Rainbox Six Extraction Controls Guide for PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox One and Tips for Beginners

The newest game in the decades-long Rainbow Six franchise drops with Rainbow Six Extraction. The game is a sequel to Rainbow Six Siege, building off of the events of the Parasite invading New Mexico. Like most games in the franchise, it is a challenging game that will force you to adapt your gameplay to be successful.

Below, you will find complete controls for Extraction on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. After the controls, a few gameplay tips will be listed.

All Rainbow Six Extraction controls for PS4 and PS5

• Move: L
• Look: R
• Aim: L2
• Shoot: R2
• Sprint: R3
• Melee and Takedown: R3
• Jump and Navigate Terrain: X
• Crouch and Prone: O and O (hold)
• Drone Scan: Triangle (hold)
• Exit Turret or Drone: O
• Swap Primary and Secondary Weapon: Triangle
• Reload: Square
• Interact and Revive: Square (hold)
• Use Explosive (Grenade or Charge): L1
• Toggle Teammate Bodycam: L1 (when available)
• Use Operator Ability: R1
• Ping: D-Pad Up
• Use Gear: D-Pad Right
• Toggle Light and Laser: D-Pad Down
• Toggle Firing Mode: D-Pad Left
• Start Menu: Options
• Dashboard and Open Chat: Touchpad
• Chat Wheel: D-Pad Up (hold)

All Rainbow Six Extraction controls for Xbox One and Series X|S

• Move: L
• Look: R
• Aim: LT
• Shoot: RT
• Sprint: L3
• Melee and Takedown: R3
• Jump and Navigate Terrain: A
• Crouch and Prone: B and B (hold)
• Drone Scan: Y (hold)
• Exit Turret or Drone: B
• Swap Primary and Secondary Weapon: Y
• Reload: X
• Interact and Revive: X (hold)
• Use Explosive (Grenade or Charge): LB
• Toggle Teammate Bodycam: LB (when available)
• Use Operator Ability: RB
• Ping: D-Pad Up
• Use Gear: D-Pad Right
• Toggle Light and Laser: D-Pad Down
• Toggle Firing Mode: D-Pad Left
• Start Menu: Pause
• Dashboard and Open Chat: Chat
• Chat Wheel: D-Pad Up (hold)

Note that the left and right joysticks are denoted as L and R, respectively. The need to to press on the joysticks is indicated with L3 and R3.

All PC controls for Rainbow Six Extraction

• Move: W, A, S, D
• Look: Mouse
• Aim: Right Click
• Shoot: Left Click
• Lean Left and Right: Q and E
• Melee and Takedown: V
• Jump and Navigate Terrain: Spacebar
• Crouch: C
• Prone: Ctrl
• Drone Scan: X (hold)
• Exit Turret or Drone: C
• Swap Primary and Secondary Weapon: 1 and 2
• Previous Weapon: Period
• Reload: R
• Interact and Revive: F (hold)
• Use Explosive (Grenade or Charge): G and 3
• Use Operator Ability: Wheel Click
• Ping: Z
• Use Gear: 5
• Toggle Light and Laser: 6
• Toggle Firing Mode: B
• Start Menu: Options
• Open Chat: T
• Chat Wheel: N

Rainbow Six Extraction tips and tricks for beginners

Below, you will find some gameplay tips to make your early incursions more successful than stressful. Remember that Rainbow Six is known to be a challenging series, so don’t be surprised if you do find yourself frustrated.

1. Do the VR Training first to familiarize yourself

Extraction does not force you into a tutorial, although it will heavily hint at completing one. Even veterans of the series and first-person shooters should go through the VR Training since Extraction isn’t your typical “shoot-and-kill-enemies” game.

You will be given an Objective per subzone, three in total, per play on a map. Some do include merely killing targets, but others include research and live specimen tasks, among others. VR Training gives you an idea of a few of these Objectives.

Not only will you be ably to play through some Objectives and encounter a few of the enemies – the Archæans – but you will be given simple tasks (known as “Studies”) to accomplish during your training run that will net you easy experience. Early on, that easy experience could net you a level up, which can unlock a piece of REACT Tech.

You can play VR Training as much as you want, so it may be a good way to familiarize yourself with each of the available Operators, their weapons, their abilities, and REACT Tech.

2. Play in a squad

While Rainbow Six Extraction does include the option to play solo with the game informing you that incursions will be “adapted for the size of your squad,” the games was made to play in trios. Even on the lowest difficulty playing solo, it can be rather challenging, leading to several MIA Operators – who can only be rescued from the deepest and most difficult subzone!

