This way, you can start building in Fortnite incredibly quickly, with just a single tap of the button to select the piece and another to place it down.
So if you want to build a ramp, you’d press Circle or B on your controller to open the Fortnite Build Mode, and then tap L2/LT to select, and L2/LT one more time to place it. This dramatically improves your reaction times during fights and eliminates the time-consuming task of cycling through build options manually.
Custom Controller Layouts and Paddles
Once you’re comfortable with the Builder Pro layout for constructing Fortnite structures, consider customizing the layout for a better effect. You can fully remap buttons to optimize for Fortnite building, and some players prefer swapping the ‘Edit’ or ‘Jump’ buttons to the thumbstick presses.
This way, you don’t need to get your thumbs off the sticks for better efficiency.
Alternatively, consider upgrading your dusty old Xbox controller for a ‘Pro’ level controller, like the Xbox Elite, SCUF, or DualSense Edge. These controllers can literally give you an ‘edge’ by giving you extra paddles you can map to jump, edit, or place Fortnite building pieces for high-level movement and building simultaneously.
The Fundamentals of Building in Fortnite
If you’re a true Fortnite n00b and have literally just started playing the game, you might not be aware of some key principles of how to build in Fortnite:
The Materials Maketh the Structure
In Fortnite, there are three materials you can use to make a Fortnite building. You might be fooled into thinking they’re all the same, just different ‘amounts’, but actually, they’re varied and used differently depending on the situation:
| Wood | Builds very fast, but has low health. |
| Brick | Slower to build, but is stronger with medium health. |
| Metal | Slowest to build, but is the strongest with high health. |
In most situations, you’ll probably default to using Wood to make Fortnite structures; they’re quick to build and are perfect for intense, close-range fights. But for longer-range encounters or building cover, Brick and Metal are your best bet.
But you should learn how to switch on the fly and always keep an eye out for your materials. You’ll want to farm pretty regularly, so get to hittin’ with that Pickaxe!
All About Fortnite Building Pieces
The good news is there are only four Fortnite building pieces to familiarize yourself with, though they come with various use-cases, so choose wisely when to use them:
| Walls | Best used to block enemies and get cover instantly. Perfect for getting a quick revive or reloading. |
| Ramps/Stairs | A vertical building piece to start moving upwards. Great for getting to a height advantage or escaping from a fight. |
| Floors | Covers gaps and provides a stable structure to stand on when building vertically. Excellent for closing gaps like cliffs or rivers. |
| Cones | Blocks other players from jumping into your Fortnite buildings and is great for piece control/movement. |
Eventually, you’ll learn the best timing to use certain Fortnite building pieces, and you can even make it more complex with edits. You can make windows, slanted openings, half walls, etc.
But patience, Young Padawan, master the basics of quick Fortnite building first before moving to more complex Fortnite structures.
Fortnite Building Tips
Adjust Your Sensitivity Settings
Tailoring your sensitivity settings can greatly impact your Fortnite building speed. In particular, check the Build Mode Sensitivity Multiplier and Edit Mode Sensitivity Multiplier. You’ll want a balance of fast, but controllable movement for you.
Adjust it as necessary until you find it’s the perfect balance of speed and control. We’d recommend starting from 1.8x – 2.3x and going from there.
Turn On ‘Auto Confirm Edits’
Once you’ve got a handle on the basics, our next building tips in Fortnite is to enable the ‘Auto Confirm Edits’ setting. This allows you to confirm edits in Fortnite build mode by simply releasing the button. This keeps the editing speed faster and feels way more fluid, similarly to how the PC master race has it.
Here’s how to enable it:
- Open Settings.
- Select ‘Controller Options.
- Select ‘Building’.
- Set ‘Auto Confirm Edits’ to ‘Both’.
Enable Turbo Building
Another time-saver setting is ‘Turbo Building’, which simply allows players to hold down the build button to place multiple structures in quick succession. This saves you a ton of time when creating Fortnite structures, so you don’t have to tap the button each time you want to place it.
To enable the setting, follow these steps:
- Go to ‘Settings’.
- Select ‘Controller Options’.
- Select ‘Building’.
- Enable ‘Turbo Building’.
And with that, we’ve reached the end of our guide on Fortnite building tips with a controller and hope you’ve found just what you needed to become a master builder in the game. It’s such a core principle to the game that it simply determines whether you win that fight or get eliminated instantly.
We’re not going to lie, you’re going to need a ton of practice before you perfect it. But keep trying and eventually you’ll get the hang of it! That said, if you’re after any Fortnite accounts, in-game items, or V-Bucks top-ups, U7BUY.com is the place to be!
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3&appId=131781793545”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));