Best NBA 2K25 Shooting Settings, Shot Meter Tips

Every year things tend to change a little as 2K tries to refine and adjust this franchise, and that means some of the NBA 2K25 shooting settings aren't where players expect to find them. Some details can be done via the game's controller settings accessible via the main menu, but a few specifics will require you to enter MyCAREER. Here's all the NBA 2K25 shot meter settings you need and some tips on why many players leave their shot meter turned off entiresly. 

How to Change NBA 2K25 Shot Meter

To change the settings on your NBA 2K25 shot meter or turn it off entirely, you first need to head into MyCAREER. Once in MyCAREER, tab over to MyPLAYER and click on Animations. Tab all the way to the right until you reach the Customize HUD settings. This is where all the different shot meter settings and other HUD overlay choices can be changed.

Perfect Release Animation & SFX lets you change the visibility of a perfect green as well as graphic, placement, and choose one of several sound effects when you nail a perfect green shot. You also may want to change the settings in Shot Feedback, as it defaults to only a simple pop-up of your timing on each shot attempt, but changing Visibility to All Shots will give you additional details including the distance of the shot, coverage you were shooting against, and free throw percentage in those moments.

Finally, the Shot Meter Shots area is where you'll change the look of the NBA 2K25 Shot Meter. We'll go over reasons why some players prefer to leave it off below, but those who do want to use it have several adjustments which can be made. You can switch the shot meter graphic from the default arrow to a ring or dial.

While arrow meters are meant to be released as the arrows align, for the other two you're actually trying to release the shot button as the meter disappears. You can also change the color, size, and placement of the shot meter to whatever is easiest for you to use. This same area is also where you'll be able to change the player indicator, fatigue, takeover, ball handler text, and overall gameplay HUD settings.

If you're in The W, Customize HUD is still found in your MyPLAYER Animations. For MyTEAM, you can find Customize HUD in the far-right Options/Quit tab. Sadly, it doesn't appear there is any way to do this for any other modes including MyNBA, MyWNBA, and Play Now. This could be changed in a future NBA 2K25 update, but for now players in those modes will need to get used to the default arrow and shot timing pop-up.

Best Shooting Settings in NBA 2K25

If you do like to use the shot meter in NBA 2K25 and aren't ready to do without it, we've found changing it to a large red ring by the head allows you to keep an eye on the meter while also watching and working on understanding the shot motion for your specific player. Every player has a different animation, and you can go even further to customize it.

We've got more details here on the best jumpshots in NBA 2K25, but the big detail that will impact usage of the shot meter is the Visual Cue. There is an option in Controller Settings to go with a standard cue where you'll need to release with the shot button or pro stick at four different points: Jump, Set Point, Push, and Release.

Jump is an early choice where you release as the player starts to jump. Set Point is slightly early and times the release for exactly when the player reaches their set point for the jumpshot. Push will time the release slightly late for the moment the player begins to push the ball forward. Finally, the default setting is Release which is a late setting where you release the button as the ball itself is leaving the fingertips of your player.

This one is largely up to preference, but anyone using a custom jumpshot in MyCAREER needs to keep in mind that the jumpshot's Visual Cue settings will override anything you've set via Controller Settings. If you want a custom Visual Cue and are using an animation that was provided by a Pro Tuned or NBA build preset, you will need to reach the Mid-Range or 3PT Shot ratings required for your chosen animations to alter the Visual Cue in any way.

Controller Settings allows you to select either the shot button or pro stick which is entirely up to preference, and players using the shot button exclusively may want to change Pro Stick Function to Dribble Moves to allow more freedom for those. The most important setting to potentially change in Controller Settings will be your Shot Timing Profile.

The game defaults to Difficulty-Based, and this will be more forgiving of poor timing on lower difficulties. Real Player % will instead ignore timing altogether, and jumpshots will use the actual percentage and subsequent accuracy of the player you're using. As you move into the Risk-Reward options, each one will shrink the likely of a mistimed shot working out but increase the window for perfect green shots.

Low Risk-Reward cares more about coverage and player ratings, but your timing will make a small difference. Normal Risk-Reward is most similar to what players may be accustomed to from NBA 2K24, and it will give the usual impact of timing. The new option that many players are choosing to go with, especially once you've gotten your timing more consistent, is High Risk-Reward.

Players using High Risk-Reward will have a much higher chance to miss shots with poor timing, but the window around a perfectly timed release is actually larger. The same impact is why many NBA 2K25 players are turning off the visual shot meter entirely.

The game actually rewards you for learning the motion without a meter to aid your shot timing, and previous testing by NBA 2K Lab has found that green shots are about 20% more likely with the shot meter turned off. If you're using a custom jumpshot, leaving it off will also help you learn to identify the release point in your motion rather than watching the meter. While most NBA 2K25 settings are up to preference, there are very real benefits to turning off the shot meter and trusting in your ability to understand the shot animation and identify your chosen Visual Cue.