As such, squad up whenever possible even if that means with random players. Preferably, you could squad up with two of your friends and embark on incursions to complete Objectives and Studies, but that isn’t always an available option. You can Quick Play to be matched up with players on the server, thus playing the level with two others to help quell the Archæans.

Further, many of the 13 Objectives are much more easily accomplished with a full squad. For example, the triangulation and seismic study Objective (grouped as one Objective that rotates) requires the activation of three computers in succession within a certain period of time. It is much easier to coordinate with two other players to hit them in quick succession rather than running around yourself as activating the first will trigger some enemies.

Your chances of delving into zones two and three where the enemies are stronger, more plentiful, possibly triggering the appearance of Proteans (ultimate Archæans), and escaping successfully also increases with a full squad. You will get more experience and rewards the further you delve.

Lastly, MIA Operators can only be rescued from the final zone, deep in the heart of the zone. It requires trying to extract an MIA Operator from an Archæan Carapace while also destroying veins that drain the lifeforce of the Operator. It really does take one Operator to be at the MIA while the other two take out the veins on either side for a successful rescue.

Essentially, grouping up is not only your best chance at progression and survival, but also to retrieve your fallen Operators. It should be at the top of your best practices list for Rainbow Six Extraction.

3. Use the drone to mark enemies and strategize!

Immediately available and equipped with every Operator, the drone is a godsend, particularly if you choose to play solo. First, activate the drone by pressing D-Pad Right. You then can control the drone to enter any open area. While it cannot open doors, any opening it can sneak through.

The beauty of the drone is it can scan and highlight enemies and nests in red, leaving the highlight there for a while (even through walls!). Any beneficial items (like ammo refills) are highlighted in blue. Enemy Archæans are unable to notice the drone, even when walking right over it, and thus it makes for the ideal reconnaissance tool.

There are two drawbacks to the drone. The first is that it lasts for only about a minute. Depending on the area, that should be enough to at least get you through one or two areas before proceeding deeper.

The second drawback is that if you use the drone until the battery runs out then the drone will explode. This explosion will draw the attention of any enemies within a good radius, just like an errant shot from your weapon would alert them. While this could be good to group them and pick them off, be mindful of what enemies it draws and how close they are as after a few moments, they’ll go back to their original positions.

Regardless, the drone is a powerful tool that you can use right away.

Also, for trophy hunters, you can get the Eagle Eye trophy for scanning 50 enemies with the drone.

4. Crouch everywhere

You have 15 minutes per subzone to either extract or move to the airlock for the next area. You will be considered MIA otherwise. While that may not seem like a lot of time, gameplay experience suggests that Objectives aren’t too deep into a zone, regardless of the type, and can be accomplished with plenty of time to spare.

In that case, crouch everywhere! Archæans can easily hear and see you when you’re either walking or running. However, when in a crouch, they can’t hear you and it is much more difficult for them to see you, even if you’re in their line of sight (granted you’re at least 20 meters or so away).

There are many reasons for this strategy. Enemy nests will become agitated when they feel threatened, continually spawning enemies until the nest is destroyed. Especially if there are Archæans in the area, do your best to either sneak up and Ambush them with R3 or V, or get a headshot to instantly kill them; a stealth headshot from crouch will not alert nests, though other Archæans may react to the sudden death if they’re near.

Then take out the nests with R3 or V (destroy 50 for the Dissected trophy). You can also nab the Slap Fight achievement by hitting three enemies with melee attacks (easily obtainable in VR Training).

Further, you gain more experience for stealth kills! That’s always a good reason to remain in crouch.

This doesn’t mean crouch when you’re being swarmed or chased; run!

5. Use Operator Abilities to gain the advantage

Lastly, get to know each of the Operator’s abilities. They are individualized and work to enhance the skills of these professionals.

For example, DOC’s ability allows him to heal and revived downed teammates from a distance with his special gun. FINKA’s research into her own body and conditions allows her to add a health, firing, and reload upgrade to hear teammates for a short duration.

VIGIL can cloak himself for a short time, sneaking past enemies to avoid a fight, set a trap, or flank enemies. ROOK drops body armor for the squad, adding a 50-point shield.

Abilities can be the difference between successfully extracting or having an MIA Operator. With ability refills littered throughout areas, use them instead of squandering them.

These tips should help you to both understand what to prepare for and how best to approach Archæans. Be sure to check out the other guides on Rainbow Six Extraction to really set yourself for the tactical shooter!