WASD vs. Arrows

For FPS games, what controls/input do you use?

  • WASD

    Votes: 398 84.3%

  • Arrows

    Votes: 40 8.5%

  • Other (gamepad or what not)

    Votes: 34 7.2%
  • Total voters
    472
I actually use a gamepad when I play FPS on my PC with auto-aim enabled. lol.

WASD 4 LYF!
 
I use standard wasd now with my gaming keyboard:

I used to use a odd setup that worked with the shape of my hands:
foward "P"
back ";"
left "L"
right "'"
use "enter"
reload "["
flashlight "/"
duck "k"
jump "J"
quick save "-"
quick load "="
"I" "O" "]" and "\" bound as special keys
 
There aren't enough keys near the arrows. I used to use them until more modern games forced me to adopt WASD.
 
WASD...when I was younger I used to play games with the arrows, but I can't even imagine doing that now...
 
I voted WASD, but I use ESDF. You get more buttons, its hands down better imo.

That said, my new Asus laptop had arrows on WASD... arg.
 
if youre not using a gamepad, steering wheel or joystick youre not playing a game. just my opinion!
 
fallguy said:
I voted WASD, but I use ESDF. You get more buttons, its hands down better imo.

That said, my new Asus laptop had arrows on WASD... arg.
Click to expand...

Haha! My ASUS ROG laptop has the same thing on WASD. I found it pretty funny.

I started with arrow keys when my friend got me started on CS back in the day. He was an arrow key user... I switched pretty early mainly due to the spacebar. Honestly arrow keys have no use for your thumb which is bad for me.
 
WASD, arrows back in the days of Wolfenstien 3D when you didn't even need to use a mouse, WASD now.
 
wasd for me and little fingure for lshift(run) and ctrl crouch thumb spacebar
i find best easy acces for fast weapon change e for action unles it is set to lean
 
qb4ever said:
I use standard wasd now with my gaming keyboard:

I used to use a odd setup that worked with the shape of my hands:
foward "P"
back ";"
left "L"
right "'"
use "enter"
reload "["
flashlight "/"
duck "k"
jump "J"
quick save "-"
quick load "="
"I" "O" "]" and "\" bound as special keys
Click to expand...

Have one of those collecting dust on a shelf. Keys were to blocky for me was like using a keyboard made out of legos.
 
Mr. Pedantic said:
What do you use for things like reload in FPS'?
Click to expand...

There are three set of keys on left, top and right of the arrows keys that can be used for jumping, crouching or selecting weapons. They are also segregated from each others making them less prone to wrong inputs. For reload, I usually have it on Delete or some button on my mouse.

My first FPS was Doom on SNES haha. Control weren't that bad but you never dealt with the Z axis. Nowadays, after 10+years of gaming with the kb/mouse, I can't get used to the gamepad when it comes to FPS. I don't think it comes down to thumb dexterity as I do fine with other games, it just comes down to old habits.
 
It's been awhile since I've used WASD... I've not had the money for a decent gaming machine. I'm sad now. :'(
 
QWES for me.

It sounds weird but I've found that it's a hell of a lot more comfortable after messing around with different key binds for years.

 
I started out like most people with arrows and only recently switched to WASD. I think it was as more games started incorporating more keys but also not allowing you to map the extra mouse buttons easily.
 
SmokeRngs said:
QWES for me.
Click to expand...

Same here. W and S for forward and back, Q and E for strafing. It means I have to sacrifice Lean, but I don't miss it.

D is usually Use/Interact for me, with A being for flashlight. R for reload, C for crouch, Space for jump, X for changing fire rate (in FPS games that have that feature). I like having it all accessible with the left hand in the same area, since I find having to hit Enter or buttons to the right of the keyboard cumbersome with the left hand.
 
I use the arrow keys. WASD sucks imo. I only used it once! Playing rogue in WoW. That's it. Too much at my disposal to use arrows.

I use this keyboard except in black now




It's the best I've found personally. Discovered it years ago and never looked back. The arrow key positioning is perfect in relation to the keys around it. Playing mostly shooters I have more than enough to work with. Basically:

Reload = Right Shift
Prone = Right Control
Jump = Keypad 0
Crouch = Keypad 1
Sprint = Keypad 2
Melee = Keypad 4 or Thumb mouse button
Next Weapon = '
Prev Weapon = ;

After that I'll just use the surround keys as I see fit. Home, End, Pg Up, Pg Down, etc.

