Support options tailored for left-handed users
Support options tailored for left-handed users
Hey everyone, I’m trying to figure out something I’ve never seen much about—left-handed game controls. As someone who uses their left hand for gaming, I know it’s important to have the mouse in that spot. Most gamers seem to use the mouse in their right hand, but why would anyone choose a left-handed setup? The main issue is that WASD and arrow keys don’t work well with a left setup; you can’t easily access the space bar, controls, or alt functions. It feels awkward, especially with the WASD layout.
If you’re looking to improve your gameplay, I’ve tried rebinding keys. Here’s what I’ve set up:
- Forward/Backward: Left/Right
- Crouch: Left/Prone
- Combat Fire: Right Mouse Button (note: aim is swapped)
- Aim: Left Mouse + LMB
- Lethal: Middle Mouse or J/K buttons
- Reload: I or Wheel Up
- Fire Mode: I or Wheel Down
- Sprint/Hold: Wheel Down
- Breath: Left Shift
- Spot/Assist: Alt
- Equipment: Any key near P (and ‘)
- Ability/Action Buttons: O, 8, 9, 0 (global/interactive)
I also added some extra buttons like Scroll, Chat, and a few free keys for convenience. If you didn’t catch any of these, just look at the small symbols next to each key.
One more thing—MAV controls in BF3 don’t seem adjustable. But there’s a program called BF3 Settings Editor from Realmware that might help. It’s worth trying if you want better control.
Hope this helps, even though it takes some time to get used to!
I really hope I could use a mouse with my left hand, because I believe it would make me more precise in games that way. Since I’m left-handed but have been using computers since I was 4 or 5 in the early 90s, I’ve never seen any setup for left-handed users. Did you know there are keyboards designed for left-handed people where the number pad is on the left side?
I've noticed that left-handed keyboards aren't widely available. I usually stick with WASD because changing all the shortcuts felt too much effort. Most of the time I pick a key that already has another assignment, and when games complain about unused ones—like missing team chat or w/e—I just switch back to the default. I don’t want to keep binding keys forever. I’m trying to play, so I mostly use ijkl and reconfigure everything almost exactly like WASD, swapping letters like Q and E to U and O, etc. Just because I used WASD makes it hard for me. For CTRL and ALT, I switch to N and M since they’re easier to reach. I’ve also always treated the mouse as right-handed in my left hand, so LMB stays consistent. It’s frustrating because left-handed people often end up with mice that work well for both hands, while righties can pick from many better options. I’m currently using a SteelSeries Sensei, but I’d love to see a good left-handed mouse designed specifically for that.
You're using a compact mechanical keyboard with missing home and arrow keys, featuring a single-numpad layout that makes positioning easier. It's challenging to locate options for left-handed users.
Hey mate, I used a Razer Taipan, all of the Razer ambidextrous mice are great. they do a lefty death adder too i use PL;' instead of IJKL because you can reach shift and alt easier
I wish I could try it out, but I’m playing CS:GO and need to secure my flashbangs, molotovs, grenades, smoke grenades, etc. I don’t think there’s a place to store them safely.
I operate with a left-handed style, controlling the mouse in my left hand and adjusting key remaps to the right side of the keyboard. I assign IJKL for movement and generally mirror most standard key functions—U stands in for E, O for Q, Y for R, comma for Z, etc. This setup offers an edge because the right side holds more accessible keys near my starting point, like brackets, backslash, forward slash, backspace, hyphen, and equals. Even the Ins, Home, and other keys on the right are handy for specific tasks when I run low on options. This arrangement feels more intuitive than navigating across character controls, as long as I don’t need to look away from the screen. I often link actions to the Home or Delete key, arrows, or the numpad, allowing me to sense their locations instantly. Of course, this isn’t always essential thanks to the surrounding keys on the right. Like a right-handed player, I can still assign remaps to the left side if needed. I usually can reach my index finger easily for T, G, and B. The only drawback is when certain games restrict remapping or limit choices, though most developers provide full customization. I’ve relied on AutoHotKey to set up shortcuts, but it rarely goes beyond that—except for Stick of Truth (which was a decent choice) and No Man’s Sky, where I gave up for other reasons. Macros remain a viable alternative in any case. There’s a supportive community offering helpful scripts and ready-made examples for your favorite games.
P.S. Even right-handed gamers could benefit from using ESDF instead of WASD, though it’s unclear why that became the norm—it doesn’t align with the natural left hand position. There are groups promoting ESDF, such as use-esdf.org.