Escape from Tarkov offers a deep and immersive experience, but its complexity can be overwhelming, especially with the vast number of actions available. In this guide, we’ll explore how to set up your keybinds effectively, providing tips and recommendations to make every movement and action smoother, faster, and more intuitive.
One of the aspects of Escape from Tarkov that defines it as an impressive mil-sim is the number of operations players can make their characters perform.
Starting with movement controls, players can perform actions like Smooth Lean or Sidestep, Vaulting, control movement speed using the mouse wheel, or even adjust the crouch height gradually using the combination of the C key + mouse wheel.
Then there are all the actions that can be performed with the weapon you’re holding, such as switching fire mode, inspecting the chamber, emptying the chamber, fixing malfunctions, removing the magazine, etc.
With so many operations, there is naturally a significant number of keybinds.
In my opinion a lot of them work just fine as they are set by default. You just need to learn them and get used to them.
However, there are quite a few that are worth changing to make them more easily reachable with your fingers on the keyboard (or mouse) and functional.
Let’s start with some tips on setting up keybinds and potential combinations, followed by my personal keybind settings, which I consider important (some even essential) and why.
Tips and Tricks
First, it’s important to know that in EFT, you can create key combinations using up to three keys.
Thanks to this, you can use SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT as modifiers.
EFT already does this by default in some cases. For instance, if B is the key to switch fire mode, ALT+B is the combination to check the currently selected fire mode.
Another important thing to know is that in the keybind settings, you can choose how each action is triggered: on press, on release, on double-click, or on hold (Continuous).
This can be configured in the rightmost column of the keybinds settings.
It is an extremely useful feature, especially with such a large number of actions to assign, because it allows you to assign multiple actions to the same key.
However, if you assign two actions to the same key, for example, one on Release and another on Double click, the action on release will be slightly delayed because the game will wait to determine whether it’s a single or double-click. The delay is minimal but can make a difference in certain situations. The same goes for actions set to hold (Continuous). On the other hand, if you assign two actions to the same key using the Press and Release functions, there’s no delay.
Keybinds
Here are my settings, starting with the most important ones.
Hold your breath
Holding your breath is vital to stabilize aim when in ADS. There is a keybind setup that allows you to "automatically" hold your breath when you ADS. To do this you need to bound "Hold breath" to the right mouse button on Release. The right mouse button is also bound to "Aim", but on Press. So when I press the right mouse button my character Aims and when I release the button it holds breath. All is done with just one click of the same button. Remember to also bind "Hold breath" to another key, because if you move while in ADS, you'll need to activate the "Hold breath" again. I bound it to LEFT ALT because it's one of the most easily reachable keys for me.
For those who don't use aim toggle but need to set it to "Continuous" so that when they release the mouse button they stop ADSing, this trick can still be done but it's a lot more complicated and the use of macros is needed. Here is a video by NoGenerals that explains how to do it.
Lean Right and Lean Left
As in most FPS games these two actions are set by default to Q and E, but given the importance of moving fluidly and quickly, these keys are not the best choice. Why? Because with these default settings, you cannot move using WASD keys while pressing Q or E. Try it—it’s practically impossible and definitely not practical.
To solve this issue, many solutions have been tried, but the one I find the simplest and most practical is to assign Lean Right and Lean Left to two mouse buttons. Not the main ones, of course, but if you use a Logitech G502 like me, for example, the side buttons (Mouse3 and Mouse4) are great choices. It might take some time to get used to, but the benefits are huge.
If you don’t own a mouse with enough keys I strongly suggest getting one. A G502 is pretty cheap these days.
For a deeper analysis and a more authoritative voice, I recommend this video from a streamer who has made rapid movement and total control of his character an art: NoGenerals. The video should start at the relevant point, but if not, the key section begins at 11:26 - Teaching JesseKazam How I Peek in Tarkov - PVP Tips - Escape From Tarkov
Inspect Current Weapon and Check Chamber/Fix Malfunction
When a weapon malfunction occurs, you must first inspect the weapon (to identify the issue) and then fix the malfunction. By default, these two actions are bound to separate keys. But there’s a much faster and more efficient way: binding both actions to the same key, one on press and the other on release.
Specifically, I have Fix Malfunction bound to pressing ALT+Mouse4 and Inspect to releasing ALT+Mouse4.
When I encounter a malfunction, I press and release ALT+Mouse4. EFT first reads the press action, but since the inspection hasn’t been performed yet, it does nothing. The system then reads the release action and performs the inspection. At this point, I press the same key again, and the cycle repeats. This time, the game performs the fix since the inspection has already been done and Fix Malfunction is on Press, so it's the first action it reads and tries to do.
Emergency Weapon Reload
By default, this is set to a double-click of the R key. This action allows you to reload your weapon faster than a normal reload but at the cost of dropping the current magazine. However, there’s another downside. Since the emergency reload is set to double-click and the normal reload to release, there will be a short delay while the game waits to determine whether you’re performing a single or double-click. In combat, even a slight delay can mean the difference between life and death.
There are two possible solutions:
A - Assign the emergency reload to a different key or combination (it needs to be convenient since it’s an emergency reload).
B - Completely unbind the emergency reload to avoid accidentally using it and dropping your magazine, and to eliminate the double-click delay. I chose this option.
