Optimized object traversal techniques are presented to move an object focus in an intuitive manner in a display interface using a navigational controller. The optimized object traversal enables two-directional movement (e.g., up, down, left, right, or other direction) of the object focus and not confined to a sequential movement order. The optimized object traversal may vary an order of the object focus selection between objects based on a selection path of a user (e.g., which object previously had the object focus). The optimized object traversal techniques use an edge point on the object having a current object focus to identify a next object to receive the object focus. Objects may be identified based on an orthogonal alignment, a distance from the edge point, a container order (e.g., in tie breaking instances) and/or by a coded assignment.