Controls for Skyrim feature information on the buttons and input mechanics for the game's various actions. These controls cover character movement, basic combat moves, advanced combat tactics, basic use of the game's menu, different interactions with the environment, and more. On this page, you can find the default configurations for The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim on the following platforms: PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Skyrim Controls Guide
| Menu | PC |
| Left hand | M2 (right) |
| Right hand | M1 (left) |
| Sprint | ALT |
| Shout/Power | Z |
| Move | W, A, S, D |
| Look/Adjust Camera Angle | Mouse |
| Sneak / Crouch (toggle) | CTRL |
| Toggle Third/First Person | F |
| Toggle Walk/Run | Caps Lock |
| Wait | T |
| Journal | J |
| Activate | E |
| Character Menu (Skills, Magic, Inventory, Map ) | TAB |
| Ready / Sheath Weapon or Spell | R |
| Jump/Rear | SPACE |
| Pick Up | E (Held) |
| Favorites | Q |
| Quick Keys | 1 - 8 Keys |
| Menu | PS3 |
| Left hand | L1 |
| Right hand | R1 |
| Sprint | L2 |
| Shout/Power | R2 |
| Move | Left Analog Stick |
| Look/Adjust Camera Angle | Right Analog Stick |
| Sneak (toggle) | Left Analog Stick (Press) |
| Toggle Third/First Person | Right Analog Stick (Press) |
| Toggle Walk/Run | N/A |
| Wait | Select Button |
| Journal | Start Button |
| Activate | X Button |
| Character Menu (Skills, Magic, Inventory, Map ) | O Button |
| Ready | 口 Button |
| Jump/Rear | △ Button |
| Pick Up | X Button (Held) |
| Favorites | D-Pad U/D |
| Quick Keys | D-Pad L/R (Hold to assign) |
| Menu | XBOX360 |
| Left hand | LT |
| Right hand | RT |
| Sprint | LB |
| Shout/Power | RB |
| Move | Left Analog Stick |
| Look/Adjust Camera Angle | Right Analog Stick |
| Sneak / Crouch (toggle) | Left Analog Stick (Press) |
| Toggle Third/First Person | Right Analog Stick (Press) |
| Toggle Walk/Run | N/A |
| Wait | Back Button |
| Journal | Start Button |
| Activate | A Button |
| Character Menu (Skills, Magic, Inventory, Map ) | B Button |
| Ready / Sheath Weapon or Spell | X Button |
| Jump/Rear | Y Button |
| Pick Up | A Button (Held) |
| Favorites | D-Pad U/D |
| Quick Keys | D-Pad L/R (Under Favorites Menu, Hold to assign) |
Other key settings
For PC:
KEY Bindings not listed in PC Table, but taken from Skyrim Manual for Windows:
I key = Character Inventory
P key = Spell list
C key = Run Straight
M key = Map
/ key = Skills Menu
Quick Keys Xbox 360
- Add the spell or weapon to the favorites menu,
- Open the favorites menu (Using D-Pad U/D)
- Highlight the item to be used on a quick key
- Hold the D-Pad Left or D-Pad Right button until a number appears next to the item selected (1 and 2 for the respective buttons)
Spells
- Press P key for spells list
- Press the quick key a second time to dual-wield spells - spells will default to the left hand while weapons default to the right hand.
Melee weapons dual wielding
- Melee Weapons can't be dual-wielded using quick keys. Unless it's a stackable weapon, pressing the quick key a second time will only replace the previous weapon.
- Some enchanted weapons are stackable at first but if the charge levels become different they cease to be stackable and the quick keys can no longer be used for dual-wielding.
Bows
To remove an arrow from a loaded bow without shooting it, press the sheath/unsheath weapon button. Hold down the right hand button to ready an arrow; how far the arrow will go is determined by how far back the string is drawn, which itself is determined by how long the right hand button is held (up to some maximum which appears to be a few seconds holding - this may be dependent on Marksman level). The arrow will be shot in a trajectory similar to that of a thrown baseball. The arrow goes upwards a little bit for some distance, and then comes back down. The trajectory of the arrow depends on the weight of the bow.
For Xbox360 players that have Kinect, here is a link to the Kinect Voice Commands. Kinect
