Escape From Tarkov: Best Key Binds

These Escape From Tarkov best key binds will get you prepared for even the most chaotic battle, leaving behind the finger stretching that you would have to do otherwise. As it is an incredibly hardcore game, there are quite a lot of actions in Escape From Tarkov, and that takes up quite a lot of keys. You're therefore going to want to use the Escape From Tarkov best key binds to overcome this, so make sure to carry on reading down below to see the full list.
- Maximise your FPS and increase your visibility with this handy Escape From Tarkov best settings guide.
Escape From Tarkov Best Pre-Existing Key Binds

There are some Escape From Tarkov key binds already baked into the game that will save you a lot of time, it just isn't as obvious as you might have thought if you don't obsessively study the options menu.
Check out the list below for all of the best Escape From Tarkov key binds that are already in the game:
Name | Key bind | Action |
Quick transfer | CTRL + LMB | Quickly transfers items to your backpack/rig |
Quick equip | ALT + LMB | Quickly equips items to your PMC |
Quick walk | Caps Lock | Quickly switch to the slowest movement speed |
Crouch adjust | C + Scroll up/down | Adjust the crouch height of your PMC |
Quick Stash scroll | Page Up/Page Down | Quickly hops to the top/bottom of your stash |
Free Look | Middle mouse button + mouse movement | Look independently of your movement direction |
Smooth lean | ALT + Q/E | Slowly lean in either director for finer adjustments |
Smooth step | ALT + A/D | Slowly step left or right |
Blind fire | ALT + W/S | Hold your gun above/to the right to fire around cover |
Magazine select | R + Scroll up/down | Choose the next or previous magazine in your rig for more precision |
Quick melee hit | Double tap V | Use your melee weapon without having to bring it out |
Backpack drop | Double tap Z | Quickly drop your backpack for more movement in fights |
Change tactical device | CTRL + T | Switch your tactical device's setting |
Switch scopes | CTRL + RMB | Switch between multiple scopes on a weapon |
Switch magnification/reticule | ALT + RMB | Change level of magnification on a scope |
Check ammo | ALT + T | Check ammo type and level in loaded magazine |
Identify | Middle mouse button | Quickly identify items |
Change fire mode | B | Change between single-fire, burst, and fully-automatic fire modes |
Check fire mode | ALT + B | Check your current fire mode |
Quick full auto | Double tap B | Quickly switch to fully automatic firing mode |
Scope zeroing | Page Up/Page Down | Change the scope zero level when zoomed in |
Split item stack | CTRL + LMB | Split the items in an item stack - useful for ammo |
Discard | Delete key | Quickly discard items |
Rotate | R | Rotate items in stash or bags |
While this does seem a lot, mastering these will make a world of a difference in Escape From Tarkov, saving you plenty of effort, and reducing the number of times you will be left with your pants down.
- If you're on the hunt for some Escape From Tarkov fuel, then make sure to check out our guide for all the locations and barters.
Escape From Tarkov Best New Key Binds

There are, however, a plethora of new Escape From Tarkov key binds that the community has discovered, which some would argue are impossible to play without. While you could very well reach the coveted Kappa container without using any of these, they make the Tarkov experience a whole lot more comfortable.
Name | Key bind | Action | Reason |
Unbind quick reload | Empty | No quick reload bind | Removing the quick reload bind actually makes for a faster reload speed, without having to drop your magazines |
Med binds | 'Slot 4' bound to 4 as 'Release', 'Slot 5' bound to 4 as 'Press' | Allows you to have two meds on one bind | Useful for pairing a heavy bleed med with a general med, so that you don't burn durability. Can also be used for a light and heavy bleed pairing too. |
Always hold breath | 'Hold Breath' bound to RMB as 'Release', 'Aim' bound to RMB as 'Press' | Aiming down sights also holds breath in the same motion | Means that your first shot can be extra precise in fast moments |
Quickly change magnification | 'Change scope magnification' bound to one of your side mouse buttons | Allows you to circumvent the multi-key bind with a single handy press | Good for quickly adapting to every situation ahead of you |
Toggle tactical device | 'Toggle tactical device' bound to the other mouse button | Quickly turn on and off your tactical device to suit the situation and check areas | Not only makes it easier and quicker to reach, but avoids fat-fingering the reload button in the worst moments |
Quickly check exits | Unbind 'Check time' and then set 'Check time and exits' to single instead of double | Shows time and exits on a single press | Very few reasons why you would want to just see the time, so cuts out the middle man |
Quick malfunction fix |
Bind 'Check chamber/fix malfunction' to L on press, then 'Inspect current weapon' L on release |
Allows you to fix any malfunction by pressing L twice | Avoids the panic of a malfunction by solving it with just two consecutive presses |
While not a specific key bind anymore, if you wondering why your Escape From Tarkov compass not working, then make sure to check out our guide for tips on how to use your compass again. Overall though, most of the best Escape From Tarkov key binds are all about saving you time and making your most used actions more reachable. As you can die in literally a moment's notice, having the means to react as quickly as possible at any point in time can really be the difference maker.
So, that's all of the best Escape From Tarkov key binds that you should go about learning and implementing into your gameplay. If you're wanting to further maximise your chances of survival, then you're definitely going to want to use one of the Escape From Tarkov best guns detailed in this guide.