Best keybinds: what to rebind and why
The best keybinds are the ones your left hand reaches without leaving WASD. Keep moving on WASD and jumping on Space, put what you press in a fight within one step of your fingers, give the mouse's side buttons what you need while you aim, and move rarely used actions further out. Change one bind at a time, and give it a few sessions before you judge it.
- Under a finger
- One step away
- A stretch
- The hand has to move
What to change, and why
- Leave WASD and Space alone. Both games below start from them, and every other key is judged by how far it is from them.
- Keep fight keys one step away. Reload, abilities, use and crouch are pressed while you move, so they belong on the keys next to your fingers: Q, E, R, F, C, X and Z, and the 2 and 3 keys. A key that makes the hand move, such as N or M, suits something you press only when you are safe.
- Split crouch and sprint. When both sit under the little finger (Ctrl and Shift), holding one while you press the other is awkward. If you do that often, move one of them to C or to a mouse side button.
- Use the mouse's side buttons. Your thumb presses them without the left hand leaving WASD, so they suit what you need while you move and aim: an ability, melee or push-to-talk. Check first that both register in the mouse test.
- Put push-to-talk on something you can hold while you move: a side button, or a key one step away that no fight action uses.
- Put rare actions further out. The map, the scoreboard, emotes and settings can sit where the hand has to move.
- Keep the Windows key out of play. It sits one step from your little finger, and a stray press opens the Start menu and takes you out of the game. Many gaming keyboards can lock it: see keyboard keys not working.
- Change one bind at a time. Play a few sessions before you judge it, and note the old key so you can go back.
Before you settle on a bind
- Shift tapped five times opens the Sticky Keys box in Windows, which takes the focus from the game. If sprint, walk or crouch is on Shift, turn off its shortcut.
- Right Shift held for eight seconds turns on Filter Keys, and Windows then ignores brief presses. If you bind anything to right Shift, turn off that shortcut too.
- Your keyboard has to read the keys together. On the keyboard test, hold W, A and Shift, then add the new key. If it does not light up, your keyboard blocks that combination: choose another key (why this happens).
Apex Legends: the default keys
As EA lists them for PC, with how far each key is from your fingers.
| Action | Default key | Reach |
|---|---|---|
| Move | W A S D | Under a finger |
| Sprint (hold) | Shift | Under a finger |
| Jump | Space | Under a finger |
| Crouch (C toggles, Ctrl holds) | C / Ctrl | One step away |
| Interact, pick up | E | One step away |
| Reload | R | One step away |
| Tactical ability | Q | One step away |
| Ultimate ability | Z | One step away |
| Melee | V | A stretch |
| Equip grenade | G | A stretch |
| Holster | 3 | One step away |
| Use a health item (hold for the wheel) | 4 | A stretch |
| Extra character action | H | The hand has to move |
| Inspect weapon | N | The hand has to move |
| Map | M | The hand has to move |
| Inventory | Tab | A stretch |
| Attack | Left click | On the mouse |
| Aim down sights | Right click | On the mouse |
| Cycle weapons | Scroll wheel | On the mouse |
Melee (V), the grenade (G) and the health item (4) are a stretch, and the extra character action (H) makes the hand move. If you need them in fights, they are the first ones to move: to a mouse side button, or to a key one step away such as F, which EA's list leaves free.
Minecraft: the default keys
As Mojang lists them for mouse and keyboard; Mojang says the basic controls are the same in Java and Bedrock Edition.
| Action | Default key | Reach |
|---|---|---|
| Move | W A S D | Under a finger |
| Jump (double-tap to fly in Creative) | Space | Under a finger |
| Sprint (while moving) | Ctrl | One step away |
| Sneak | Shift | Under a finger |
| Inventory | E | One step away |
| Drop the item in your hand | Q | One step away |
| Hotbar slot (or the scroll wheel) | 1–9 | Depends on the number |
| Players on the server | Tab | A stretch |
| Chat and commands | T | A stretch |
| Menu | Esc | The hand has to move |
| Attack, break | Left click | On the mouse |
| Place, use | Right click | On the mouse |
Drop sits on Q, one step from your ring finger, and Mojang itself warns against pressing it while you fight with a sword in your hand. If you drop things by accident, move it where the hand has to move. Sprint on Ctrl and sneak on Shift share the little finger, so the advice above on crouch and sprint applies here too.
Where to change them
- Apex Legends: press Esc or open Settings, choose the Mouse/Keyboard tab, select an input and press the new key, then Apply.
- Minecraft: the options menu, which can also restore every control to its default.
- Fortnite: press Esc, select the gear icon, then the arrow keys icon for mouse and keyboard. Epic's help sends you there for the defaults too, and the settings shown depend on the game mode you have selected.
- VALORANT: press Esc in a match or select the gear icon in the main menu, then Controls. Riot's support pages do not list the defaults.
Keys are named and drawn as on a US keyboard, the way EA and Mojang list them. On another layout the key in the same place can carry another letter: on a French AZERTY keyboard, Z Q S D sit where WASD are. The game's own settings show the keys it uses on yours.
Default keys: EA Help, Apex Legends controls for PC and console; Mojang, Minecraft Controls. Where to change them: Epic Games, How can I change my Fortnite controls on PC or console?; Riot Games, VALORANT UI Settings FAQ. The reach map is our own measure.