PC players get access to configuration menus that console users can't touch. Your keybinds and mouse settings have a massive impact on how well you perform in Arc Raiders. Sticking with defaults puts you at a disadvantage against players who've dialed in their controls. This guide covers everything you need to set up your keyboard and mouse for better performance.

Understanding Arc Raiders Control System

Arc Raiders keeps things simpler than most extraction shooters. You won't find an overwhelming number of keybind options here. That said, a few specific changes can make the difference between surviving a firefight and getting sent back to base. You'll find the controls menu in settings under "Controls."

Note on Remapping

Based on available information, keyboard remapping works fine, but other input methods appear to have limited customization options.

Arc Raiders controls menu interface — The controls menu in Arc Raiders settings

Complete Keybind Configuration

Movement Controls

Basic Movement:

Move Forward: W
Move Backward: S
Move Left: A
Move Right: D
Jump: Space Bar

Standard WASD setup. Leave these alone.

Advanced Movement:

Sprint (Hold): Left Shift
Sprint (Toggle): Left Shift
Walk (Toggle): V

Sprint uses Left Shift for both hold and toggle modes. The walk toggle on V gives you a slower, quieter movement option when you need stealth or precise positioning.

Crouching and Evasion

Crouch Options:

Crouch (Hold): Left Ctrl or C
Crouch (Toggle): Left Ctrl or C

You can pick either Left Ctrl or C for crouching. Both hold and toggle functions work on the same key, so just choose whichever feels more comfortable.

Critical: Dodge Roll Mechanic

Here's where things get important for your survival. Dodge roll can mean the difference between living through a gunfight and eating dirt. Your options depend on your mouse hardware:

Best choice: Mouse Button 4 or Mouse Button 5 (side buttons)
Backup option: Left Alt (if you don't have side buttons)

Side mouse buttons let you dodge without lifting your fingers off WASD. You keep full movement control while evading shots. If your mouse doesn't have these buttons, Left Alt works as a solid alternative.

Combat Controls

Shooting and Aiming:

Fire / Throw / Display: Left Mouse Button
Aim: Right Mouse Button

Standard FPS controls. No changes needed.

Weapon Management:

Reload Weapon: R
Weapon 1: 1
Weapon 2: 2
Melee Weapon: 3
Unarmed/Holster Weapon: 4
Next Weapon: Mouse Wheel Up
Previous Weapon: Mouse Wheel Down

Pro Tip

Setting "Unarmed/Holster Weapon" to 4 creates a clean progression. Your three weapons sit on 1-3, and holstering uses 4. Much easier to remember than the default setup. Mouse wheel lets you cycle weapons quickly when things get hectic.

Arc Raiders weapon switching controls — Optimized weapon switching layout for quick access

Shoulder Swap:

Shoulder swapping changes which side of your character you aim from. Your options:

X
Thumb Mouse Button (if you have one)

This matters when you're peeking around cover or corners. A thumb button makes it easier to swap mid-combat if your mouse has that feature.

Interaction and Utility

Basic Interaction:

Interact: E or F (pick one)

Both E and F work fine. Choose whichever feels better for your hand positioning.

Flashlight:

Flashlight: E or F (whichever you didn't use for Interact)

Bind your flashlight to the key you didn't pick for interact. This prevents conflicts while keeping both functions easy to reach.

Items and Inventory:

Items: Q
Access Inventory: Tab
Map: M or Caps Lock

For the map, both M and Caps Lock do the job. Caps Lock sits closer to WASD, which can help when you need to check the map during combat.

Communication and Social Features

Pinging System:

Ping: Middle Mouse Button

Arc Raiders' ping system does more than drop a marker. Hold the ping button to bring up a wheel with specific options. This lets you communicate more precisely with your team instead of just spamming generic pings.

Note on Push to Talk

Source materials show different keybinds for voice chat. Some list T and B, others show V and Z. The T and B setup is listed here as the primary recommendation, but double-check which keys control standard versus proximity chat in your game version.

