Everything you need to know about Crimson Desert controls setup for Keyboard and Mouse, and Controllers: settings, keybindings, customizations, tips and tricks.
Use the Table of Contents, located in the left panel (top left button on the mobile menu) to navigate through this long guide more easily and quickly.
Keyboard and Mouse Controls
Below are the default controls for Crimson Desert while using Keyboard and Mouse.
Movement and Camera
| Action | Button | Input | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move Camera | Mouse | Motion | Movement and Camera |
| Camera Zoom In/Out | Mouse Wheel Up/Down | Scroll | Movement and Camera |
| Lock-on | Control | Press | Movement and Camera |
| Move | WASD | Hold | Movement and Camera |
| Run | Shift | Double Press (Toggle) | Movement and Camera |
| Crouch | C | Hold | Movement and Camera |
| Slide | C | Hold (While Running) | Movement and Camera |
| Jump | Space | Press | Movement and Camera |
| Precision Jump | Control + Space | Hold Control, then Press | Movement and Camera |
| Double Jump (When Unlocked) | Space | Press (While Mid-air) | Movement and Camera |
| Mantle | Space | Press (Near Ledge) | Movement and Camera |
| Climb | Space + WASD | Jump Towards Wall | Movement and Camera |
| Roll | Alt | Press | Movement and Camera |
| Evade | Alt | Double Press | Movement and Camera |
| Evade | Mouse 5 | Press | Movement and Camera |
Basic Controls
| Action | Button | Input | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action | Button(s) | Type | Basic Controls |
| Quick Menu (Last) | Esc | Press | Basic Controls |
| Scroll Menu | Esc | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Inventory | I | Press | Basic Controls |
| Skills | K | Press | Basic Controls |
| Journal | J | Press | Basic Controls |
| Map | M | Press | Basic Controls |
| Use Gear | B | Press/Hold | Basic Controls |
| Force Palm | MMB | Press | Basic Controls |
| Call Mount | H | Press | Basic Controls |
| Dismount / Put Down Held Item | R | Press | Basic Controls |
| Cancel | E | Press | Basic Controls |
| Comrade Quick Slot | F1 | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Gear Quick Slot | F2 | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Food Quick Slot | F3 | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Stow Weapon | T | Press | Basic Controls |
Interaction
| Action | Button | Input | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loot Item / Enemy | E | Hold | Interaction |
| Interact | Control | Hold | Interaction |
| Interaction 1 | E | Press (While Interacting) | Interaction |
| Interaction 2 | R | Press (While Interacting) | Interaction |
| Interaction 3 | T | Press (While Interacting) | Interaction |
| Inteaction 4 | G | Press (While Interacting) | Interaction |
| Previous | Q | Press | Interaction |
| Next | E | Press | Interaction |
| Lift Object | E | Press (While Interacting) | Interaction |
| Place Object | R | Press (While Interacting) | Interaction |
| Push | LMB | Hold | Interaction |
| Pull | RMB | Hold | Interaction |
Combat
Skill Inputs remain consistent between weapons, but perform different skills based on the actively equipped weapon.
| Action | Button | Input | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Attack | LMB | Press Repeatedly or Hold to Combo | Combat |
| Heavy Attack | RMB | Press Repeatedly or Hold to Combo | Combat |
| Punch/Kick | F | Press | Combat |
| Aim | Q | Press | Combat |
| Aim | M4 | Press | Combat |
| Fire | LMB | Press (While Aiming) | Combat |
| Focus | X | Press | Combat |
| Axiom Force | Tab | Press | Combat |
| Aim / Guard / Focus Light | Control | Press | Combat |
| Aim / Guard / Focus Light | M4 | Press | Combat |
| Skill 1 | RMB + LMB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 2 | RMB + Control | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 3 | RMB + L. Shift | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 4 | LMB + Alt | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 5 | LMB + Shift | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 6 | LMB+ Space | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 7 | LMB + Control | Combo Press | Combat |
| Weapon Swap | Z | Press | Combat |
| Grappling: Throw | F + LMB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Grappling: Lariat | F+ RMB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Enemy Vault | Space + LMB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Imbue Element | V | Hold | Combat |
| Skill: Flame | 1 | Press | Combat |
| Skill: Frost | 2 | Press | Combat |
| Skill: Lightning | 3 | Press | Combat |
| Skill: Wind | 4 | Press | Combat |
Console Controls
Below are the default Controls for Crimson Desert while using a Playstation or Xbox Controller.