Drop Backpack
As noted in the EFT Tutorial you can find here on TTC, this is a crucial action for improving movement in combat and performing tasks that may be hindered by your weight and need to be executed quickly during or just before a fight. For this reason, I’ve bound it to ALT+Z, as I find it easier to press than the default setting.
Discard
Discarding items from your backpack is a frequent operation, especially when looting during a raid in situations where speed is critical. By default, it’s bound to the DELETE key on your keyboard. However, the key’s distance from the WASD keys forces you to move either your left or right hand, which is far from ideal since threats can arise at any moment.
Many players prefer to rebind it to a more accessible key, such as the U key, which is what I initially did. However, I still find it somewhat inconvenient and am currently using the SHIFT+X combination for even better accessibility.
Quick Slots (Slots 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0)
Quick slots are incredibly useful for having medical items ready for immediate use during raids or activating other items like compasses or flares. The problem is that reaching keys beyond 6 on the keyboard can be awkward. However, using the press and release system, you can assign two slots to the same key.
For instance, I bind key 4 to Slot 4 on press and Slot 7 on release. Similarly, key 4 is bound to Slot 4 on press and Slot 8 on release. This allows me to place my most essential healing items bound to accessible keys.
Example: I keep a CALOK-B in Slot 4 for heavy bleeding and a medkit in Slot 7 for healing. If I have heavy bleeding, pressing 4 the first time activates the CALOK-B. Once the bleeding is stopped, pressing 4 again will activate the medkit. If I need to heal but don’t have any heavy bleeding at that moment, the medkit will be used on the first press of the 4 key.
Switch Between Sights and Change Scope Magnification
With Q and E freed by reassigning the lean actions, I set E to Switch Between Sights and Q to Change Scope Magnification, as these are frequently used actions that require quick access.
Prone
This is a very personal solution to a problem I encountered, but it might be a useful suggestion for you if you’ve faced the same issue. Several times, when startled by the sudden appearance of an unexpected threat, I flinched and accidentally pressed the default X keybind. This caused me to go prone, leaving me unable to move or maintain aim, often leading to a disadvantage.
To address this, I rebound the prone action to require a Double click of the X key. This adjustment eliminated the flinch problem while still allowing me to go prone quickly when necessary.
Scope Zoom In and Scope Zoom Out
After the introduction of this new feature, which allows for gradual zoom adjustment on certain scopes, I assigned Zoom In and Zoom Out to the combination SHIFT + Mouse Scroll. Specifically:
SHIFT + Mouse Scroll Up for Zoom In
SHIFT + Mouse Scroll Down for Zoom Out
If I remember correctly, by default they are set to ALT+Mouse Scroll, but I had to change it because using ALT prevented me from moving while adjusting the zoom, as ALT + W, A, S, D are bound to other actions. With my setup, I can at least move laterally while zooming since SHIFT + A and SHIFT + D are not bound to anything.
Vaulting
By default, the "Vaulting over medium obstacles" setting is set to "Auto" in the GAME section of the options. This is known to cause a drop in performance, as the game continuously calculates where your character might need to vault. It’s highly recommended to change this setting to "Hotkey" and bind the Vaulting action to an easily accessible key.
I am currently using the default setting SPACEBAR with a Continuous press, while jumping is set to SPACEBAR on Release. This way, if there is an obstacle, by holding down the spacebar I vault it, but if I just tap the spacebar I will jump it. But I’m still considering whether this is the optimal choice because sometimes it happens to jump instead of vaulting. This may generate unwanted noise that can get me detected by enemies.
Shoulder Transition:
Switching the shoulder you hold your weapon on is crucial during firefights and must be easy to access. I assigned this to T.
Toggle Tactical Devices:
Toggling tactical devices like lasers or flashlights is vital, so I assigned it to the thumb button on my mouse.
Switch Tactical Device Mode
Since I assigned Toggle Tactical Devices to the mouse thumb button, I set this command to the combination ALT + mouse thumb button.
Check Time / Check Time and Exits
I found the default setting inconvenient and considered the Check Time command redundant alongside Check Time and Exits. Therefore, I unbound Check Time and left only the O key to activate on Press the Check Time and Exits action.
Sidearm + Sidearm Quick Swap
Some time ago, BSG added the Sidearm Quick Swap feature, which allows you to draw your pistol more quickly. This action is crucial and can change the outcome of a fight when you run out of ammo in your primary weapon. However, it consumes arm stamina, and if your stamina is depleted, this action cannot be performed.
For this reason, I assigned the 1 key on Press to Sidearm Quick Swap and on Release to the standard sidearm draw, which doesn’t require arm stamina. This way, if I have no stamina and the Quick Swap cannot be executed, the standard sidearm draw function will activate instead.
Melee Weapon
Since the introduction of mountable bipods, the V key has been reassigned to actions related to this new feature. For this reason, I moved Melee Weapon to the key to the left of 1 at the top-left of the keyboard, just below the ESC key for clarity.
Melee Attack
I kept it bound to the Double Click of the V key because it’s easy to reach and press.
That’s it!
I know it’s a lot of information, but I believe having the right keybinds is essential for performing EFT’s numerous actions quickly and effectively.
I hope this guide helps. If you have suggestions for better keybind setups, share them in the comments!
Comments