Dead by Daylight Controls & Best Keybinds (2026)

The keys people look up first

Dead by Daylight 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 (press)`	`LS (press)`
Crouch	`Left Ctrl`	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`
Jump	`Space`	`Cross`	`A`
Heal	`Mouse 1 (hold)`
Interact	`Mouse 2`	`R1 (hold)`	`RB (hold)`
Emote	`1 / 2`
Chat / voice	`Enter`
Scoreboard	`Tab`	`Touchpad`	`View`

LMBAttack (killer)RMBUse item, Power (killer)MMBunboundM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑unboundScroll ↓unbound

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

Action	Default key
Shared
Move	`W / A / S / D`
Look behind	`Left Alt`
Survivor
Sprint (survivor)	`Left Shift`
Crouch (survivor)Toggle available in settings.	`Left Ctrl`
Interact / repair / heal	`Mouse 1 (hold)`
Secondary interact (vault, drop pallet)	`Space`
Use item	`Mouse 2`
Drop item	`R`
Skill checkPress when the needle reaches the zone.	`Space`
Ability (perk / item ability)	`E`
Killer
Attack (killer)	`Mouse 1`
Power (killer)Hold or tap depending on the killer.	`Mouse 2`
Secondary power / ability	`Left Ctrl`
Interact (pick up, hook, break)	`Space`
Lunge attack	`Mouse 1 (hold)`
Interface
Scoreboard / status	`Tab`
Emote	`1 / 2`
Chat	`Enter`
Push to talk	`Caps Lock`
Pause / menu	`Escape`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Shared
Move	`L3`	`LS`	`L3`
Look	`R3`	`RS`	`R3`
Look behind	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`	`R3 (press)`
Survivor
Sprint (survivor)	`L3 (press)`	`LS (press)`	`L3 (press)`
Crouch (survivor)	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`	`R3 (press)`
Interact / repair	`R1 (hold)`	`RB (hold)`	`R1 (hold)`
Vault / drop pallet	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
Use item	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Skill check	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
Ability	`L1`	`LB`	`L`
Killer
Attack (killer)	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Power (killer)	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Secondary power	`L1`	`LB`	`L`
Interact (killer)	`R1`	`RB`	`R`
Interface
Emotes	`D-pad`	`D-pad`	`D-pad`
Scoreboard	`Touchpad`	`View`	`Touchpad`

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 Dead by Daylight?

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 (survivor)
Left Ctrl Crouch (survivor)
Mouse 1 (hold) Interact / repair / heal
Space Secondary interact (vault, drop pallet)
Mouse 2 Use item
R Drop item
Space Skill check
E Ability (perk / item ability)
Mouse 1 Attack (killer)
Mouse 2 Power (killer)
Left Ctrl Secondary power / ability
Space Interact (pick up, hook, break)
Mouse 1 (hold) Lunge attack
Left Alt Look behind
Tab Scoreboard / status
1 / 2 Emote
Enter Chat
Caps Lock Push to talk
Escape Pause / menu

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.

Dead by Daylight control lab

The same four keys, playing opposite sides

Dead by Daylight runs one control scheme over two games. The keys never move, but as a survivor they repair and hide, and as the killer the identical keys attack and destroy. A single keybind list cannot tell you that, which is why the controls feel unfamiliar the first time you swap roles even after a hundred hours.

Key	As a survivor	As the killer	Worth knowing
`Mouse 1`	Held: repair, heal, cleanse, open — every action in the game	Attack, and held it becomes the lunge	One is a hold you maintain for a minute, the other a hold you release at a distance
`Mouse 2`	Use the item in your hands	The killer's power	Some powers tap and some are held; the killer decides, not the button
`Left Ctrl`	Crouch, for stealth and for vaulting low walls quietly	Secondary power	The only key whose two jobs have nothing in common
`Space`	Vault a window, drop a pallet — and hit the skill check	Pick up, hook, break a pallet	The survivor overload that matters: the key you press to escape a chase is the key the skill check needs
`Left Shift`	Sprint	Nothing — the killer has one speed	Killers do not sprint, which is why chases are about angles rather than pace
`E`	Perk or item ability	Unused on most killers	Check it per character; some powers move here

Space is the one to think about. As a survivor it vaults, drops pallets and answers skill checks, so in a chase the same key is doing your movement and your timing minigame at once — which is exactly when a mistimed press costs the loop. Nothing fixes that by rebinding, because all three uses want a key your thumb can hit instantly. What does help is the setting above the keys: crouch on toggle for long stealth, on hold for quick evasions, and a separate, higher sensitivity for killer, where a 360 spin is a real move rather than a mistake.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in Dead by Daylight

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

How to sprint in Dead by Daylight on PC and controller?

To sprint in Dead by Daylight, press Left Shift on PC, L3 (press) on PlayStation and LS (press) on Xbox.

How to crouch in Dead by Daylight on PC and controller?

To crouch in Dead by Daylight, press Left Ctrl on PC, R3 (press) on PlayStation and RS (press) on Xbox. Toggle available in settings.

How to jump in Dead by Daylight on PC and controller?

To jump in Dead by Daylight, press Space on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox.

How to heal in Dead by Daylight on PC?

To heal in Dead by Daylight, press Mouse 1 (hold) on PC.

How to interact or pick things up in Dead by Daylight on PC and controller?

To interact or pick things up in Dead by Daylight, press Mouse 2 on PC, R1 (hold) on PlayStation and RB (hold) on Xbox.

How to emote in Dead by Daylight on PC?

To emote in Dead by Daylight, press 1 / 2 on PC.

How to open chat in Dead by Daylight on PC?

To open chat in Dead by Daylight, press Enter on PC.

How to open the scoreboard in Dead by Daylight on PC and controller?

To open the scoreboard in Dead by Daylight, press Tab on PC, Touchpad on PlayStation and View on Xbox.

Quick answers

How do I hit skill checks?

Press Space (Cross/A) the moment the needle enters the white zone; the smaller great zone gives a bonus. On PC many players bind skill checks to a mouse button so their hand never leaves the mouse during repairs.

How do I drop a pallet or vault?

Press Space (Cross/A) near the pallet or window. Sprinting into a vault makes it fast; walking makes it silent.

How do I use the killer's power?

Mouse 2 (L2/LT) activates it; some powers charge while held, others toggle. Secondary abilities use Left Ctrl (L1/LB).

What is look behind?

Left Alt (right stick press) turns the camera backward without changing your movement; survivors use it to watch the killer while running.

Why can't I 360 the killer?

Spins depend on mouse sensitivity and the killer's lunge. Raise sensitivity in Settings › Graphics & Controls and practise flicking around obstacles rather than in the open.

Where to go from here

Next steps for Dead by Daylight

Mouse DPI analyzerMeasure the DPI your mouse really delivers before you change anything in game.Controller deadzone tunerFind the smallest deadzone that hides drift without swallowing slow aim in DBD.Stick drift testFive-second resting sample, so a wandering camera is not blamed on the game.Touch sampling rate testHow often your screen reads your finger — the number that decides how DBD feels on a phone.Keyboard ghosting testCheck the combinations DBD holds down at once actually reach the game.