Movement and Camera
| Action | PS5 | Xbox | Input | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move Camera | RS | RS | Tilt | Movement and Camera |
| Camera Zoom In/Out | Trackpad | View | Press | Movement and Camera |
| Lock-on | D-Pad Down | D-Pad Down | Press | Movement and Camera |
| Move | LS | LS | Tilt | Movement and Camera |
| Run | X | X | Hold | Movement and Camera |
| Sprint | X | X | Double Press (Toggle) | Movement and Camera |
| Crouch | L3 | RS | Press (Toggle) | Movement and Camera |
| Slide | L3 | RS | Press (While Running) | Movement and Camera |
| Jump | ☐ | X | Press | Movement and Camera |
| Precision Jump | L1 + ☐ | LB + X | Hold Control, then Press | Movement and Camera |
| Double Jump (When Unlocked) | ☐ | X | Press (While Mid-air) | Movement and Camera |
| Mantle | ☐ | X | Press (Near Ledge) | Movement and Camera |
| Climb | ☐ + LS | X + LS Tilt | Jump Towards Wall | Movement and Camera |
| Roll | ⭘ | B | Press | Movement and Camera |
| Evade | ⭘ | B | Double Press | Movement and Camera |
Basic Controls
| Action | PS5 | Xbox | Input | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Menu (Last) | Option | Menu | Press | Basic Controls |
| Scroll Menu | Option | Menu | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Use Gear | L1 | LB | Press/Hold | Basic Controls |
| Force Palm | R3 | RS | Press | Basic Controls |
| Call Mount | D-Pad Up | D-Pad Up | Press | Basic Controls |
| Dismount / Put Down Held Item | △ | Y | Press | Basic Controls |
| Comrade Quick Slot | D-Pad Up | D-Pad Up | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Gear Quick Slot | D-Pad Left | D-Pad Left | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Food Quick Slot | D-Pad Right | D-Pad Right | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Stow Weapon | D-Pad Left | D-Pad Left | Press | Basic Controls |
Interaction
| Action | PS5 | Xbox | Input | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Menu (Last) | Option | Menu | Press | Basic Controls |
| Scroll Menu | Option | Menu | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Use Gear | L1 | LB | Press/Hold | Basic Controls |
| Force Palm | R3 | RS | Press | Basic Controls |
| Call Mount | D-Pad Up | D-Pad Up | Press | Basic Controls |
| Dismount / Put Down Held Item | △ | Y | Press | Basic Controls |
| Comrade Quick Slot | D-Pad Up | D-Pad Up | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Gear Quick Slot | D-Pad Left | D-Pad Left | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Food Quick Slot | D-Pad Right | D-Pad Right | Hold | Basic Controls |
| Stow Weapon | D-Pad Left | D-Pad Left | Press | Basic Controls |
Combat
Skill Inputs remain consistent between weapons, but perform different skills based on the actively equipped weapon.
| Action | PS5 | Xbox | Input | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Attack | R1 | RB | Press Repeatedly or Hold to Combo | Combat |
| Heavy Attack | R2 | RT | Press Repeatedly or Hold to Combo | Combat |
| Punch/Kick | △ | Y | Press | Combat |
| Aim | L2 | LT | Hold | Combat |
| Fire | L2 | LT | Release (While Aiming) | Combat |
| Focus | X | A | Press | Combat |
| Axiom Force | L3 | LS (Press) | Hold | Combat |
| Block/Parry | L1 | LB | Press | Combat |
| Skill 1 | R2 + R1 | RT + RB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 2 | R2 + L1 | RT + LB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 3 | R2 + X | RT + A | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 4 | R1 + ⭘ | RB + B | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 5 | R1 + X | RB + A | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 6 | R1 + ☐ | RB + X | Combo Press | Combat |
| Skill 7 | R1 + L1 | RB + LB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Grappling: Throw | △ + R1 | Y + RB | Combo Press | Combat |
| Grappling: Lariat | △ + R2 | Y + RT | Combo Press | Combat |
| Enemy Vault | ☐ + R1 | X + RB | Combo Press | Combat |
Control Remapping and Recommendations
At the current time, Control Remapping is only available for Keyboard and Mouse Controls. Remapping is not possible on Consoles, except for the use of Xbox Elite or PlayStation DualSense Edge Controller Software.
