DayZ Controls for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox

DayZ is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox One, but the controls can feel dense at first. That is expected from a survival game where opening a can, leaning around a wall, and not accidentally throwing your weapon all matter.

Use this DayZ controls guide as a reference for movement, combat, inventory, vehicles, and communication. Controls can be changed from the in-game options menu.

DayZ Controls Guide

PC Controls

Character Movement and Interaction

• W: Move forward
• S: Move backward
• A: Strafe left
• D: Strafe right
• Q: Lean left
• E: Lean right
• Left CTRL: Double-tap to toggle walking and jogging, or hold for temporary walking
• Left SHIFT: Hold to run
• Space: Jump or vault
• C: Toggle crouch or hold to go prone
• F or Left-click: Use or perform action
• Mouse wheel up: Previous action
• Mouse wheel down: Next action
• G: Tap to throw the held item, or hold to drop it
• L: Hold to toggle Night Vision goggles, or press to toggle a head lamp
• Tab: Open or close inventory

Camera

• Mouse movement: Look or aim
• V or Enter: Switch first-person and third-person camera
• Middle-click: Eye focus
• Left Alt: Double-tap to toggle free look, or hold for temporary free look

Combat

• X: Toggle fire mode when supported
• Left-click: Use the equipped weapon
• F: Heavy melee attack
• R: Change firearm mechanism
• Right-click: Ready weapon
• Mouse scroll wheel: Use firearm sights or optics
• Page Up: Increase zeroing
• Page Down: Decrease zeroing
• Hold Left CTRL: Hold breath
• Left Shift: Toggle aiming down sights

Vehicles

• W: Accelerate
• S: Brake or decelerate
• A: Turn left
• D: Turn right
• Q: Shift down
• E: Shift up
• Left SHIFT: Turbo
• Left CTRL: Slow accelerate
• Spacebar: Handbrake
• H: Horn

Gestures

• F1: Greeting
• F2: Wave
• F3: Heart with hands
• F4: F*ck off
• F6: Magnifique
• F7: Point
• F8: Taunt elbow
• F9: Thumbs Up
• F10: Cut throat
• F11: Suicide

Other PC Inputs

• Enter: Text chat
• Caps Lock: Hold for voice chat, or double-tap to toggle it
• Up button: Increase voice range
• Down button: Decrease voice range
• M: Toggle map
• Numbers 0 to 9: Use hotkey items
• .: Open gestures radial menu
• ': Toggle quickslots
• \\: Open MiniMap
• Numpad +: Whistle
• Numpad /: Follow
• *Numpad :** Patrol
• Numpad -: Stay here
• Numpad 9: Toggle emotes

PlayStation Controls

General

• L2: Hold combat stance
• L1: Hold free look, or double-tap to zoom
• Up directional button: Next option
• Right directional button: Hold gestures menu
• Down directional button: Previous option
• Left analog stick: Tilt fully to run, or slightly to walk
• Right analog stick: Look around
• L3: Toggle sprint
• R3: Double-tap to change camera
• R2: Use item
• R1: Hold quickslots
• △: Hold to reload the held weapon
• ▢: Press to interact, hold to drop item, or double-press to throw item
• O: Change stance
• X: Jump or vault

Combat Stance

• L2: Hold combat stance
• L1: Lean left
• R1: Lean right
• Up directional button: Increase zeroing
• Down directional button: Decrease zeroing
• Right directional button: Optics mode
• L3: Hold breath
• R2: Attack or shoot
• △: Heavy melee attack, or hold to reload firearm
• ▢: Firearm melee
• O: Change stance
• X: Change fire mode

Inventory

• L2/R2: Move container selection left or right
• L1/R1: Change inventory tab
• Up directional button: Move selection
• L3: Hold quickslots
• △: Equip or split stacks
• ▢: Place item in inventory, or hold to drop it
• O: Close inventory or combine items
• X: Take item into hands
• R3: Open or close container

Vehicles

• L2: Brake or decelerate
• R2: Accelerate
• R1: Hold handbrake
• L3: Hold horn
• Left analog stick: Steer
• Right analog stick: Look around
• △: Toggle headlights
• O: Gear up
• X: Gear down

Menus and Voice

• Touchpad: Open or close inventory
• Left directional button: Hold push-to-talk, or double-tap to toggle voice activation
• Left directional button + L1/R1: Change voice range volume
• X: Confirm

Xbox Controls

Movement

• Start: Pause or menu
• Back: Open inventory
• Left analog stick: Walk or jog, press to toggle run
• Right analog stick: Look around, double-tap to change perspective
• Left Trigger: Hold to raise hands
• Right Trigger: Attack with raised hands
• Left Bumper: Hold free look, or double-press to zoom
• Right Bumper: Hold hotbar or quickslot menu
• A: Jump or vault
• B: Toggle crouch, or hold to prone
• X: Press to interact, or hold to take item to hands
• Right directional button: Hold gestures menu
• Down directional button: Hold voice chat
• Hold Left Trigger + Left Bumper: Lean left while raising hands or weapon
• Hold Left Trigger + Right Bumper: Lean right while raising hands or weapon
• Press Left Trigger + Left Bumper: Barrel roll left while raising hands or weapon
• Press Left Trigger + Right Bumper: Barrel roll right while raising hands or weapon

Weapons and Actions

• Left Trigger: Hold to raise hands
• Right Trigger: Attack with raised hands
• X: Press to interact, hold to drop the held item, or double-press to enter throwing stance
• Y: Hold to reload, or double-press to eject a round from the held weapon
• Right analog stick: Press to use sights
• Right directional button: Press to use scope, or hold to return to iron sights
• Up directional button: Increase zeroing
• Down directional button: Decrease zeroing
• Left directional button: Toggle weapon firing mode when supported
• Right Bumper: Hold hotbar or quickslot menu

Vehicles

• Right Trigger: Accelerate, or lightly press for slow acceleration
• Left Trigger: Decelerate
• Left analog stick: Steer left or right
• A: Shift down
• B: Shift up
• Y: Toggle headlights

Inventory

• Windows: Open or close inventory
• Y: Equip item or split stack
• B: Combine items or stacks
• A: Take item into hands, or hold with the directional pad to move it to another slot
• X: Place item in inventory, or hold to throw it on the ground
• Left analog stick: Hold to assign items to the hotbar or quickslot

Controls can change after updates, as happened with DayZ patch 1.17.

Key Binding Tips

If the defaults feel awkward, remapping can make DayZ easier to manage:

• Bind lean left and lean right to mouse side buttons to reduce keyboard strain.
• Put free look on a mouse side button if Left Alt feels awkward.
• Move zeroing controls to Page Up/Page Down or extra controller buttons.
• Bind Hold Breath to the sprint button, since sprinting and holding breath usually do not overlap.
• Drag ammunition to the hotbar, then press that hotkey to reload with that ammo type.
• The Surrender gesture lets other players access your inventory, which can occasionally keep you alive when negotiation is the only weapon left.