Having a fast gaming keyboard won’t help you in Apex Legends if you are using the default settings. The default control scheme makes it physically impossible to execute the advanced movement tech required to survive in high-ranked lobbies.
The most important keybind change in Apex Legends is binding “Move Forward” as a secondary input to “Mouse Wheel Up.” This allows you to input the forward command dozens of times in a fraction of a second, which is the mechanical foundation required to execute a Tap Strafe.
If you want to break enemy tracking and move like a Predator, here are the exact optimized keybinds you need to change in the settings menu.
The Most Important Apex Legends Keybinds
1. The “Tap Strafe” Bind (Mandatory)
- Action: Move Forward
- Key 1:
W - Key 2 (Alternate):
Mouse Wheel Up - Why: Tap Strafing allows you to make impossible 180-degree turns mid-air without losing momentum. Human fingers cannot press the ‘W’ key fast enough to execute this. By binding “Move Forward” to your mouse scroll wheel, you can input the ‘W’ command 20 times in half a second simply by scrolling up.
2. The “Hold to Crouch” Bind
- Action: Crouch (Hold)
- Key:
Left CtrlorC - Why: You must use “Hold to Crouch” instead of “Toggle Crouch” for advanced movement. Slide-jumping and b-hopping require you to instantly release the crouch state. If you use Toggle, you will get stuck crouching and die.
3. The “Loot & Interact” Bind
- Action: Interact / Pickup
- Key 1:
E - Key 2 (Alternate):
Mouse Wheel Down - Why: When dropping into a contested building, whoever picks up the gun first wins. By binding Interact to Mouse Wheel Down, you can look at a pile of loot and vigorously scroll down to vacuum up the items faster than someone mashing the ‘E’ key.
4. Holster Weapon
- Default:
3 - Change to:
Mouse Button 4(Thumb button) orX - Why: In Apex, you run significantly faster with your weapon holstered. You should be holstering your weapon every time you slide-jump or reposition. Binding this to an easily accessible mouse button ensures you can stow your gun instantly without taking your fingers off WASD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tap Strafing cheating?
No. Tap Strafing is an inherent mechanic of the Source engine (which Apex Legends is built on) related to “lurching.” While Respawn Entertainment has debated removing it in the past, they have left it in the game, and it is widely used by every professional MnK player in the ALGS (Apex Legends Global Series).
Why can’t I Tap Strafe on a controller?
Tap Strafing relies on digital “lurch” inputs that are exclusive to keyboard movement (WASD). Because a controller thumbstick uses analog movement, the game engine does not register the rapid, overlapping digital inputs required to execute a Tap Strafe.
(If you feel like your movement is still sluggish after changing these binds, your hardware might be holding you back. Check out our guide to the [Best Keyboards for Apex Legends]).
