Assassin's Creed III Remastered Controls: PC and Switch Guide

A practical guide to Assassin's Creed III Remastered controls: what the PC chapter documents, Switch motion aiming, and where to verify bindings.

Start With the Documented Layout, Not Your Old Muscle Memory

If you are returning to Connor's story or starting it for the first time, the Assassin's Creed III Remastered controls are the first thing that will slow you down. The remaster does not simply re-skin the 2012 original — Ubisoft states that the gameplay mechanics were revamped alongside the visual overhaul — so habits from an older version will not always translate cleanly. This breakdown covers what the Assassin's Creed III Remastered controls documentation actually lists, which action categories matter most in combat and traversal, how the Nintendo Switch version differs, and where to confirm a binding before you rely on it.

One honesty note up front: the available references document control categories through labeled screenshots rather than a plain text key list. That means the most reliable path is to match the action name to the screenshot in the source guide, then confirm it in your own copy of the game.

What the Assassin's Creed III Remastered Controls Documentation Covers

The most detailed third-party reference available is Gamepressure's PC controls chapter, which the page timestamps as last updated on March 26, 2019 (originally published 2019-03-26T16:05:19Z). It sits inside a much larger walkthrough that was first structured around the 2012 release of Assassin's Creed III, and the controls chapter was later adapted to describe the PC version of the remaster.

Instead of a plain table, that chapter presents each binding as an image captioned with the action it performs. The captions identify five core categories:

  • Movement — general traversal input
  • Jump — climbing and leaping
  • Parry during fights — defensive timing in close-range combat
  • Interaction — contextual actions on objects and people
  • Weapon choice — swapping between the tools in Connor's kit

Because those captions are attached to screenshots, the exact key or button assignment only becomes clear when you view the image at the source. Treat the page as a visual reference, not a text lookup.

The same guide's table of contents also branches into dedicated chapters for the combat system, assassinations with the hidden blade, free run exploration, notoriety levels, hunting, and naval play under a "Controlling the ship" heading. If a specific maneuver is giving you trouble, those chapters are usually a better starting point than the general controls page.

Action categoryTypical useWhere it is documented
MovementGetting around cities, the frontier, and settlementsPC controls chapter, captioned screenshot
JumpClimbing routes and rooftop gapsPC controls chapter, captioned screenshot
Parry during fightsSurviving close-range exchangesPC controls chapter, captioned screenshot
InteractionContext prompts on objects and NPCsPC controls chapter, captioned screenshot
Weapon choiceSwitching tools mid-encounterPC controls chapter, captioned screenshot

How the Nintendo Switch Version Changes Things

Platform matters more than most players expect. Ubisoft's official product page confirms that Assassin's Creed III Remastered is available on Nintendo Switch, and that version ships with control features the other platforms do not have:

  • Motion-controlled aiming for ranged attacks
  • A HUD optimized for the Switch, which changes what information sits on screen
  • A touchscreen interface for menu and map interaction
  • HD rumble feedback
  • Portability, which affects how you hold and read the layout

That means any discussion of Assassin's Creed III Remastered controls has to specify the platform. A PC player working from Gamepressure's keyboard-and-mouse chapter and a Switch player using motion aiming are not describing the same setup at all. Gamepressure's own navigation tabs list PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo pages, which reflects the same reality: each platform family gets its own layout.

The remaster itself also adds 4K resolution, new character models, and polished environment rendering on supported hardware, per Ubisoft. None of that alters a binding, but the cleaner visuals do make on-screen prompts and HUD elements easier to read while you are still learning the layout.

Practical Tips for Learning the Assassin's Creed III Remastered Controls

Once you have the layout in front of you, the learning curve is mostly about repetition in the right places. These habits shorten it:

  1. Replay the opening before you push the story. The walkthrough's first chapter is literally titled "Refresher Course," which makes it the natural place to re-drill movement, jump, and interaction without story pressure.
  2. Practice parrying in low-stakes fights. The parry input is one of the five documented categories, and it is the one most players fumble first. The guide keeps a separate close-range combat chapter for exactly this reason.
  3. Learn weapon choice early. Cycling tools mid-fight is a documented action, so build the habit before a mission forces it on you.
  4. Separate land controls from naval controls. Ship handling is covered in its own chapter rather than the general controls page, which tells you the inputs are genuinely different.
  5. Write down your layout. Because the source guide teaches through screenshots, jot the captions and their keys onto a sticky note while you play. It sounds old-fashioned, but it beats pausing every two minutes.

If you are rebuilding your setup after a long break, budget one short session purely for input practice. The remaster's reworked mechanics reward players who re-learn the basics deliberately instead of assuming the old rhythm still applies.

Where to Verify a Binding You Are Unsure About

When a prompt on screen does not match what you remember, go to the source rather than guessing mid-mission. Three references are worth bookmarking:

A quick cross-check between the platform you actually play on and the guide page you are reading prevents most "the button does nothing" confusion.

FAQ

Are the Assassin's Creed III Remastered controls different from the 2012 original?

They can be. Ubisoft states that the gameplay mechanics were revamped for the remaster, so treat your old muscle memory as a starting point rather than a guarantee. Re-check movement, parry timing, and weapon switching during the opening "Refresher Course" sequence.

Does the PC version support keyboard and mouse?

Gamepressure maintains a dedicated PC controls chapter for Assassin's Creed III Remastered, with captioned screenshots for movement, jump, parry, interaction, and weapon choice — which indicates a keyboard-and-mouse layout is documented for the PC release. View the screenshots for the exact assignments.

How do the Switch controls differ?

According to Ubisoft's official page, the Nintendo Switch version adds motion-controlled aiming, a HUD optimized for the console, a touchscreen interface, and HD rumble. Those features are exclusive to that version, so a PC guide will not describe them.

Can I change the Assassin's Creed III Remastered controls to suit my setup?

The safe approach is to check your own copy of the game for its input configuration options before assuming a default, then use the platform-specific guide pages to confirm what each action does. Cross-check your platform against the guide you are reading, since PC and Switch layouts are documented separately.