Survival crafting · PC · PlayStation · Xbox

Palworld controls & keybinds

Palworld mixes shooter keys with Pal management: Q throws or recalls the active Pal, E and 4 handle Pal skills and items, and B opens the build menu. Controller uses a standard layout with Pal commands on the D-pad.

The keys people look up first

Palworld 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 / L3 (press)`	`LS / LS (press)`
Crouch	`C`	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`
Jump	`Space`	`Cross`	`A`
Reload	`R`	`Square`	`X`
Aim / ADS	`Mouse 2`	`L2`	`LT`
Dodge / roll	`Left Ctrl`	`Circle`	`B`
Interact	`F`
Inventory	`Tab`	`Options`	`Menu`

LMBAttack / fireRMBAimMMBunboundM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑Switch active PalScroll ↓Switch active Pal

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`
Sprint	`Left Shift`
JumpDouble-tap for a glider if equipped.	`Space`
Crouch	`C`
Dodge / roll	`Left Ctrl`
Combat
Attack / fire	`Mouse 1`
Aim	`Mouse 2`
Reload	`R`
Weapon / item slots	`1 / 2 / 3 / 4`
Pals
Throw Pal Sphere / captureAim at a weakened Pal and release.	`Q (hold)`
Summon / recall PalHold to throw the active Pal out; press again to recall.	`E`
Switch active Pal	`Scroll Up / Scroll Down or 1–5 with Pal bar open`
Pal skillSome skills use F or 3 depending on the Pal; check the on-screen prompt.	`4`
Ride / mount PalWith a mountable Pal summoned.	`F`
Pal command menu	`4 (hold)`
Interface
Interact / pick up	`F`
Inventory	`Tab`
Build menu	`B`
Map	`M`
Technology tree	`T`
Paldeck	`P`
Emote	`J`
Pause / menu	`Escape`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Movement
Move / sprint	`L3 / L3 (press)`	`LS / LS (press)`	`L3 / L3 (press)`
Look	`R3`	`RS`	`R3`
Jump	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
Crouch	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`	`R3 (press)`
Dodge	`Circle`	`B`	`A`
Combat
Attack / fire	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Aim	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Reload / interact	`Square`	`X`	`Y`
Pals
Throw Pal Sphere	`L1 (hold)`	`LB (hold)`	`L1 (hold)`
Summon / recall Pal	`R1`	`RB`	`R`
Pal skill	`D-pad Down`	`D-pad Down`	`D-pad Down`
Switch Pal	`D-pad Left / Right`	`D-pad Left / Right`	`D-pad Left / Right`
Ride	`Triangle`	`Y`	`X`
Interface
Inventory	`Options`	`Menu`	`+`
Build menu	`D-pad Up`	`D-pad Up`	`D-pad Up`
Map	`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 Palworld?

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
Space Jump
C Crouch
Left Ctrl Dodge / roll
Mouse 1 Attack / fire
Mouse 2 Aim
R Reload
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 Weapon / item slots
Q (hold) Throw Pal Sphere / capture
E Summon / recall Pal
Scroll Up / Scroll Down or 1–5 with Pal bar open Switch active Pal
4 Pal skill
F Ride / mount Pal
4 (hold) Pal command menu
F Interact / pick up
Tab Inventory
B Build menu
M Map
T Technology tree
P Paldeck
J Emote
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.

Palworld control lab

Why crouch and emote are the two keys everyone looks up

Palworld's bindings are short, but three of them sit where no other survival shooter puts them, and four more do a second job when held. These are the ones people actually search for, and the reason is always the same: the key is not where the muscle memory from another game expects it.

Key	Pressed	Held	What it collides with
`C`	Crouch	Nothing extra	Not Ctrl. Every shooter you have played put crouch on Ctrl, and Palworld put dodge there
`Left Ctrl`	Dodge and roll	Nothing extra	Sitting exactly where your hand reaches for crouch
`J`	Emote	Nothing extra	Far right of the board — the most searched Palworld bind and the least reachable one
`F`	Interact, pick up, open a container	Nothing extra	Also mounts a summoned Pal, so standing near a chest with a mount out gives you whichever the game picks
`E`	Recall the active Pal	Throw the Pal out to fight	One key for send and return, which is right until you want both quickly
`Q`	Nothing	Throw a Pal Sphere, release to capture	Tapping does nothing at all — the usual reason a capture appears not to work
`4`	Weapon or item slot 4	Pal command menu	Also the default Pal skill key: one number doing three separate jobs

Crouch on C and emote on J are the two searched most, and neither is a mistake in the game — they are just not where another shooter taught your hand to go. Swapping crouch to Ctrl and dodge to Space fixes the first in ten seconds. The one worth more attention is F: it both interacts and mounts, so near a container with a Pal out you get whichever the game decides you meant. Move Ride to a separate key and that whole class of accident disappears.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in Palworld

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

How to sprint in Palworld on PC and controller?

To sprint in Palworld, press Left Shift on PC, L3 / L3 (press) on PlayStation and LS / LS (press) on Xbox.

How to crouch in Palworld on PC and controller?

To crouch in Palworld, press C on PC, R3 (press) on PlayStation and RS (press) on Xbox.

How to jump in Palworld on PC and controller?

To jump in Palworld, press Space on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox. Double-tap for a glider if equipped.

How to reload in Palworld on PC and controller?

To reload in Palworld, press R on PC, Square on PlayStation and X on Xbox.

How to aim in Palworld on PC and controller?

To aim in Palworld, press Mouse 2 on PC, L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.

How to dodge in Palworld on PC and controller?

To dodge in Palworld, press Left Ctrl on PC, Circle on PlayStation and B on Xbox.

How to interact or pick things up in Palworld on PC?

To interact or pick things up in Palworld, press F on PC.

How to open the inventory in Palworld on PC and controller?

To open the inventory in Palworld, press Tab on PC, Options on PlayStation and Menu on Xbox.

How to open the map in Palworld on PC and controller?

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

How to emote in Palworld on PC?

To emote in Palworld, press J on PC.

Quick answers

How do I catch a Pal?

Weaken it, hold Q (L1/LB) to aim a Pal Sphere and release. The capture chance shows on the reticle; back attacks and status effects raise it.

How do I ride my Pal?

Summon a mountable Pal with E (R1/RB), craft its saddle at the Pal Gear Workbench, then press F (Triangle/Y) while it is out.

How do I use a Pal's partner skill?

Press 4 (D-pad Down) with the Pal active. Some partner skills need the Pal to be mounted or a piece of gear equipped.

How do I open the build menu?

Press B on keyboard or D-pad Up on controller, choose a structure, place it with the mouse or stick and confirm. R rotates pieces.

Can I rebind keys in Palworld?

Yes: Options › Controls has a full keyboard list and separate controller sensitivity. Some Pal-specific prompts follow the Interact key automatically.

Where to go from here

Next steps for Palworld

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 PW.Stick drift testFive-second resting sample, so a wandering camera is not blamed on the game.Keyboard ghosting testCheck the combinations PW holds down at once actually reach the game.