Just use to moving my fingers like that. Very fast.
 
SmokeRngs said:
QWES for me.

It sounds weird but I've found that it's a hell of a lot more comfortable after messing around with different key binds for years.
Click to expand...

Q = main weapon
WASD = movement
E = secondary weapon
R = third weapon/knife
 
Plague_Injected said:
Same here. W and S for forward and back, Q and E for strafing. It means I have to sacrifice Lean, but I don't miss it.

D is usually Use/Interact for me, with A being for flashlight. R for reload, C for crouch, Space for jump, X for changing fire rate (in FPS games that have that feature). I like having it all accessible with the left hand in the same area, since I find having to hit Enter or buttons to the right of the keyboard cumbersome with the left hand.
Click to expand...

I don't lose lean in games which have it. I use A and D for leaning. Activate is Left CTRL. With the way my hand sits on the keyboard I don't need to use a finger for activate. The left side of my hand sits on top of Left CTRL and I press down with that part of my hand.

This works fine for the two keyboards I use:

microsoftnaturalergonom.jpg


ibmmodelmkeyboard.jpg
 
Serpico said:
I'd like to, but I reckon that FPS gaming the same way on a keyboard for 14-odd years would be way too hard a habit to shake. ;)
Click to expand...

That's what I'm sayin'. The transition would piss me off. But it would probably we worth it in the long run.
 
I'm a former arrow user! The last time I used it was in Quake. When CS came out, I had to use Q and E as well. Hehehe.
 
when i first started gaming as a kid i used the arrow keys.. then after a while i got sick of changing the controls in every single game so i started using the default WASD keys..
 
ESDF, it's closer to the middle of the keyboard, putting more keys in reach than WASD.
 
kelbear said:
ESDF, it's closer to the middle of the keyboard, putting more keys in reach than WASD.
Click to expand...

but putting ctrl/shift/tab/Q away where you can easly hit them with the left pinky or ring fingers in games like BF BC2
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
when i first started gaming as a kid i used the arrow keys.. then after a while i got sick of changing the controls in every single game so i started using the default WASD keys..
Click to expand...

ROFL, so are you telling us you (and among others) lost your ways due to laziness?

I admit I tried WASD because I too was tired of changing the controls for all my games, but I couldn't live with crooked keys :p
 
WASD here. Back when I first started playing games I used arrows but it was just too cramped. I have a friend that uses ASDF. Weird kid.
 
I've used arrow all my life, not gonna change after 20 so years (wasn't pc gaming for age 0-6 or so ...)

If I was sucking badly at games I'd make a switch but I'm doing fine so, bleh
 
I use my own setup. Most people hate it but I love it. Here is a few unique inputs I use.

Forward: scroll wheel click
dash/run: E

basically I move my hand over one set of keys. It gives me more to work with. I also ran into games in the past where TAB could not be reassigned making whatever game it was difficult to control.
 
I use QWES.

I used to use the arrowkeys exclusively, particularly for fighting games (Actually, i still do). The first time i mapped the movement controls to the left was for a hovertank simulator.

W=Forward
S=Back
A=Turn Left
D=Turn Right

Q=Straffe Left
E=Straffe Right

R=Deploy
F=Rocket Jump


It stuck so now i'm using QWES. R became crouch/lowerprofile, and F became prone/raiseprofile. A became 'Use' and D became 'Reload'.



When i'm doing flight sims, i use my mini keyboard. It's a full sized keyboard minus the keypad and arrowkeys. I then put my joystick where the keypad used to be.
 
I used the arrow keys until I started running out of buttons. Now I use WASD.
 
I've used the arrows for 11 years, I tried changing because it seems like games these days have lots more keys but I can't do it

I map my numpad to hell though, Same with the mouse buttons
 
SPARTAN VI said:
Normally it goes like this:

Action = Enter
Crouch = Shift
Jump = Ctrl
Weapons = Insert/Del/Home/End/Page Up/Down, and occasionally it goes over to Num 7.
Melee = Num 1
Reload = Num 0
Click to expand...

I do pretty much the same thing. But I usually map jump and melee to mouse 4/5 when applicable (or other things that suits the game).

I'm a lefty and I've used arrowkeys to game with since umm mid-80s?
 
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