Genshin Impact Controls & Best Keybinds for Your Keyboard (2026)

The keys people look up first

Genshin Impact 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`	`Circle`	`B`
Jump	`Space`	`Cross`	`A`
Aim / ADS	`R`	`L2`	`LT`
Heavy attack	`Mouse 1 (hold)`
Interact	`F`	`Triangle`	`Y`
Inventory	`B`
Map	`M`	`Touchpad`	`View`
Chat / voice	`Enter`

LMBNormal attackRMBunboundMMBElemental sightM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑unboundScroll ↓unbound

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`
Jump / climb / glideJump near a wall to climb; jump from a height to glide.	`Space`
Sprint / dashTap to dash, hold to sprint. Mouse 2 also dashes.	`Left Shift`
Walk (slow)	`Left Ctrl`
Combat
Normal attack	`Mouse 1`
Charged attack	`Mouse 1 (hold)`
Elemental skillHold for the extended version on some characters.	`E`
Elemental burst	`Q`
Aim mode (bows)	`R`
Switch character 1–4	`1 / 2 / 3 / 4`
Interface
Interact / pick up	`F`
Elemental sight	`Mouse 3`
Map	`M`
Inventory / bag	`B`
Character screen	`C`
Quest journal	`J`
Paimon menu	`Escape`
Party setup	`L`
Gadget	`Z`
Quick use (food)	`T`
Chat	`Enter`
Friends	`O`
Hide UIHold to show the cursor.	`Left Alt`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Movement
Move	`L3`	`LS`	`L3`
Camera	`R3`	`RS`	`R3`
Jump / climb / glide	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
Sprint / dash	`Circle`	`B`	`A`
Combat
Normal attack	`Square`	`X`	`Y`
Elemental skill	`R1`	`RB`	`R`
Elemental burst	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Aim mode	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Switch characterUp/Right/Down/Left map to slots 1–4.	`D-pad`	`D-pad`	`D-pad`
Interface
Interact	`Triangle`	`Y`	`X`
Elemental sight	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`	`R3 (press)`
Map	`Touchpad`	`View`	`Touchpad`
Paimon menu	`Options`	`Menu`	`+`
Gadget / quick use	`L1`	`LB`	`L`

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 Genshin Impact?

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
Space Jump / climb / glide
Left Shift Sprint / dash
Left Ctrl Walk (slow)
Mouse 1 Normal attack
Mouse 1 (hold) Charged attack
E Elemental skill
Q Elemental burst
R Aim mode (bows)
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 Switch character 1–4
F Interact / pick up
Mouse 3 Elemental sight
M Map
B Inventory / bag
C Character screen
J Quest journal
Escape Paimon menu
L Party setup
Z Gadget
T Quick use (food)
Enter Chat
O Friends
Left Alt Hide UI

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.

Genshin Impact control lab

Your number keys are a rotation, not a weapon wheel

In a shooter you pick a weapon and stay on it. In Genshin you press all four number keys within a few seconds, over and over, with an E or a Q between each one — and you do it while running. That makes reach matter far more here than in a game where the number row is a menu you visit occasionally.

1 Character 1 Index finger, movement kept
2 Character 2 Index finger, movement kept
3 Character 3 Middle finger, slight lift
4 Character 4 Stretch: A and D let go for a moment
E Elemental skill Index finger, movement kept
Q Elemental burst Ring finger, movement kept

Competing for the same hand

Left Shift Sprint held, dash tapped — the same little finger, during the same rotation
Mouse 2 Also dashes, which is the way out: dash with the right hand and leave the left on the rotation
Space Jump, climb and glide, all on the thumb
Mouse 1 (hold) Charged attack — right hand, so it never competes with the rotation

Slot 4 is the only one your hand cannot reach without briefly letting go of movement, which is why it is worth putting the character you swap to least often there — usually the healer, rarely the on-field damage carry. If your team needs all four in quick succession, move slot 4 onto a mouse side button and the rotation stops interrupting your movement. The other half of the fix is dashing with Mouse 2 instead of Shift: it frees the little finger that is otherwise doing sprint, dash and slot four at the same time.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in Genshin Impact

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

How to sprint in Genshin Impact on PC and controller?

To sprint in Genshin Impact, press Left Shift on PC, Circle on PlayStation and B on Xbox. Tap to dash, hold to sprint. Mouse 2 also dashes.

How to jump in Genshin Impact on PC and controller?

To jump in Genshin Impact, press Space on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox. Jump near a wall to climb; jump from a height to glide.

How to aim in Genshin Impact on PC and controller?

To aim in Genshin Impact, press R on PC, L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.

How to do a heavy attack in Genshin Impact on PC?

To do a heavy attack in Genshin Impact, press Mouse 1 (hold) on PC.

How to interact or pick things up in Genshin Impact on PC and controller?

To interact or pick things up in Genshin Impact, press F on PC, Triangle on PlayStation and Y on Xbox.

How to open the inventory in Genshin Impact on PC?

To open the inventory in Genshin Impact, press B on PC.

How to open the map in Genshin Impact on PC and controller?

To open the map in Genshin Impact, press M on PC, Touchpad on PlayStation and View on Xbox.

How to open chat in Genshin Impact on PC?

To open chat in Genshin Impact, press Enter on PC.

Quick answers

How do I switch characters in Genshin?

Press 1–4 on keyboard or the D-pad on controller; the order matches your party setup screen (L). Switching mid-combo keeps elemental reactions going.

How do I glide?

Jump from any height, then press Space (Cross/A) again in the air to open the wind glider. Press it once more to drop.

How do I use a charged attack?

Hold Mouse 1 (Square/X). Bow characters instead hold R (L2/LT) to aim and charge; release when the reticle fills.

What is elemental sight?

Middle mouse or right stick press highlights elemental traces and interactables in the world. Hold it to keep the view.

Can I play Genshin with a controller on PC?

Yes: Settings › Controls › Control Type lets you pick Controller, and PlayStation and Xbox prompts appear automatically.

Where to go from here

Next steps for Genshin Impact

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 GI.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 GI feels on a phone.Keyboard ghosting testCheck the combinations GI holds down at once actually reach the game.