What Does ADS Mean In Gaming? (Answered!)

ADS in gaming means “aim down sights”. It’s used to describe aiming down the sights of your gun in a first person shooter game. This is as opposed to just firing “from the hip”, which tends to be a lot less accurate. Some use it as a playful derogatory term in certain FPS circles.

ADS has a very specific meaning, then, and is a pretty important piece of lingo for the right kinds of gaming communities.

Some might see “aiming down sights” as a thing that only casual players, who aren’t very good at the game, do.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What does ADS stand for in gaming?

ADS stands for aim (or aiming) down sights in gaming.

This refers to a very specific part of gaming.

Most commonly, this is used in first-person shooters such as Call of Duty.

For some people, it might just be a useful way of describing something they did. “I was looking for him and ADS but didn’t find him,” for example.

You were aiming down your sights rather than just looking in normal view.

Most first person shooters tend to work in this way.

You have your gun, and you can fire it “from the hip”, or you can ADS.

ADS tends to be the intended way to play, and makes things easier, and your shots more accurate.

You might have a “sight” on your gun, as real guns do, such as a physical sight or a laser guided sight.

Very few first person shooters do not have this feature—it’s more or less universal.

It can have wide application in a lot of games, then.

However, it is most commonly used in competitive, online multiplayer games like the aforementioned Call of Duty.

As I said, here, it is often used in a somewhat derogatory way.

The idea is that ADS makes the game easier—even though it’s simply how the developers intended the game to be played.

It is a way of showing that you are so good at the game that you do not need to ADS—you can just shoot from the hip.

With a sniper rifle in particular, this is called “no-scoping”, meaning you aren’t using the scope of your rifle.

It’s a bit of a way of bragging, then, and showing off during the games.

Where does this come from, then?

Where does ADS come from in gaming?

ADS seems to have arisen specifically out of the culture and popularity of the Call of Duty series.

Since the release of Call of Duty 4 in 2007, the series has dominated the FPS genre.

It has spawned its very own gaming culture. Indeed, no-scoping, too, comes from CoD.

In the chatrooms, lobbies, and discussion forums, the shorthand “ADS” simply arose naturally as a way of describing that action.

You’re ADS.

When precisely this happened is not clear, although it was probably very early on.

We can see it used as early as 2008 in relation to CoD.

However, it likely was also used in reference to other games before the release of Call of Duty 4, and so it was in a way borrowed from that.

So, what is an ADS kill?

What are ADS kills?

An ADS kill means you used your sights to get the kill on another player.

Again, this really is how the developers intend the game to be played.

It’s just that some have taken to referring to ADS kills specifically to distinguish them from what they see as more “skilful” kills.

As with any online multiplayer game, there is a certain level of toxicity around parts of the community.

Some take the game too seriously, and so berate others for not playing the game as they think they ought to.

What’s wrong with ADS?

Nothing is wrong with aiming down your sights.

Again, that’s how these games are supposed to be played.

The thing is just that some have made a goal of getting very good at killing without ADS—which is certainly harder and takes more practice.

However, there’s not really much tactical advantage to it, barring a little extra speed.

Not ADS is just a way of showing off, then.

Online games, as I say, can get a bit nasty to say the least, with some trying to tell others how to play the game. Ignore them—there’s nothing wrong with ADS!

What is ADS and hip?

So, the difference is between ADS and aiming “from the hip”.

From the hip refers to how, when you are not aiming down the sights with the gun pulled up to your face, it is sitting at your “hip”—or, at least, the arms you’re holding it with are resting on your hip.

Indeed, even in real life shooting, aiming “from the hip” is a taught technique for things like gun slinging competitions.

In gaming, it just refers to this distinction between simple, ADS shooting that makes you more accurate, and showing off your skills by shooting from the hip.

So, ADS is a simple utility term that refers to a certain way to aim in gaming.

However, it has perhaps become so common because of communities of gamers who pride themselves on their ability to play and win the games without ever having to ADS.

They might call it no-scoping or quick-scoping, and the point is that it’s harder to do it this way, meaning they are more skilful.

More in Gaming Meanings

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

Was this article helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!