Voice Communication:

Push to Talk: T
Push to Talk (Proximity Chat): B
Ping Heard By/Emote Loudness: H

Emotes:

Emote: G

Arc Raiders communication controls — Communication and ping system controls

Mouse Sensitivity Configuration

Prerequisites: External Mouse Software

Before you mess with in-game sensitivity, configure your mouse through its dedicated software. This lets you:

Fine-tune your DPI
Turn off mouse smoothing and acceleration
Set up extra hotkeys

Get your mouse DPI right first. The in-game sensitivity settings build on top of your DPI, so you need a solid foundation before tweaking Arc Raiders' options.

Basic Mouse Settings

Vertical Look Behavior:

Invert Vertical Look Input: Off

Leave this disabled unless you specifically prefer inverted aiming.

Standard Sensitivity:

Horizontal Sensitivity: See conflict note below
Vertical Sensitivity: 50

Horizontal Sensitivity Conflict

Sources disagree on the best horizontal sensitivity:

One recommends 65-70
Another recommends 50

The 65-70 range comes from bumping the default up by 15-20 points. Higher horizontal sensitivity means you can spin around faster when enemies shoot you from behind or when spiders come flying at you from the side.

The 50 recommendation keeps horizontal and vertical matched as a starting baseline.

If you want faster reactions to flanking threats, try 65-70. If you prefer keeping everything balanced while you dial in your settings, start at 50 and adjust from there.

Zoom and Scoped Sensitivity

Aim Down Sights Sensitivity:

Zoom Sensitivity Multiplier: See options below
Scoped Zoom Sensitivity Multiplier: See options below

Option 1: Reduced for Precision

Zoom Sensitivity Multiplier: 75%
Scoped Zoom Sensitivity Multiplier: 85%
Dropping zoom sensitivity to 75% (down 25% from default) gives you more precise aiming
The scoped multiplier at 85% isn't reduced as much because you still need decent movement speed with large scopes
This prevents you from flying past targets when you're trying to line up shots

Option 2: Keep it Consistent

Both at 100%
Keeps your sensitivity the same whether you're hip-firing or aiming down sights
Maintains consistent muscle memory
Better for faster target tracking

Sensitivity comes down to personal preference and your mouse DPI. The 100% baseline keeps your muscle memory consistent. The reduced percentages (75%/85%) trade some speed for better accuracy. If precision matters more to you, try the reduced values. If you want faster target tracking, stick closer to 100%.

Adjustment and Optimization Process

After applying these settings, you'll need to fine-tune them for your setup:

Make sure your mouse DPI is properly set in your mouse software before touching in-game settings
Use the recommended sensitivity values as your starting point
Test everything in actual matches
Make small adjustments up or down based on how you perform
Pay attention to two things: can you turn fast enough when threatened from behind, and can you still aim precisely at targets

These sensitivity recommendations assume you've already got a comfortable mouse DPI. If you haven't set up your DPI yet, do that first, then come back to these in-game settings.

Summary of Key Changes from Default

This setup makes minimal changes to Arc Raiders' defaults, focusing on the stuff that actually matters:

Most Important Changes

Dodge Roll

Move to Mouse Button 4/5 or Left Alt so you can dodge without losing movement control

Unarmed/Holster

Change to 4 for a logical weapon slot setup

Flashlight and Interact

Split between E and F to avoid key conflicts

Horizontal Sensitivity

Potentially bump to 65-70 for faster reaction to flanking attacks

Zoom Multipliers

Potentially drop to 75%/85% for better precision while aiming

Other Changes Based on Preference

Map: Caps Lock works better than M if you need quick access during fights
Shoulder Swap: Use Thumb Mouse Button if you have one available
Push to Talk keybinds: Check which keys control standard versus proximity chat in your version

These changes prioritize keeping your hands in the right position during combat (dodge rolling), creating logical weapon switching (numbered slots), and balancing speed against precision (sensitivity multipliers).