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Apex Legends controls & keybinds

Apex uses a standard shooter layout with two ability keys (Q and Z), a dedicated ping on the middle mouse button and healing on the number row. Controllers get the Default layout with abilities on the bumpers and a ping on R1/RB.

The keys people look up first

Apex Legends controls at a glance

Default bindings for the actions searched for most. The full lists, the settings that change how they feel and the printable layout are below.

Action	PC	PlayStation	Xbox
Sprint / run	`Left Shift`	`L3 / L3 (press)`	`LS / LS (press)`
Jump	`Space`	`Cross`	`A`
Melee	`V`	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`
Reload	`R`	`Square`	`X`
Aim / ADS	`Mouse 2`	`L2`	`LT`
Grenade	`G`	`R1 (hold)`	`RB (hold)`
Switch weapon	`3`	`Triangle`	`Y`
Interact	`E`

LMBFireRMBAim down sightsMMBPingM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑Cycle weaponsScroll ↓Cycle weapons

Highlighted keys carry a default action; hover or tap a key for every action bound to it.

Action	Default key
Movement
Move	`W / A / S / D`
Sprint	`Left Shift`
Jump	`Space`
Crouch (hold)	`Left Ctrl`
Crouch (toggle)	`C`
Combat
Fire	`Mouse 1`
Aim down sights	`Mouse 2`
Reload	`R`
Weapon 1 / weapon 2	`1 / 2`
Holster weapons	`3`
Cycle weapons	`Scroll Up / Scroll Down`
Melee	`V`
Grenade	`G`
Fire mode	`B`
Inspect weapon	`N`
Abilities
Tactical ability	`Q`
Ultimate ability	`Z`
Healing
Use health item	`4`
Use shield item	`5`
Healing wheel	`4 (hold)`
Interface
Interact / pick up	`E`
Inventory	`Tab`
Map	`M`
PingHold for the ping wheel; double-tap for an enemy ping.	`Mouse 3`
Push to talk	`T`
Chat	`Enter`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Movement
Move / sprint	`L3 / L3 (press)`	`LS / LS (press)`	`L3 / L3 (press)`
Look	`R3`	`RS`	`R3`
Jump	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
CrouchHold to crouch, tap to toggle.	`Circle`	`B`	`A`
Combat
Fire	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Aim	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Reload / interact	`Square`	`X`	`Y`
Switch weapon	`Triangle`	`Y`	`X`
Melee	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`	`R3 (press)`
Grenade	`R1 (hold)`	`RB (hold)`	`R1 (hold)`
Abilities
Tactical ability	`L1`	`LB`	`L`
Ultimate	`L1 + R1`	`LB + RB`	`L + R`
Interface
Ping	`R1`	`RB`	`R`
Inventory	`Options`	`Menu`	`+`
Map	`Touchpad`	`View`	`Touchpad`
Healing
Healing wheel	`D-pad Up (hold)`	`D-pad Up (hold)`	`D-pad Up (hold)`

Switch labels are derived from the PlayStation and Xbox layouts where the game uses the standard mapping; games without a Switch release show the equivalent position only.

Reach check · your keyboard, this game

Can your board actually play Apex Legends?

Every default bind, re-scored against the keyboard you own. Distance is measured from the left hand resting on WASD, because that is where it stays while you play.

W / A / S / D Move
Left Shift Sprint
Space Jump
Left Ctrl Crouch (hold)
C Crouch (toggle)
Mouse 1 Fire
Mouse 2 Aim down sights
R Reload
1 / 2 Weapon 1 / weapon 2
3 Holster weapons
Scroll Up / Scroll Down Cycle weapons
V Melee
G Grenade
B Fire mode
N Inspect weapon
Q Tactical ability
Z Ultimate ability
4 Use health item
5 Use shield item
4 (hold) Healing wheel
E Interact / pick up
Tab Inventory
M Map
Mouse 3 Ping
T Push to talk
Enter Chat

On the keys: your hand is already there
Comfortable: a finger moves, the hand does not
Stretch: the hand lifts, movement wobbles
Off movement: you let go of A and D to press it
Not on this board: the key does not physically exist

Reach uses the same key geometry as BindIQ, which can rebuild the whole layout for you once you know what is out of reach. Mouse buttons always count as reachable — your right hand is already there.

