Action puzzle · PC · PlayStation · Xbox · Switch

Once Upon a Katamari controls & keybinds

Once Upon a Katamari steers like every Katamari: the two sticks are the ball's two tracks. Both forward rolls it, one stick turns it, the two in opposite directions spin it on the spot. Simple controls put all the rolling on the left stick. On a PC keyboard the left stick is WASD and the right stick is IJKL, and there is no mouse control on PC.

The rest of this game, drawn

This is the reference you look a binding up in; the others measure the hand pressing it, the day it unlocks and the machine it has to run on. Every figure below is counted from what each page holds.

35 bindings keyboard18controller17settings8 Once Upon a Katamari controls You are here 3 benches keyboardyescontrolleryestouchscreenyes Once Upon a Katamari input lab Times you rolling a katamari in Usual Stuff and in Simple with your own two sticks or WASD and IJKL, ticks off every move of the game’s chart on your pad, and says what the Switch 2 version means for your copy. 1 platforms milestones4questions9editions4 Once Upon a Katamari on Switch 2 When it came out, the editions and the platforms, dated from the publisher. 2 tiers ray tracingoptionalmemory6 GBgraphics cards5 Can you run Once Upon a Katamari? Reads your graphics card and places it against the publisher’s own tiers.

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

Action	Default key
Rolling (Usual Stuff)
Roll forwardBoth sticks forward. WASD is the left stick and IJKL the right one.	`W + I`
Roll backward	`S + K`
Swing leftThe right stick alone: the katamari swings round to the left. The game calls it Look Left.	`I`
Swing rightThe left stick alone. The game calls it Look Right.	`W`
Turn while rollingBoth sticks diagonally forward, to the side you want to curve.	`W + A + I + J / W + D + I + L`
Quick Shift (spin on the spot)The two sticks in opposite directions.	`S + I / W + K`
Roll sideways	`A + J / D + L`
Climb over a wallKeep rolling forward into the wall.	`W + I`
The Prince
Prince DashIn Usual Stuff you can also rock the two sticks in opposite directions, back and forth, to wind the dash up.	`U`
Prince TurnThe Prince hops to the other side of the katamari and faces the other way.	`Shift / Ctrl`
Use power itemThe game calls it Use Freebie: magnet, timer, rocket and the rest.	`O`
Camera
Prince View	`Q`
Katamari View	`E`
Simple controls
Roll in any directionSimple controls: the left stick does all the rolling.	`W / A / S / D`
Swing left / right	`I / K`
Quick Shift	`J / L`
Prince Dash	`U`
Prince Turn	`Shift / Ctrl`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Rolling (Usual Stuff)
Roll forwardThe two sticks are the katamari's two tracks.	`L-stick ↑ + R-stick ↑`	`LS ↑ + RS ↑`	`L-stick ↑ + R-stick ↑`
Roll backward	`L-stick ↓ + R-stick ↓`	`LS ↓ + RS ↓`	`L-stick ↓ + R-stick ↓`
Swing leftRight stick alone, left stick at rest. The game calls it Look Left.	`R-stick ↑`	`RS ↑`	`R-stick ↑`
Swing rightLeft stick alone. The game calls it Look Right.	`L-stick ↑`	`LS ↑`	`L-stick ↑`
Turn while rolling	`L-stick ↖ + R-stick ↖ / L-stick ↗ + R-stick ↗`	`LS ↖ + RS ↖ / LS ↗ + RS ↗`	`L-stick ↖ + R-stick ↖ / L-stick ↗ + R-stick ↗`
Quick Shift (spin on the spot)The two sticks in opposite directions.	`L-stick ↓ + R-stick ↑ / L-stick ↑ + R-stick ↓`	`LS ↓ + RS ↑ / LS ↑ + RS ↓`	`L-stick ↓ + R-stick ↑ / L-stick ↑ + R-stick ↓`
Roll sideways	`L-stick ← + R-stick ← / L-stick → + R-stick →`	`LS ← + RS ← / LS → + RS →`	`L-stick ← + R-stick ← / L-stick → + R-stick →`
Climb over a wallKeep rolling forward into the wall.	`L-stick ↑ + R-stick ↑`	`LS ↑ + RS ↑`	`L-stick ↑ + R-stick ↑`
The Prince
Prince DashIn Usual Stuff you can also rock the sticks in opposite directions, back and forth, to wind the dash up.	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Prince TurnPress either stick: the Prince hops to the other side of the katamari.	`L3 / R3 (press)`	`LS / RS (press)`	`L-stick / R-stick (press)`
Use power itemMagnet, timer, rocket and the rest.	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Camera
Prince View	`L1`	`LB`	`L`
Katamari View	`R1`	`RB`	`R`
Simple controls
Roll in any directionSimple controls: the left stick does all the rolling.	`L-stick`	`LS`	`L-stick`
Swing left / right	`R-stick ↑ / R-stick ↓`	`RS ↑ / RS ↓`	`R-stick ↑ / R-stick ↓`
Quick Shift	`R-stick ← / R-stick →`	`RS ← / RS →`	`R-stick ← / R-stick →`
Prince Dash	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`

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.

