Holding start brings up the map straight away.
Holding circle/B in a menu/shop catalogue lets you exit straight away
Double tapping L1/LB lets you do a cool trick when you put away your gun
Holding R2/RT lightly allows you to draw into deadeye
Pressing up with a gun in your hand allows you to shoot into the air to scare predators away
Tapping left on the d-pad brings up a task list of requests, hunting challenges etc
Holding down lets you have quick-access to radar options (expanded, normal, compass, off)
Likewise, pressing down quickly brings up information on the screen if the map is off etc. Great for them full screen immersions!
If you press x/A in time with your horse's gallops, you won't use as much stamina, this apparently also works when Arthur is on foot
Waypoints can be enabled from the settings, I'm pretty sure they're disabled by default? Which is odd (Display settings)
Toggle to run in the settings lets you just tap x/A once to keep running (still have to tap to sprint) *If you keep x/A held whilst going into the cinematic camera view, you don't need to hold run anymore, and with a waypoint active, your horse will follow the route*
Using the ledger in camp, after Dutch's tent has been upgraded (might be worth doing this early since more people begin to contribute), Arthur's tent can be upgraded to enable fast travel ($260)
The lasso is great and can be used for a multitude of things
You can lasso witnesses without losing honour/being caught
Lassoing large animals lets you keep them in place and get in close for a (albeit pretty brutal) knife kill without damaging the animal
Pressing down whilst in first person will enable iron sights
Crouching whilst crawling up a steep incline may help with grip and stop Arthur from falling over
If you steal a carriage, train etc. You can just whistle your horse and it will follow behind you
Holding triangle whilst on your horse will hitch up anywhere, even into the ground or a tree
Running into someone and pressing triangle will tackle them to the ground
You can sell Legendary Buck Antlers for a trinket that improves the quality of pelt of animals you skin. Super helpful! I'm not 100% the mechanics of it, but looked like it would improve a pelt but one quality level. One good pelt would be perfect. The Legendary Buck is NW of strawberry next to an Indian Burial ground." (Fences sell the trinket, like the one in Saint Denis)
You can interact with mirrors by pressing L2+O (LT+B)
"Check the chimneys"
You can hold square/X to continually loot things from cupboards etc.
You can lasso animals that are dead in rivers and bring them towards you by holding R2/RT
You can start a fist fight if you have a bounty and let the police arrest you by surrendering to have your bounty go away, but you will lose all your money (spend it first)
A dark red X after shooting someone means that their wound is fatal and they will die soon, usually accompanied by a very good animation.
You can equip a pocket watch from your satchel/buy one from the shop and access it from your inventory in the camera/binocular slot. Great for immersion!
Dynamite/Gunshots can be used on lockboxes to open them if you don't have a lockbreaker yet. Make sure to get rid of the horses first or they may run off.
Eagle eye can be used to locate items in the environment as well, like plants, Etc.
"If anyone is trying to figure out the horse perks from bonding with your horse; RB + X from a stand still will rear your horse and it seems to get you into a gallop faster. Horse drifting is holding X while moving LT left or right and helps for dodging trees, rocks, or making wide turns. RB + A is great for stopping on a dime and making sharp turns. To get the drifting like the gameplay video, you actually dont need to drift with X. Get a little bit of speed going (tap A a couple times) and then use LT to spin in a circle. Your horse's back end will kick out like youre doing donuts and then choose a direction to peel out with your horse. No benefit really, but looks tight."
If you punch someone with the lasso equipped, you instantly hog tie them.
You can hold triangle/Y to rest on the spot, if you're not on your horse and craft etc. This also raises stamina a bit
Left or right on d-pad while ADS switches shoulder aim.
Arthur grabs to most ledges (Jumping rooftops in St. Denise feels great.).
Full masks work better than the half bandana.
Running up to someone with a weapon and pressing RT/R2 activates a kill shot animation. Works with lasso to skip the throw. Works also after a tackle.
Activating dead eye when reloading skips animations.
Pressing square/X whilst aiming lets you dive, and it's really cool
Hold right next to the horse to see its cargo, this stuff also automatically appears in the shop menu as long as your horse is close
You can have an additional horse follow you around on your OG horse for extra hunting storage (pelts/carcasses), just highlight a tamed horse and ask it to follow you
This one might be obvious but don't be afraid to drop your guns in order to pick up new ones if you find them, your old guns can be retrieved from your saddle just like your hat.
I really like the fishing but if you don’t or you’re in a rush you can just shoot the fish. Haven’t tried it but I’m guessing dynamite probably works too.
Hold X/A to continually craft ammunition at the campfire. It skips most of the animation. As a note, you can craft split points easily and they do more damage
You can fire from the hip by tapping R2 without holding L2, bit more inaccurate but useful in a bind and faster
You can carry multiple skins on the back of your horse
You can recall your horse from a stable. Also, "If you end up in the middle of nowhere without your horse: save and reload it will be teleported near you."
"Wearing a mask is not always enough to hide your identity, if you're known in town people may be able to identify you from your clothing, your horse, or your custom weapons. Set up a "crime outfit" and don't wear it while you're out being a law-abiding citizen!"
Press square/X for more customisation options while looking at single pieces of clothing at the tailor
You can store multiple outfits on your horse and access them with L1 while near it
Sell all of your canned food supplies and instead cook and stow meat from your campfire. Venison and Beef give great benefits, it's easy to come by, and you won't clog up your satchel with a bunch of canned corn.
Throwing all the hair info out here, if anyone wants it. Everything is straight from strategy guide:
Hair tonic doubles growth rate, stackable (×4, x8)
Hair tonic lasts up to two stages of hair growthYou can only grow one increment at a time before needing a screen fade (sleeping, respawning, fast travel, cut scenes, etc.) Hair pomade applied by barber lasts 5 in game days (2 if done yourself)
Hair doesn't grow past stage 7, beard goes to 10
Beard stops growing without tonic at stage 6
Holding R1/RB will reverse horses, carriages, diarrhea, Etc.
You can calm enemy horses and loot the satchels on either side
You can jump onto your horse from elevated places, like a balcony etc
While hunting: You can hold L2/LT, use binoculars, zoom in with a gun etc. on an animal to see the quality of its pelt
For easy flight feathers, get a good vantage in an area with lots of birds, ducks, etc. and equip a varmint rifle. Eat food/tonic to max deadeye. Fire a shot into the air (d-pad+up while aiming), then enter deadeye and shoot down the startled birds as they take off
The companion app lets you order clothes without having to go to a tailor (the desktop app too, maybe?)
If you're standing over multiple lootable things you can cycle through things to loot with RB