What Does 1, 2, 3, 4 Mean in Fighting Games?

If you’re watching a fighting game video or tutorial, you might be presented with the numbers 1234.

However, if you’re new to fighting games, you might not know what those numbers mean.

Fighting games like Mortal Kombat (e.g., MK1, MK11), Street Fighter, and Injustice popularized those numbers.

They are utilized to simplify the controls needed to execute a move or a combo.

Both PlayStation and Xbox controllers use these numbers and they have the same concept.

In this guide, you’ll learn what does the 1, 2, 3, and 4 buttons mean in fighting games like Mortal Kombat in Xbox and PlayStation controllers.

What Does 1, 2, 3, 4 Mean in Fighting Games?

1, 2, 3, and 4 in fighting games represents the square, triangle, cross, and circle buttons on a PlayStation controller respectively.

On an Xbox controller, they represent the X, Y, A, and B buttons respectively.

PlayStation controller (expand the first screenshot above):

• 1 = square
• 2 = triangle
• 3 = cross
• 4 = circle

Xbox controller (expand the second screenshot above):

Further reading

Sub-Zero Combos in Mortal Kombat 1

Scorpion Combos in Mortal Kombat 1

Harley Quinn Combos in MultiVersus