Apex Legends control lab

Everything happens while you are moving

Apex is a movement game before it is a shooter, and that changes what a keybind costs. A slide jump wants Shift, Ctrl and Space in the same second; healing and ultimates want keys further out than the hand can reach without stopping. The default layout is fine for a game where you stand still, and Apex is not that game.

Q Tactical Index finger, movement kept
1 Weapon one Index finger, movement kept
2 Weapon two Index finger, movement kept
3 Holster Middle finger, slight lift
V Melee Stretch: A and D let go for a moment
G Grenade Stretch, thrown while repositioning
4 Health item Stretch, and you press it while being shot
Z Ultimate Out of reach while moving

Competing for the same hand

Left Shift Sprint — held into every slide
Left Ctrl Crouch, tapped at the end of a sprint to slide. Same little finger as Shift
Space Jump, pressed during the slide to keep the speed
Mouse 3 Ping — the one Apex control nobody rebinds, and the right hand is already there

Ultimate on Z is the clearest mistake in the defaults: it is diagonally opposite the movement keys and you press it in the exact second you are sprinting. Move it, along with healing, onto mouse side buttons — that pair alone is why experienced Apex players insist on a five-button mouse. Leave the tactical on Q and the weapons on 1 and 2; they are already where the hand lives. The slide-jump itself needs no rebinding, only the knowledge that Shift, Ctrl and Space are one motion rather than three presses.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in Apex Legends

Generated from the default bindings above, so an action and its key can never disagree.

How to sprint in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To sprint in Apex Legends, press Left Shift on PC, L3 / L3 (press) on PlayStation and LS / LS (press) on Xbox.

How to jump in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To jump in Apex Legends, press Space on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox.

How to melee in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To melee in Apex Legends, press V on PC, R3 (press) on PlayStation and RS (press) on Xbox.

How to reload in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To reload in Apex Legends, press R on PC, Square on PlayStation and X on Xbox.

How to aim down sights in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To aim down sights in Apex Legends, press Mouse 2 on PC, L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.

How to throw a grenade in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To throw a grenade in Apex Legends, press G on PC, R1 (hold) on PlayStation and RB (hold) on Xbox.

How to switch weapons in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To switch weapons in Apex Legends, press 3 on PC, Triangle on PlayStation and Y on Xbox.

How to interact or pick things up in Apex Legends on PC?

To interact or pick things up in Apex Legends, press E on PC.

How to open the inventory in Apex Legends on PC and controller?

To open the inventory in Apex Legends, press Tab on PC, Options on PlayStation and Menu on Xbox.

Quick answers

What is the ping key in Apex Legends?

Mouse 3 (the scroll-wheel click) on PC and R1/RB on controller. Tap to ping a location or item, hold for the wheel, double-tap to mark an enemy.

How do I heal quickly?

Press 4 for a health item and 5 for a shield item, or hold 4 for the wheel and pick the exact consumable. Healing cancels if you switch weapons.

How do I use my ultimate?

Z on keyboard, both bumpers together on controller. The HUD shows the charge percentage next to the ability icon.

Can I toggle crouch instead of holding it?

Yes. C toggles and Left Ctrl holds by default, so both are available; many players rebind hold-crouch to a mouse side button for slides.

How do I change fire mode?

Press B with a weapon that supports it, such as the Hemlok or Prowler; the ammo counter shows the current mode.

Where to go from here

Next steps for Apex Legends

Sensitivity converterBring the cm/360 you already trust into APEX instead of guessing a number.eDPI calculatorWork out where your APEX sensitivity sits and what it becomes if you change DPI.Controller deadzone tunerFind the smallest deadzone that hides drift without swallowing slow aim in APEX.Stick drift testFive-second resting sample, so a wandering camera is not blamed on the game.Input latency testReaction time, event-to-frame delay and controller update rate in one pass.