Tactical shooter · PC · PlayStation · Xbox

VALORANT controls & keybinds

VALORANT keeps a small, fixed set of keys: WASD to move, three ability keys around them and X for the ultimate. The console version mirrors the layout on the face buttons and bumpers.

The keys people look up first

VALORANT 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	`Left Ctrl`	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`
Jump	`Space`	`Cross`	`A`
Melee	`3`
Reload	`R`	`Square`	`X`
Aim / ADS	`Mouse 2`	`L2`	`LT`
Switch weapon		`Triangle`	`Y`
Interact	`F`	`Square (hold)`	`X (hold)`
Map	`M`	`Touchpad`	`View`

The rest of this game, drawn

Two pages, and they are not interchangeable: this is the reference you look a binding up in, the other measures the hand pressing it. Both figures below are counted from what each page holds.

42 bindings keyboard26controller16settings9 in 4 VAL controls You are here 1 input type keyboardyescontrollernotouchscreenno VAL input lab Draws your crosshair at true size on your monitor and converts sensitivity on cm/360.

LMBFireRMBAlternate fire / scopeMMBunboundM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑Cycle weaponsScroll ↓Cycle weapons

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`
Walk (quiet)Hold; footsteps become silent.	`Left Shift`
CrouchHold by default.	`Left Ctrl`
Jump	`Space`
Combat
Fire	`Mouse 1`
Alternate fire / scope	`Mouse 2`
Reload	`R`
Primary weapon	`1`
Secondary weapon	`2`
Melee	`3`
SpikeEquip, then hold Mouse 1 on a site to plant; hold F on an enemy spike to defuse.	`4`
Cycle weapons	`Scroll Up / Scroll Down`
Drop weapon	`G`
Inspect weapon	`Y`
Abilities
Ability 1	`C`
Ability 2	`Q`
Signature ability (3)	`E`
Ultimate	`X`
Interface
Use object / interactDefuse, pick up orbs, open doors.	`F`
PingHold for the ping wheel.	`Z`
Map	`M`
Scoreboard	`Tab`
Shop	`B`
Team voice (push to talk)	`V`
Party voice	`U`
Chat	`Enter`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Movement
Move	`L3`	`LS`	`L3`
Look	`R3`	`RS`	`R3`
Walk	`L3 (press)`	`LS (press)`	`L3 (press)`
Crouch	`R3 (press)`	`RS (press)`	`R3 (press)`
Jump	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
Combat
Fire	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Scope / alternate fire	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Reload	`Square`	`X`	`Y`
Switch weapon	`Triangle`	`Y`	`X`
Abilities
Ability 1 / 2	`L1 / R1`	`LB / RB`	`L / R`
Signature ability	`Circle`	`B`	`A`
Ultimate	`L1 + R1`	`LB + RB`	`L + R`
Interface
Interact / defuse	`Square (hold)`	`X (hold)`	`Y (hold)`
Ping	`D-pad Up`	`D-pad Up`	`D-pad Up`
Map	`Touchpad`	`View`	`Touchpad`
Shop	`Options`	`Menu`	`+`

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

Two of the numbers people copy into VALORANT no longer exist. Raw Input Buffer was removed in patch 11.06 and is now always on, so a guide telling you to enable it is describing a menu you do not have. What is left is short, and three of its rows sit under Map rather than under anything called controls.

Controls → Actions → Movement

Default Movement Mode Run RunWalk

Which state the Shift key leaves. Set it to Walk and Shift becomes a run key, which sounds clever until a round where you have to sprint out of a smoke and your hand is holding the wrong thing. The reason to change it is a wrist that tires holding Shift through long hold rounds, not an advantage.

Toggle Walk Off OnOff

Off means hold. Walking is silent and slow, and the moment you want it to end is usually the moment a duel starts; a toggle turns that into a second key press with your crosshair already on someone.

Toggle Crouch Off OnOff

The same argument, with a harder edge. Crouch changes your spray pattern and your silhouette, so forgetting it is on costs a fight rather than a step. Players who switch it on almost always do it for a hand condition, and that is a good reason.

General → Mouse

Sensitivity 0.25 – 0.45 at 800 DPI 0.1 – 10

Roughly 200 – 360 eDPI, which is where most of the professional field sits. The Raw Input Buffer switch that older guides tell you to turn on is not missing from your menu: it was removed in patch 11.06 and raw input is now always on, so there is nothing left to enable. PC

Work out your own eDPI

Scoped Sensitivity Multiplier 1 0.1 – 10

1 keeps the same hand movement pointing at the same place through a scope. Anything else teaches your arm two aims for one gun, and the Operator is the weapon you can least afford to relearn under pressure. PC

General → Map

Rotate Rotate RotateFixed

Rotate turns the minimap with you, so up on the map is always forward. Fixed keeps the callout geometry identical on both attack and defence, which is why players who call for their team often prefer it even though it costs a mental step in a fight.

