Action RPG · PC · PlayStation · Xbox

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim controls & keybinds

Skyrim’s default PC controls: W, A, S and D move, Alt sprints, Ctrl sneaks, Space jumps and Caps Lock switches between walking and running. The left mouse button uses your right hand and the right mouse button your left, so holding both casts a spell from both hands; Z shouts, R readies your weapon and E activates. Q opens Favorites, where 1 to 8 assign hotkeys, Tab opens the character menu, F switches the camera, F5 quick saves and F9 quick loads.

The keys people look up first

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 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
Crouch	`Ctrl`	`L3`	`Left stick press`
Jump	`Space`	`Triangle`	`Y`
Block / parry	`Mouse 2`	`L2`	`LT`
Interact	`E`	`Cross`	`A`
Inventory	`I`
Map	`M`
Screenshot	`Print Screen`

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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`
SprintOn a horse it is the gallop.	`Alt`
Jump	`Space`
Sneak (toggle)	`Ctrl`
Walk while held	`Shift`
Always walk / always run (toggle)	`Caps Lock`
Auto-move forward	`C`
Combat
Attack with the right handHold for a power attack; with a bow, hold to draw and release to fire.	`Mouse 1`
Block, or use the left handWhile blocking, press Mouse 1 for a shield bash.	`Mouse 2`
Ready / sheathe weapon	`R`
Cast from both handsWith the same spell in both hands; the stronger dual-cast effect needs that school’s Dual Casting perk.	`Mouse 1 + Mouse 2`
Shout or powerHold to say more words of a shout.	`Z`
Interaction
Activate, talk, pick upHold on a follower to give a command; also mounts and dismounts a horse.	`E`
Switch first / third personThe mouse wheel zooms between the two views.	`F`
Wait	`T`
Menus
FavoritesPoint at an item or spell and press 1 to 8 to make it a hotkey.	`Q`
Hotkeys 1–8	`1 – 8`
Character menuSkills, items, the map and magic; also backs out of menus and conversations.	`Tab`
Inventory	`I`
Magic	`P`
Skills	`/`
Map	`M`
Local map	`L`
Journal (quests, system menu)Esc opens it too.	`J`
Item count: one / allWhen buying, selling or dropping a stack.	`Home / End`
Item count: up / down	`Page Up / Page Down`
System
Quick save	`F5`
Quick load	`F9`
Console	`~`
ScreenshotF12 takes a Steam screenshot.	`Print Screen`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Movement
Move	`Left stick`	`Left stick`	`Left stick`
Look	`Right stick`	`Right stick`	`Right stick`
Sprint	`L1`	`LB`	`L`
Jump	`Triangle`	`Y`	`X`
Sneak	`L3`	`Left stick press`	`L3`
Combat
Attack with the right handHold for a power attack.	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Block, or use the left hand	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Cast from both hands	`L2 + R2`	`LT + RT`	`ZL + ZR`
Shout or power	`R1`	`RB`	`R`
Ready / sheathe weapon	`Square`	`X`	`Y`
Interaction
Activate, talk, pick up	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
Switch first / third person	`R3`	`Right stick press`	`R3`
Menus
Favorites	`D-pad up / down`	`D-pad up / down`	`D-pad up / down`
Hotkeys	`D-pad left / right`	`D-pad left / right`	`D-pad left / right`
Character menu	`Circle`	`B`	`A`
Journal	`Options`	`Menu`	`+`
Wait	`Touch pad`	`View`	`Touch pad`

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 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim?

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.

On a 60% board The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim loses 4 keys. Home, End, F5 and F9 are not on that board at all — so item count: one / all, quick save and quick load have nowhere to live until you rebind them. Do that before the first match rather than during it. How that compares with every other game.

W / A / S / D Move
Alt Sprint
Space Jump
Ctrl Sneak (toggle)
Shift Walk while held
Caps Lock Always walk / always run (toggle)
C Auto-move forward
Mouse 1 Attack with the right hand
Mouse 2 Block, or use the left hand
R Ready / sheathe weapon
Mouse 1 + Mouse 2 Cast from both hands
Z Shout or power
E Activate, talk, pick up
F Switch first / third person
T Wait
Q Favorites
1 – 8 Hotkeys 1–8
Tab Character menu
I Inventory
P Magic
/ Skills
M Map
L Local map
J Journal (quests, system menu)
Home / End Item count: one / all
Page Up / Page Down Item count: up / down
F5 Quick save
F9 Quick load
~ Console
Print Screen Screenshot

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

4 keys missing 60%4 gone65%3 gonetenkeylessall there 60% keyboard check 25 of the 70 games we score lose a key on a 60%, and this is one of them.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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

How to crouch in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PC and controller?

To crouch in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, press Ctrl on PC, L3 on PlayStation and Left stick press on Xbox.

How to jump in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PC and controller?

To jump in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, press Space on PC, Triangle on PlayStation and Y on Xbox.

How to block or parry in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PC and controller?

To block or parry in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, press Mouse 2 on PC, L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox. While blocking, press Mouse 1 for a shield bash.

How to interact or pick things up in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PC and controller?

To interact or pick things up in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, press E on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox. Hold on a follower to give a command; also mounts and dismounts a horse.

How to open the inventory in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PC?

To open the inventory in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, press I on PC.

How to open the map in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PC?

To open the map in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, press M on PC.

How to take a screenshot in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PC?

To take a screenshot in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, press Print Screen on PC. F12 takes a Steam screenshot.

Quick answers

What are the default controls in Skyrim on PC?

W, A, S and D move, Alt sprints, Ctrl toggles sneaking, Space jumps, Shift walks and Caps Lock switches between always walking and always running. The left mouse button uses your right hand and the right mouse button your left hand or block; R readies your weapon, Z shouts and E activates. Q opens Favorites, Tab the character menu, I the inventory, P magic, / skills, M the map and J the journal. F switches between first and third person, T waits, F5 quick saves and F9 quick loads.

How do you quick save in Skyrim?

Press F5 on PC to quick save and F9 to load the latest quick save. On a controller there is no quick-save button: open the journal with Options or Menu and save from its system tab.

How do you sprint in Skyrim?

Hold Alt on PC, L1 on PlayStation or LB on Xbox. Sprinting drains stamina, and on a horse the same button gallops.

How do you set hotkeys in Skyrim?

Open Favorites with Q, point at a weapon, spell or shout and press a number from 1 to 8. That number then equips it outside the menu. On a controller, favourites sit on the D-pad: up and down open the list, left and right switch between the two you set there.

How do you dual cast in Skyrim?

Put the same spell in both hands and hold the left and right mouse buttons together, or LT and RT, L2 and R2 on a controller. Casting from both hands always works; the stronger, slower dual-cast version needs the Dual Casting perk of that spell’s school.

How do you change key bindings in Skyrim?

Open the journal with Esc, go to Settings › Controls and choose Mapping. Pick an action and press the new key. A changed key works in every menu that uses it, but the hints on screen keep showing the default.

How do you switch between first and third person in Skyrim?

Press F, or scroll the mouse wheel to zoom out of first person into third. On a controller, press the right stick.

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Next steps for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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 Skyrim. Stick drift test Five-second resting sample, so a wandering camera is not blamed on the game. Keyboard ghosting test Check the combinations Skyrim holds down at once actually reach the game.