Tactical shooter · PC

Counter-Strike 2 controls & keybinds

CS2 inherits the classic Counter-Strike layout: WASD, Shift to walk, Ctrl to crouch, number keys for weapon slots and a buy menu on B. Most of the game's depth sits in the console and custom binds layered on top of these defaults.

The keys people look up first

Counter-Strike 2 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
Crouch	`Left Ctrl`
Jump	`Space`
Melee	`3`
Reload	`R`
Aim / ADS	`Mouse 2`
Ping / mark	`Mouse 3`
Chat / voice	`K`
Scoreboard	`Tab`

LMBFireRMBSecondary fire / scope / silencerMMBPlayer pingM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑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`
Walk (silent)	`Left Shift`
Crouch	`Left Ctrl`
Jump	`Space`
Combat
Fire	`Mouse 1`
Secondary fire / scope / silencer	`Mouse 2`
Reload	`R`
Primary weapon	`1`
Secondary weapon	`2`
Knife	`3`
Grenades (cycle)Individual grenade keys are unbound by default; bind them in Settings or the console.	`4`
Bomb (C4)	`5`
Last weapon used (quick switch)	`Q`
Drop weapon	`G`
Inspect weapon	`F`
Cycle weapons	`Scroll Up / Scroll Down`
Interface
Use / defuse / open doorHold E on the bomb to defuse; a kit halves the time.	`E`
Buy menu	`B`
Scoreboard	`Tab`
Player pingMiddle mouse marks a spot for the team.	`Mouse 3`
Choose team	`M`
Radio commands	`Z / X / C`
Voice (push to talk)	`K`
Chat / team chat	`Y / U`
Spray graffiti	`T`
ConsoleEnable the developer console in Settings › Game first.	`

Reach check · your keyboard, this game

Can your board actually play Counter-Strike 2?

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 Walk (silent)
Left Ctrl Crouch
Space Jump
Mouse 1 Fire
Mouse 2 Secondary fire / scope / silencer
R Reload
1 Primary weapon
2 Secondary weapon
3 Knife
4 Grenades (cycle)
5 Bomb (C4)
Q Last weapon used (quick switch)
G Drop weapon
F Inspect weapon
Scroll Up / Scroll Down Cycle weapons
E Use / defuse / open door
B Buy menu
Tab Scoreboard
Mouse 3 Player ping
M Choose team
Z / X / C Radio commands
K Voice (push to talk)
Y / U Chat / team chat
T Spray graffiti
` Console

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.

Config

Build the file, do not copy it.

Buy binds, viewmodel, crosshair convars and the jump-throw alias, generated from your own choices with the reason for every line written beside it.

Open the CS2 autoexec studio

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in Counter-Strike 2

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

How to crouch in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To crouch in Counter-Strike 2, press Left Ctrl on PC.

How to jump in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To jump in Counter-Strike 2, press Space on PC.

How to melee in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To melee in Counter-Strike 2, press 3 on PC.

How to reload in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To reload in Counter-Strike 2, press R on PC.

How to aim down sights in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To aim down sights in Counter-Strike 2, press Mouse 2 on PC.

How to ping or mark something in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To ping or mark something in Counter-Strike 2, press Mouse 3 on PC. Middle mouse marks a spot for the team.

How to open chat in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To open chat in Counter-Strike 2, press K on PC.

How to open the scoreboard in Counter-Strike 2 on PC?

To open the scoreboard in Counter-Strike 2, press Tab on PC.

Quick answers

What is the default walk key in CS2?

Left Shift. Holding it drops your speed enough that footsteps are silent to enemies; release it to run at full speed again.

How do I defuse the bomb in CS2?

Stand at the planted bomb and hold E. Without a defuse kit it takes 10 seconds; with a kit 5 seconds. Releasing E keeps no progress.

How do I bind individual grenades?

Open Settings › Keyboard / Mouse › Weapon Keys and set Flashbang, Smoke, HE, Molotov and Decoy to keys of your choice (many players use Mouse 4, Mouse 5, 4, C and X). The default 4 only cycles through them.

Which key opens the console?

The grave/tilde key (` under Escape). It stays disabled until you turn on Enable Developer Console in Settings › Game.

Does CS2 support controllers?

Not officially. The game is designed around keyboard and mouse and has no controller layout in the settings; Steam Input can map a pad but it is not competitive.

Where to go from here

Next steps for Counter-Strike 2

Sensitivity converterBring the cm/360 you already trust into CS2 instead of guessing a number.eDPI calculatorWork out where your CS2 sensitivity sits and what it becomes if you change DPI.Input latency testReaction time, event-to-frame delay and controller update rate in one pass.Keyboard ghosting testCheck the combinations CS2 holds down at once actually reach the game.