Keep Player Centered On OnOff

On gives you the same radius in every direction. Off pins the map to the site, which shows more of where you are heading and less of what is behind you — a defender's setting on a map you already know by heart.

Show Map Region Names Always AlwaysOnly in Buy PhaseNever

The fastest way to learn callouts, and the setting most new players never find. Leave it on Always until the names are in your head; the map is not more readable without them, only quieter.

Controls → Interface

Combat Report On OnOff

The panel that shows what hit you after you die, on N by default and rebindable like any other action. It is the only place the game tells you whether the duel was lost to a headshot or to four body shots you never traded.

Reach check · your keyboard, this game

Can your board actually play VALORANT?

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 VALORANT asks for. 3 of its 26 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 / A / S / D Move
Left Shift Walk (quiet)
Left Ctrl Crouch
Space Jump
Mouse 1 Fire
Mouse 2 Alternate fire / scope
R Reload
1 Primary weapon
2 Secondary weapon
3 Melee
4 Spike
Scroll Up / Scroll Down Cycle weapons
G Drop weapon
Y Inspect weapon
C Ability 1
Q Ability 2
E Signature ability (3)
X Ultimate
F Use object / interact
Z Ping
M Map
Tab Scoreboard
B Shop
V Team voice (push to talk)
U Party voice
Enter Chat

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%3 far65%all theretenkeylessall there 60% keyboard check 25 of the 70 games we score lose a key on a 60%. This is not one of them.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in VALORANT

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

How to crouch in VALORANT on PC and controller?

To crouch in VALORANT, press Left Ctrl on PC, R3 (press) on PlayStation and RS (press) on Xbox. Hold by default.

How to jump in VALORANT on PC and controller?

To jump in VALORANT, press Space on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox.

How to melee in VALORANT on PC?

To melee in VALORANT, press 3 on PC.

How to reload in VALORANT on PC and controller?

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

How to aim down sights in VALORANT on PC and controller?

To aim down sights in VALORANT, press Mouse 2 on PC, L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.

How to switch weapons in VALORANT on controller?

To switch weapons in VALORANT, press Triangle on PlayStation and Y on Xbox.

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

To interact or pick things up in VALORANT, press F on PC, Square (hold) on PlayStation and X (hold) on Xbox. Defuse, pick up orbs, open doors.

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

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

How to open chat in VALORANT on PC?

To open chat in VALORANT, press V on PC.

Quick answers

What are the default ability keys in VALORANT?

C for Ability 1, Q for Ability 2, E for the Signature ability and X for the Ultimate. They sit around WASD so every ability is one finger away.

How do I plant and defuse the spike?

Press 4 to equip the spike and hold Mouse 1 while standing inside the site marker. To defuse, look at the planted spike and hold F; releasing early keeps the progress at the halfway point only.

How do I walk silently?

Hold Left Shift while moving. Walking removes footstep audio and stops the minimap from showing you; it is slower, so release it before you need to reposition fast.

Is there a ping key?

Yes: tap Z to place a marker where you look, or hold Z for the wheel with enemy, caution and watching-here pings. Teammates hear and see it.

What is the VALORANT console layout?

Fire and scope on the triggers, abilities on the bumpers and Circle/B, ultimate on both bumpers together, with Focus mode on the right stick for slower precise aiming.

Where did Raw Input Buffer go in VALORANT?

It was removed in patch 11.06. Raw input is now always on for every PC player, so there is nothing left to enable — if the option is missing from Settings › General › Mouse, the game is working as intended.

What sensitivity do VALORANT pros use?

Most of the field sits between 200 and 360 eDPI, which is 0.25 to 0.45 at 800 DPI. Keeping one number matters more than finding the right one: VALORANT is aimed with the arm, and an aim you change weekly never becomes muscle memory.

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Controls for similar games

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Where to go from here

Next steps for VALORANT

Sensitivity converterBring the cm/360 you already trust into VAL instead of guessing a number.VALORANT ↔ CS2 Crosshair ConverterTake your crosshair across: a VALORANT code in, the same crosshair as a CS2 code out, and back.Snap Tap & SOCD TestSee whether your keyboard releases one strafe key when you press the other, and time your counter-strafes.eDPI calculatorWork out where your VAL sensitivity sits and what it becomes if you change DPI.Gamepad testerSee every button, trigger and stick of your controller live, before blaming the game.Controller deadzone tunerFind the smallest deadzone that hides drift without swallowing slow aim in VAL.