Escape from Tarkov Complete Controls Guide

With Escape from Tarkov probably being the most complicated first-person shooter game on the market, memorizing and mastering the controls can take years or even a decade of constantly playing the game. The game’s hyper-realism focus separated it from all competitive shooters and, at the same time, created hundreds of buttons to press. Here’s the complete controls guide to Escape from Tarkov, including a section for the most useful keybinds to remember for beginner and veteran players.

All Controls Guide for Escape from Tarkov

Most Useful Escape from Tarkov Controls to Know

Since there are so many controls to memorize in Escape from Tarkov, we’ll start with a short list of the most important keybinds that don’t come naturally to players:

Action	Keys
Switching Fire Modes	B
Check Magazine/Ammo	Left Alt + T
Fix Weapon Malfunction	Left Shift + T
Switch Sights	Left Control + RMB
Change Scope Magnification	Left Alt + RMB
Free Look	Middle Mouse Button
Drop Backpack Shortcut	Double Tap “Z”
Hold Breath	Left Alt
Check Time and Extraction Points	Double Tap “O”

As an Escape from Tarkov player for more than half a decade, I found these keybinds to be the most useful and forgettable keybinds when playing, with an emphasis on that Fix Weapon Malfunction button.

Here are the rest of the controls, separated into different categories.

Movement Controls Table

Action	Key
Move Forward	W
Move Backward	S
Strafe Left	A
Strafe Right	D
Sprint	Shift (Hold)
Walk	Caps Lock
Prone	X
Crouch	C
Lean Left	Q
Lean Right	E
Jump	Space
Vaulting	Space
Free Look	Alt (Hold)
Side Step Right	Alt + E
Side Step Left	Alt + Q

Combat Controls

Combat	Key
Fire	Left Mouse Button
Aim Down Sights	Right Mouse Button
Switch Between Sights	Ctrl + Right Mouse Button
Toggle Laser/Light	T
Toggle Tactical Device Mode	Ctrl + T
Reload	R
Check Ammo	Left Alt + T
Change Firing Mode	B
Check Chamber	Shift + T
Change Scope Magnification	Ctrl + Mouse Wheel
Melee Attack	V
Throw Grenade	G
Inspect Weapon	L (Hold)
Blindfire	Alt + W/S

Inventory Management Controls

Inventory & Interaction	Key
Open Inventory	Tab
Contextual Interaction (Loot, Doors)	F
Quick Slot 1-12	1-12
Examine Item	Middle Mouse Button
Discard Item	Del
Use Health Item	5
Use Painkillers	4
Use Bandage	6
Reload Ammo/Combine Items	Ctrl + Click
Quick Equip/Use Item	Shift + Click

Communications and Emotes Controls

Communication	Key
Open Map (if available)	M
Extract Locations	Double tap O
Voice Lines	Y or hold Y to choose lines
Gestures	F1 - F12
Toggle Night Vision	N

Miscellaneous Controls

Miscellaneous	Key
Toggle Console	~ (Tilde)
Open/Close Settings	Esc
Screenshot	PrtScn
Screenshot (Steam)	F12

They might introduce more controls in the future as the game becomes more complicated with every wipe. Just imagine the Tripwires and the ability to cut them off with Multitools and other equipment as an action or keybind.