To access the Control Remapping in Crimson Desert, we’ll need to open the pause menu and head to the “Others” Section. Once here, select the Options Sub Section.
From the Menu below here, select the Settings button and navigate to the Input Section.
At the bottom of this menu is the option ‘Shortcuts and Input Settings”. Clicking this will open the Key Mapping panel, which lists all the Controls.
By Clicking a Control you want to change, you will be prompted to Pick a New Key Mapping.
If this overlaps with an existing Key Mapping, you will be prompted to overwrite the existing bind. Some Existing Mappings already overlap, forcing a reset to default to restore them if overwritten, so be careful.
After making all desired changes, press Space once again to apply and save them.
Console Recommendations
As far as Console Controls go, for those who own PlayStation Dualsense Edge or Xbox Elite Controllers, the only swap I’d make is to Run and Jump. Additionally, using the extra rear buttons offered by both controllers, save your sticks the pain and make those LS/L3 and RS/R3
Keyboard and Mouse Recommendations
There’s are a bit of a weird remapping restrictions due to initial overlaps, it’s hard to remap multiple controls comfortably.
That said, the main controls we recommend that you remap to an alterenative keybinding are Evade ( Alt by Default), Lock-On (Caps Lock by Default), and Axiom Force (Tab by Default). These are in fairly awkward locations to press for when they’re needed.
To make them more comfortable, I made the following Swaps. Give them a try for yourself. Or experiment to find other combinations that work for you.
| Action | Starting Key | Remapped Key |
|---|---|---|
| Lock-On | Caps Lock | Tab |
| Evade | Alt | Mouse 5 |
| Guard / Aim (Alt) | Mouse 4 | Unbound |
| Axiom Force | Tab | R |
| Dismount | R | Y |
| Interaction 2 | R | 5 |
| Skill 4 | LMB + Alt | LMB + Mouse 5 |
| Blinding Flash | Ctrl + LMB | Mouse 4 |
If you remap Blinding Flash to a single key, you may not be able to complete some of the tricky puzzles that require perfect timing between activating and stopping the light beam (such as the Sanctuum puzzles).
We’re simply shifting around the less comfortable controls here and rebind other things to make space. Dismount and Interaction 2 aren’t critical controls to have super quick access to, so we remap them to allow Axiom Force to use R instead, as it’s part of several attacks and skills and needs to be accessible.
I found Axiom Force on R is a great choice, as we can easily move the mentioned functions above with no combat impact. Blinding Flash was moved to Mouse 4 for ease of use in combat and treasure hunting.
With changes in Update 1.00.03, Evade now has an extra default mapping to Mouse 5, but it’s still worth noting that the evade attack still should be rebound to match. This means we can move something else to Alt and not actually have to remap manually. This also means mapping Blinding Flash to Mouse 4 will unbind the new secondary control for Guard / Aim. The UI will replace this if not bound elsewhere and viewing the menu again, but the chosen bind will take priority.
Classic and Basic Movement Controls
With Update 1.02.00 came a new toggle to use for Classic and Basic Movement Controls. These options are accessible under Menu > Others > Input and selecting from the two options provided.
With this setting on Basic, holding the Sprint Key will accelerate our character or mount up to their maximum speed. Upon release, this speed will be maintained until pressed again.
When set to Classic, our Sprint Key will instead need to be tapped repeatedly to bring us up to full speed. While on Foot, not tapping Sprint will lower speed from a Sprint to a Dash (between Walk and Sprint Speed). While on Horseback, the current speed will be maintained by holding Sprint.
Basic is both the default and recommended here. It’s simpler, easier to control, and far more consistent to work with. Its only downside is that it will make the Horse consume Stamina at a far faster rate, which isn’t terrible by any means, just slightly more clunky.
Classic offers more granular control over our speed, which is nice in some situations. Though its real benefit is for our Horse, where we can greatly extend how far its Stamina will go. The Downsides however, are that our movement, particularly in combat, becomes more of a hassle and also potentially leads to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the long term.