Settings that change how the bindings feel

Recommended starting settings

The General settings as the game lists them. Control Type swaps the whole layout between the two schemes; keyboard keys can be reassigned one by one, a controller only switches between the two presets.

Control Type Mobility Usual Stuff Usual StuffSimple

Simple moves all the rolling onto the left stick; the right stick swings the view and spins the katamari.

Rumble On OnOff

Controller

Reticle Off OnOff

Hint Guide Cognitive On OnOff

View Controls: Up & Down Inverted Off OnOff

Prince View and Katamari View only.

View Controls: Left & Right Inverted Off OnOff

Mouse controls (Switch 2) Two Joy-Con 2

Switch 2 only, in the Switch 2 version and in the Switch version's free update: hold a Joy-Con 2 in each hand on a table and slide them forward again and again to roll. Off in online play. Controller

Keyboard bindings Mobility Every action

Left stick, right stick, Prince Dash, Prince Turn, Prince View, Katamari View and Use Freebie can each be reassigned. There is no mouse control on PC. PC

Reach check · your keyboard, this game

Can your board actually play Once Upon a Katamari?

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 Once Upon a Katamari asks for. 12 of its 18 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 + I Roll forward
S + K Roll backward
I Swing left
W Swing right
W + A + I + J / W + D + I + L Turn while rolling
S + I / W + K Quick Shift (spin on the spot)
A + J / D + L Roll sideways
W + I Climb over a wall
U Prince Dash
Shift / Ctrl Prince Turn
O Use power item
Q Prince View
E Katamari View
W / A / S / D Roll in any direction
I / K Swing left / right
J / L Quick Shift
U Prince Dash
Shift / Ctrl Prince Turn

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%12 far65%all theretenkeylessall there 60% keyboard check 16 of the 55 games we score lose a key on a 60%. This is not one of them.

Quick answers

How do you control the katamari?

With both sticks, like a tank's two tracks. Both sticks forward rolls the katamari forward, both back rolls it back, one stick alone swings it round, and the two in opposite directions spin it on the spot (Quick Shift). Pushing both diagonally forward curves the roll, and both sideways rolls it sideways.

What are the Simple controls in Once Upon a Katamari?

A second scheme under Settings, General, Control Type. Simple puts all the rolling on the left stick, and the right stick swings the view (up and down) and spins the katamari (left and right). Prince Dash moves to L2 alone. Everything else stays where it is.

What are the keyboard controls on PC?

WASD is the left stick and IJKL is the right stick, so W + I rolls forward and S + I spins the katamari round. U is Prince Dash, Shift or Ctrl is Prince Turn, O uses a power item, Q is Prince View and E is Katamari View. Every key can be reassigned; there is no mouse control on PC.

How do you dash in Once Upon a Katamari?

Press L2 (LT on Xbox, ZL on Switch, U on keyboard). In Usual Stuff you can also do it the classic way: rock the two sticks in opposite directions, back and forth, and the Prince winds up a dash.

How do you turn around quickly?

Press either stick in (L3 or R3; Shift or Ctrl on keyboard): the Prince hops to the other side of the katamari and faces the other way. To spin the katamari on the spot instead, push the sticks in opposite directions.

Does Once Upon a Katamari have mouse controls?

Not on PC. On Switch 2 they do: hold a Joy-Con 2 in each hand on a table and slide them forward again and again to roll. They came with the Switch 2 version on 8 October 2026, Switch owners playing on a Switch 2 get them in a free update, and they are switched off in online play.

How do you use power items?

R2 on PlayStation, RT on Xbox, ZR on Switch and O on keyboard. The game calls them freebies: the magnet, the timer, the rocket and the rest.

Next steps for Once Upon a Katamari

Once Upon a Katamari lab Roll a katamari with your own two sticks or keys, and see which scheme suits you. Can I run Once Upon a Katamari? The Steam requirements against your graphics card. Once Upon a Katamari on Switch 2 Out since 8 October 2026 at $39.99: the free update for Switch owners, mouse controls and the new DLC. Mouse DPI analyzer Measure the DPI your mouse really delivers before you change anything in game. Gamepad tester See every button, trigger and stick of your controller live, before blaming the game. Controller deadzone tuner Find the smallest deadzone that hides drift without swallowing slow aim in Once Upon a Katamari.