You just landed a perfect 3-hit combo into a critical art, wiped out your opponent’s entire health bar in Street Fighter 6 on PS5, and you want to lean into the moment just a little. Or maybe you’re trying to capture a clip of your main’s iconic emote to share on your socials. No matter your reason, knowing how to taunt in Street Fighter 6 PS5 is a tiny but fun part of mastering the game that way too many new players overlook. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing inputs across every character on PS5, messing up taunts at the worst possible times, and figuring out the unwritten rules of when to use them, so I’ve broken down everything you need to know to pull off taunts reliably every time.
How to Taunt in Street Fighter 6 PS5: Basic Controller Inputs
First, let’s cover the default controls for taunts on a standard DualSense controller, since most players use the default setup when they first boot up the game. The entire taunt system is tied to the controller’s touchpad, and you can access three different taunts per character by combining the touchpad press with directional inputs. Neutral touchpad press (no direction held) will trigger your character’s default, most well-known taunt. Up + touchpad press will trigger your character’s second taunt, which is usually a more playful or over-the-top emote. Down + touchpad press will trigger your character’s third taunt, which often leans into their personality or backstory.
If you use a custom control scheme, you’ll need to double check your button mapping to make sure taunts are assigned to an input you can access easily. A lot of players remap the touchpad for other games, so it’s common to accidentally unassign taunt controls when you first set up your SF6 profile. You can also map taunts to one of the DualSense’s back buttons if you have a DualSense Edge controller, which makes it even easier to pull off taunts without fumbling with the touchpad mid-match.
It’s important to note that all taunt animations last between 1 and 2.5 seconds, and you cannot cancel them early unless you get hit by an opponent’s attack. That means you should never trigger a taunt unless you are 100% sure you are safe from punishment. Most taunts have 20+ frames of recovery, so even a slow heavy attack will hit you before you can block if you taunt at the wrong time.
Character-Specific Taunts You Don’t Want to Miss
Every character on the SF6 base roster has three unique taunts, and many of them reference past Street Fighter games or deep cuts from the character’s lore. Ryu’s neutral taunt, for example, is him adjusting his white headband, a direct callback to his win pose from the original Street Fighter 2. Chun-Li’s down taunt has her spin around and wave to the crowd, which matches her cheerful, friendly personality perfectly.
Jamie is the only character in the base roster whose taunts provide a tangible gameplay advantage, not just a cosmetic emote. Every time Jamie uses one of his taunts, he takes a sip of his kung fu tea, which builds up his drink gauge. A higher drink gauge unlocks stronger special moves and longer combos, so if you main Jamie, you’ll want to weave taunts into your playstyle whenever you have a safe window after knocking an opponent down. Just don’t get greedy, because a well-timed attack from your opponent will cancel the taunt and leave you wide open for damage.
Some of the most popular taunts in the community come from the game’s more chaotic characters. Juri’s down taunt has her blow a kiss and laugh maniacally, which is perfect for tilting an opponent after you land a big combo. Blanka’s up taunt is his iconic Blanka-chan dance, and many players use it exclusively in casual matches to keep the mood light. Luke’s neutral taunt has him flex and yell at his opponent, which is a common sight at the end of high-level ranked sets.
Best (and Worst) Times to Use Taunts in Matches
Taunting can be a fun way to add personality to your matches, but there’s a fine line between playful banter and being rude to other players. The SF6 community has a set of unwritten rules around taunting that you should follow if you don’t want to get a bad reputation online. After you land a perfect round with zero damage taken is the most universally accepted time to taunt, since you’ve earned the right to show off a little. Taunting after you win a full set is also fine, as long as you don’t spam it over and over again. If you’re playing casual matches with friends, you can taunt as much as you want, since everyone is there to have fun.
There are also plenty of times you should never use a taunt, no matter how tempting it is. Don’t taunt before the first round starts, because it comes off as overly aggressive and rude to most players, especially if you’re matched against someone you don’t know. Don’t taunt in the middle of a round when you have a small lead, because you’ll almost always get punished for it. And never taunt a player who is clearly new to the game, since it will just make them feel unwelcome in the community.
If you’re still confused about taunt etiquette, follow these simple rules:
- Never taunt before the first round starts – it comes off as overly aggressive and rude to most players
- Only taunt after you’ve secured the round win, not in the middle of an exchange where you could still get hit
- If you taunt and then lose the next round, don’t get upset if your opponent taunts you back – turnabout is fair play
So if you follow these rules, you can enjoy taunting without accidentally making enemies online. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to how your opponent plays – if they taunt you first after a good play, it’s usually fine to taunt back, as long as you keep it lighthearted.
Troubleshooting Common Taunt Issues on PS5
A lot of players run into issues with taunts not registering when they first try to use them, and most of these issues have simple fixes. The most common problem is the taunt input not registering when you press the touchpad. Make sure you press the touchpad firmly in the center, not on the edges, to avoid accidental swipes that don’t count as a press. The DualSense touchpad is very sensitive, so a light tap on the edge will often register as a swipe instead of a press, which won’t trigger the taunt.
If you use a fight stick instead of a standard DualSense controller, you won’t have a touchpad, so you’ll need to map the taunt inputs to one of your extra programmable buttons. Most modern fight sticks have 2-4 extra buttons on the side, so you can assign each taunt to a separate button, or assign the taunt modifier to one button that you can combine with directional inputs. Just make sure you don’t map taunts to a button you use for special moves, or you’ll accidentally trigger taunts mid-combo all the time.
Another common issue is taunts getting interrupted mid-animation. If this keeps happening to you, you’re using taunts too early, before the round is officially over. The round doesn’t end until the announcer says “KO” and the “ROUND WIN” text pops up on the screen. If you press the taunt button before that happens, your opponent can still attack you, and they will almost always take the chance to punish you for being cocky. Wait half a second after you land the final hit of the round to trigger your taunt, and you’ll never get interrupted again.
Taunting is one of the small, fun details that makes Street Fighter 6 feel so personal and full of character, whether you’re playing for fun with friends or climbing the ranked ladder. Once you get the hang of how to taunt in Street Fighter 6 PS5, you can pick your favorite character’s best emotes, use them at the right times, and add a little extra personality to every match. Just remember to play nice, avoid taunting new players, and don’t get too cocky if you land a good taunt – you never know when your opponent will come back and sweep the next three rounds.