Helpful Tips
On a PC, you can exit the game directly by pressing ALT+F4. It will bring up a confirmation dialogue asking if you really wanted to exit. This allows you to bypass exiting to Title Screen first and waiting for a couple of animations to play out.
When you have to interact with important NPCs to progress a quest or pick up a new one, you will get a prompt in the bottom right corner when you are near the NPC. On the screen, you will also see a larger circle on the NPC.
Make liberal use of both your Lantern (CTRL / L1 / LB while out of combat) and Blinding Flash (CTRL + LMB / L1 +R1 / LB +RB at any time) to spot nearby points of Interest. This will require line of sight and only works within a limited range. When using the Lantern, an Orange Glow will be seen on the point of interest.
For Blinding Flash, this glow is Blue instead.
There are additional interactions available in various menus and screens. Pay attention to what the game has to offer when you hover over an object on the map or in the world.
In some menus, you have the option to hold the ESC on keyboard (Option on PlayStation, Menu on Xbox) button to directly return to the game world and skip the main menu screen. The example shown below is form the Journal screen where you have the option to hold ESC (on keyboard) to close all menus and exit back into the world. Note that this functionality is not always available.
You can press and hold the button to collect an item when there are multiple items nearby. Your character will keep collecting all items in range one after another.
You can rest on pretty much any bed you find, not only in your camp. But you can also spend some resting time around a bonfire. When you approach a bonfire, press the modifier key (CTRL on keyboard) to see the extended list of options. The “Wait” option would appear there. It allows you to choose from the same resting times as sleeping – 3, 6, 12 hours.
You can toggle on and off the visor of your helmet (if it has a moving one) or the hood of your cloak. Open the Armor wheel menu, then hover over the headgear or cloak slot. When you release to close the wheel menu, your character will perform an animation of toggling on or off that item’s position.
Changelog
Below are all the changes made to the game’s base controls sourced from Patch Notes.
Update 1.00.03
- General] Improved the response speed of the interaction UI.
- [General] Improved the responsiveness of jump inputs.
- [General] Fixed aiming to target the center of the screen when using a Lantern or while unarmed.
- [General] Improved the Equipment Quick Slot so that re-selecting your current equipment will stow it.
- [General] Improved the responsiveness of the Main Menu UI.
- [General] Fixed an intermittent issue where the Main Menu would not open.
- [Keyboard/Mouse] Improved the responsiveness of character movement controls.
- [Keyboard/Mouse] Added the following shortcuts to open and close certain menus:
- Inventory: [I]
- Skills: [K]
- Journal: [J]
- Map: [M]
- [Keyboard/Mouse] Fixed an issue where the key guide at the bottom right of the screen would not update when using Guard or Aim.
- [Keyboard/Mouse] Added default control options for Guard/Aim (Side Button 1) and Evade (Side Button 2).
- [Keyboard/Mouse] Changed controls to maintain movement input when using Axiom Force.
- [Keyboard/Mouse] Fixed an issue where duplicate keys could be assigned in Shortcuts and Input Settings.
- [Keyboard/Mouse] Fixed an issue where certain inputs did not function correctly after changing the Shortcuts and Input Settings.
Find out what else was updated, improved or added in Update 1.00.03.
Update 1.01.00
- Improved movement controls for both the player character and horse.
- Movement speed increases by holding down the running key.
- Movement speed increases by tapping the running key once.
- Movement speed for the player character and horse will no longer decrease even if the running key is not held continuously.
- (Please note that maintaining the full sprint state still requires periodic input of the sprint button.)
Find out what else was updated, improved or added in Update 1.01.00.
Update 1.02.00
- Added a “Movement Controls” option.
- The option can be selected via Main Menu > Others > Settings > Input > Movement Controls, and offers two options: Basic and Classic.
- Detailed descriptions can be found in the in-game options menu.
- Basic movement controls: Hold the sprint key to accelerate.
- Classic movement controls: Repeatedly press the sprint key to accelerate.
- The stamina consumption for mounts has been adjusted.
- With Basic movement controls, holding the sprint key consumes stamina at set intervals.
- With Classic movement controls, stamina is consumed each time the sprint key is pressed.
Find out what else was updated, improved or added in Update 1.02.00.
