The Smart Pistol was both criticized for how strong its targeting ability was, and praised for its uniqueness and how it lowered the barrier to entry for players who were new to the genre or normally performed poorly in shooters.

[1] In Titanfall 2, the Smart Pistol MK6 was changed from a primary weapon into a limited boost item the player had to work for in order, after "a lot of negative feedback" from fans that it was too strong.

According to Titanfall's game director, Steve Fukuda, the Smart Pistol "was born of a complaint from Respawn co-founder Jason West, who complained of 'no shooters for old men.

'"[1] Saying that West had expressed frustration at being unable to sneak up on enemies without dying, the studio added the Smart Pistol as "a little bit of a bridge weapon for newcomers to the game".

[6] He also called the multiple lock-on feature "a lovely concept for fast-paced stealth - and it works great if you're cloaked", but singled out its implementation, citing the "curving red fishing line of light" that connects to targets on the HUD, as well as the "most satisfying of gun sounds - that sort of muted power-stapler fftunk!

[3] Charlie Hall of Polygon noted the Smart Pistol's resemblance to the TrackingPoint Precision Guided Firearm, an integrated rifle optics system that allows users to hit targets with "tremendous accuracy".