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Battle royale · PC · PlayStation · Xbox · Switch

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.

ActionPCPlayStationXbox
Sprint / runLeft ShiftL3 / L3 (press)LS / LS (press)
JumpSpaceCrossA
MeleeVR3 (press)RS (press)
ReloadRSquareX
Aim / ADSMouse 2L2LT
GrenadeGR1 (hold)RB (hold)
Switch weapon3TriangleY
InteractE

The rest of this game, drawn

Two pages, and they are not interchangeable: this is the reference you look a binding up in, the other measures the hand pressing it. Both figures below are counted from what each page holds.

42 bindings keyboard26controller16settings8 in 5 APEX controls You are here 2 inputs keyboardyescontrolleryestouchscreenno APEX input lab Puts all seven ADS multipliers side by side as centimetres, and plots your stick curve.
EscEscapeF1F1F2F2F3F3F4F4F5F5F6F6F7F7F8F8F9F9F10F10F11F11F12F12``1Weapon1: Weapon 1 / weapon 22Weapon2: Weapon 1 / weapon 23Holste3: Holster weapons4Use he4: Use health item, Healing wheel5Use sh5: Use shield item6677889900--==⌫BackspaceTabInventoryTab: InventoryQTacticQ: Tactical abilityWMoveW: MoveEInteraE: Interact / pick upRReloadR: ReloadTPush tT: Push to talkYYUUIIOOPP[[]]\\CapsCaps LockAMoveA: MoveSMoveS: MoveDMoveD: MoveFFGGrenadG: GrenadeHHJJKKLL;;''EnterChatEnter: ChatShiftSprintLeft Shift: SprintZUltimaZ: Ultimate abilityXXCCrouchC: Crouch (toggle)VMeleeV: MeleeBFire mB: Fire modeNInspecN: Inspect weaponMMapM: Map,,..//ShiftRight ShiftCtrlCrouch (hLeft Ctrl: Crouch (hold)WinWinAltLeft AltSpaceJumpSpace: JumpAltRight AltFnFnMenuMenuCtrlRight Ctrl
LMBFireRMBAim down sightsMMBPingM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑Cycle weaponsScroll ↓Cycle weapons
Highlighted keys carry a default action; hover or tap a key for every action bound to it.
ActionDefault 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
Settings that change how the bindings feel

Recommended starting settings

Apex has no hold-or-toggle switch. It has two separate crouch actions and binds both, which is why the defaults look like two crouch keys that behave differently. Past that, the settings that matter are the ones deciding whether you can build speed and aim at the same time.

Mouse / Keyboard

Mouse Sensitivity 1.5 – 2.5 at 800 DPI 0.1 – 20.0

Apex asks more of a low sensitivity than most shooters do, because a fight is fought while sliding, climbing and falling rather than standing. Around 1200 – 2000 eDPI leaves enough arm to track a target that is moving vertically. PC

Per Optic ADS Mouse Sensitivity Enabled EnabledDisabled

Apex hands you eight magnifications from a 1x holo to a 10x sniper scope. One multiplier across all of them means the number that suits the optic you use most is quietly wrong on every other, and this is the switch that stops that. PC

Mouse / Keyboard → Movement

Crouch (Hold) and Crouch (Toggle) Left Ctrl / C Any key

Apex does not give you a toggle switch, it gives you two separate actions and lets you bind both — which is why the default has Ctrl and C doing almost the same thing. Keeping both is the right answer: hold for the slide, toggle for the long hold behind cover. PC

Gameplay

Sprint View Shake Visual Minimal NormalMinimal

The camera bob while sprinting. Minimal is not a graphics preference: Apex is played in constant motion, and the shake is the difference between reading a distant squad while you run and only seeing them once you stop.

Controller → Advanced Look Controls

Response Curve Classic ClassicSteadyFine AimHigh VelocityLinear

How stick travel maps to turn speed. Classic keeps a soft centre and is what most players should stay on; Linear removes the curve entirely and is the one pros switch to, which is also why it feels broken for a week before it feels better. Controller

Deadzone Small NoneSmallMediumLarge

The stick travel the game ignores before it counts as aiming. Set it to the smallest value your sticks allow without drifting — a large deadzone does not fix drift, it hides it while taking your fine aim with it. If you are not sure which side of that line you are on, measure the stick rather than guess at it. Controller

Measure your stick's resting drift

Controller

Button Layout Default DefaultBumper JumperButton PuncherEvolved

Bumper Jumper is the layout that makes Apex's movement possible on a pad: it moves jump to a bumper so your thumb never leaves the right stick to slide-jump. That is the entire argument for it, and it is a strong one. Controller

Vibration Off OnOff

Rumble during a fight moves the stick you are aiming with. There is no version of this that helps you shoot, and the trigger effects on a DualSense cost you a fraction of a pull on top. Controller

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.

A 60% board has every key Apex Legends asks for. 3 of its 26 default binds still need the left hand to leave WASD, so the board is not what holds you back here — the layout is. How that compares with every other game.

  • 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.

How that compares

0 keys missing 60%3 far65%all theretenkeylessall there 60% keyboard check 25 of the 70 games we score lose a key on a 60%. This is not one of them.
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.

  1. Q Tactical Index finger, movement kept
  2. 1 Weapon one Index finger, movement kept
  3. 2 Weapon two Index finger, movement kept
  4. 3 Holster Middle finger, slight lift
  5. V Melee Stretch: A and D let go for a moment
  6. G Grenade Stretch, thrown while repositioning
  7. 4 Health item Stretch, and you press it while being shot
  8. 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.

How do I set crouch to toggle in Apex Legends?

You do not — Apex has no toggle switch. Crouch (Hold) and Crouch (Toggle) are two separate actions in the keybind list and the defaults bind both, to Left Ctrl and C. Keep both, or unbind the one you do not want.

What deadzone should I use in Apex Legends?

The smallest your sticks allow without drifting on their own, which for most controllers is Small. A large deadzone does not fix drift, it hides it and takes your fine aim with it.

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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.Gamepad testerSee every button, trigger and stick of your controller live, before blaming the game.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.