Controls in Dark Souls 3 are mostly the same as previous Souls games, with a few slight changed due to the Weapon Arts. The Controls for Dark Souls 3 as seen in the Network Test are seen below:
Movement and Camera Control
Left stick Move character
Right stick Move camera
R3 button Lock on/camera reset
Open Menus
Touch pad button
(Left) Open Gesture Menu
(Right) Open Start Menu
OPTIONS button
Open Start Menu
Right-hand Actions
Right-Hand Actions
R1 button Attack with right-hand weapon
R2 button Strong attack with right-hand
Left-hand Actions
L1 button Guard (when shield equipped)
Use magic (when sorcerer's staff or talisman equipped)
L2 button Use battle skill
Shortcuts
Up Change magic
Down Change items
Right Change right-hand weapon
Left Change left-hand weapon
Actions
○ button Event action
△ button Switch between dual-hand/single-hand
□ button Use item
☓ button Backstep/dash/roll
Using Battle Skills
① Set the weapon equipped in your right hand to dual-hand mode.
② In dual-hand mode, press the L2 button to unleash the battle skill for your right-hand weapon.
Battle skills consume your magic/battle skill gauge.
If you've equipped the Kite Shield or Round Shield in your left hand, you can launch your right-hand weapon's battle skill with the L2 button without switching to dual-hand mode.
The above controls are for the Network Stress Test version and may change in the retail game.
If you are having a hard time getting your controller to work on Steam, you need to:
Go to Start menu/Control Panel/Device Manager
Open the Human Interface Device menu
Right click on any HID-compliant game controller and select Disable.
Re-start Dark Souls
Controls
Click to enlarge!
Above is the control layout for Dark Souls 3, as it was presented in Gamescom. The official screen showed an Xbox One/PC controller, so this custom piece is a PS4 approximation for the fans. We do not know if "Pause menu" actually means you could pause as this was disabled, it may simply be options. See the Wiki Article on Gestures and Weapon Arts for more information on those mechanics.
Please note that all control schemes are subject to change by the developer before release, and there may be specific control setup customization via in-game options.
Also for Asian users, Circle and X buttons are generally inverted.
- L2 is “Arts/Parry.” You have two stances with your shield, offensive and defensive. Selecting offensive will cause you to use a battle art, rather than parry. From the loading screen:
- Arts are unique to a weapon held in right hand or both hands. equip a kite round shield or wield two handed to perform arts. Some arts can be followed up with a special attack
- Parries are exclusive to small shields in left hand. Follow up with RB for riposte critical
Keyboard + Mouse Controls
WASD | Move |
Left Click | Normal Attack |
Right Click | Block |
Shift + Left Click | Strong Attack |
W + Shift + Left Mouse Button (Need to be pressed simultaneously) | Jump Attack |
W + Left Mouse Button (Need to be pressed simultaneously) | Kick (a.k.a. Guard Break) |
Q | Camera reset / Target lock |
E | Interact / Pickup |
R | Use Item |
F | Two-hand right weapon |
Hold F | Two-hand left weapon |
Press and Hold (W, A, S, D, W+A, W+D, S+A or S+D) + Space | Dodge |
Press and Hold one of the directions and then Hold Space | Run |
Press and Hold one of the directions + Hold Space + Press Space again | Jump |
Left Ctrl | Parry / Weapon Art |
Left Shift + Right Mouse Button | Weapon Art |
Left Alt | Walk |
Left Ctrl + Right Mouse Button + Left Mouse Button | Bow Weapon Art with Zoom |
Left Shift + Right Mouse Button + Left Mouse Button | Bow Weapon Art without Zoom |
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
10 Jul 2020 13:06
Thank You! i had so much trouble with the controls as a PC player, and a noob to the DS series starting on 3
- Anonymous
20 Apr 2020 03:06
This is actually pretty damn useful when considering how there is a lack of help in the game for a keyboard user...
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
05 Apr 2020 09:58
My camera Just look left and right but i cant look down and up whit PC controller, i open the settings and i cange the y look on but nothing sorry i dont speak english Just a lite bit
- Anonymous
04 Apr 2020 16:47
Alternatively, if you're like me and use keyboard but not mouse for the Dark Souls series, you can use weapon arts by: 1) Two-handing the weapon (right hand) 2) Tapping your LEFT-HAND WEAPON STRONG ATTACK KEY 3) Profit.
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
02 Nov 2019 01:04
How to make this game show PC buttons instead of xbox's?(e.g Press Space to roll instead of Press B to roll)
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
10 Sep 2019 10:10
Cannot use W to walk. Have to press Left Shift. Already remap control setting several times. Not working.
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
04 Feb 2019 15:54
For anyone wondering how to two-hand your off-hand weapon, just hold F or whatever you two-hand button is for couple seconds.
- Anonymous
28 Jul 2018 00:26
What's the name of the attack you perform when pressing simultaneously Spacebar + LMB? (For right hand weapon)
16 Jan 2021 03:55
How do you switch menus on keyboard? Specifically I mean when you see people go directly from one armor slot to another without going out then back in.
btw, you can press c to get rid of all the stuff on the right, you can press r to remove stuff quickly, and press f to change which info is being showed. Lastly if you press esc instead of q in any menu you will fully escape rather than just go back.
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