What is SOCD?
SOCD stands for "Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Directions."
SOCD is best known on leverless arcade controllers like the Hit Box, where the four directions are all on separate buttons. However, modern console-pads such as the PS5's DualSense and the Xbox controller can also input SOCDs with cross-directional inputs by pressing Analog Stick and DPad at the same time. In addition, keyboards, with they all-key layouts, are becoming more popular especially as more fighting games launch and port onto PC.
The term "SOCD" can be used in many ways, so here are three key aspects to SOCDs to keep in mind: Input, Output, and Resolution.
SOCD Inputs
An SOCD (Input) is the physical actuation of cardinal directions that are separate and opposite to each other. It is the press of Left & Right at the same time, or Up & Down at the same time.
This is the standard use for the term. Most people will use SOCD in this way to explain what technique or input they did on the controller. For example, the "SOCD Dragon Punch" refers to the method of doing a dragon-punch motion by using a Left + Right input.
SOCD Output
An SOCD Output is simply when the controller sends an SOCD to the game, such as both Up and Down being received by the game. For example, the PS5 DualSense will send both Up and Down to the game if you press them on the Analog Stick and DPad separately.
SOCD Resolution
An SOCD Resolution is the what the controller, device, or game decides to be done with an SOCD Input or Output - the community also refers to this as SOCD Cleaning or SOCD Handling.
There are many ways an SOCD can be resolved. By using both directions, choosing only one, or neither.
Now that you have SOCDs on the brain, let us go over the most well-known SOCD Resolutions in controllers, as well as some game-side Resolutions developers have come up with.
Controller-Side Resolutions
There are many types of SOCD Resolutions found in controllers and devices. Below are the more popular and well known Controller-Side Resolutions.
Natural Resolution (or No Resolution)
Both directions are used. Neither are prioritized or neutralized.
Neutral
Neither direction is used. The directional output is "forced" to neutral.
Absolute Priority
One of the directions is always chosen over the other.
For example, Up always being prioritized when both Up and Down are pressed at the same time.
Hit Box Resolution
This is a combination of Neutral and Absolute Priority.
Left + Right = Neutral Resolution
Up + Down = Up Absolute Priority
This has been the fighting game tournament standard for over a decade.
Last Input Priority
The most recent direction pressed or activated takes priority over any previously help opposite direction.
For example, if you press and hold Left, and then press Right, Right will be prioritized.
Second Input Priority (or Last Input Controlled Priority)
This is much like Last Input Priority, but instead of the last input simply overriding the first, the first input is deactivated, and stays that way until the last input is released.
Less Familiar Resolutions
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First Input Priority
- The first direction pressed or activated takes priority over any later opposite directions until that first is deactivated.
- The first direction pressed or activated takes priority over any later opposite directions until that first is deactivated.
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First-input Controlled Priority
- Once the SOCD is initiated, the second input is deactivated and stays that way until two conditions are met: the first input is un-actuated and the second input is re-actuated.
That was not so tough! Now let us go over how game developers have handled SOCDs.
Game-Side Resolutions
There are many ways games have dealt with SOCD Outputs. Let us take a look at a few examples.
Natural Resolution
- Vanilla MvC3 does not resolve Left + Right SOCD, and will give you both inputs. This leads to weird things like blocking on both sides at the same time.
- Plenty of games released on console and PC prior to 2016 have Natural Resolution. This is why rulesets were created for Controller-Side SOCD Resolutions, to ensure fair competitive play across all games.
Neutral
- Street Fighter 6
- Tekken 8
Up Priority
- Street Fighter V prioritizes Up over Down.
Forward Priority
- In Street Fighter V, the game prioritizes the "forward" direction. So, on player 1 side, Left + Right = Right, and on player 2 side Left + Right = Left.
Summary
To close things out, let us overview the basics:
- SOCD stands for "Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Directions."
- Resolutions are what a controller or game output when an SOCD is actuated.
- There are many ways to resolve SOCDs, but the most popular one in controllers and rulesets is Neutral.
- Game developers have their own ways of dealing with SOCDs, with a standard yet to be established.
We hope this post clears up some confusion with SOCDs, but also keeps the conversation around SOCDs grounded by using consistent terms and phrases.