Arrow keys
Encyclopedia
Cursor movement keys or arrow keys are buttons on a computer keyboard
that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor
in a specified direction.
The term "cursor movement key" is distinct from "arrow key" in that the former term may refer to any of various keys on a computer keyboard designated for cursor movement, whereas "arrow keys" generally refers to one of four specific keys, typically marked with arrows.
Arrow keys typically located at the bottom of the keyboard to the side of the numeric keypad
, usually arranged in an inverted-T layout but also found in diamond shapes and linear shapes. Arrow keys are commonly used for navigating around documents and for playing games. Before the computer mouse was widespread, arrow keys were the primary way of moving a cursor on screen. Mouse keys
is a feature that allows controlling a mouse cursor with arrow keys instead. A feature echoed in the Amiga whereby holding the Amiga key would allow you to move the mouse pointer with the arrow keys in the workbench(OS), but most games require a mouse or joystick. The use of arrow keys in games has come back into fashion from the late 1980s and early 1990s when joysticks were a must, and were usually used in preference to arrow keys with some games not supporting any keys. It can be used instead of WSAD keys, to play games using that keys.
The inverted-T layout was popularized by the Digital Equipment Corporation
LK201
keyboard from 1982.
Some Commodore 8-bit computers used two keys instead of four, with directions selected using the shift key.
The original Apple Macintosh had no arrow keys at the insistence of CEO Steve Jobs
, who felt that people should use the mouse instead. They were deliberately excluded from the Macintosh launch design as a forcing device, acclimating users to the new mouse
input device and inducing software developers to conform to mouse-driven design rather than easily porting previous terminal
-based software to the new platform. Arrow keys were included in later Apple keyboards. Early models with arrow keys but no middle section (Home, End, etc.) placed them in one line below the right-hand Shift key
in an HJKL-like fashion; later versions had a standard inverted-T layout, either in the middle block or as half-height keys at the bottom right of the main keyboard.
WASD ' onMouseout='HidePop("43760")' href="/topics/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard">Dvorak
keyboards; ZQSD on AZERTY
keyboards) is a set of four keys on a QWERTY
or QWERTZ
computer keyboard
which mimics the inverted-T configuration of the arrow keys. These keys are often used to control the player character
's movement in computer games. W/S control forward and backward, while A/D control strafing
left and right. Typically, modifier key
s are not used to strafe (as performed using the Alt
+ arrow keys in older games such as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D
).
Primarily, WASD is used to account for the fact that the arrow keys are not ergonomic to use in conjunction with a right-handed mouse. This also allows the user to use the left hand thumb to press the space bar (often the jump command) and the left hand little finger to press the CTRL or SHIFT keys (often the crouch and/or sprint commands).
As opposed to the default keyboard-only controls of Doom or Duke Nukem 3D, WASD is usually used in combination with a mouse. The greatest advantage of using a mouse and keyboard combination over a keyboard-only configuration is the ability to use the mouse to look around both vertically and horizontally, referred to as mouselook
. Mouselook enables the player to perform techniques such as smooth circle strafing, which, although possible with the keyboard, was difficult to perform and resulted in jagged movement.
The scheme wasn't popularized until competitive play in Quake and subsequently QuakeWorld
made clear its advantages over the older arrow key configurations. In the same year that Castle Wolfenstein was released, 1981, the game Wizardry
used the AWD keys for movement in a 3D dungeon. Both the programmers of Castle Wolfenstein and Wizardry were users of the earlier PLATO system where the game Moria
used the AWD keys.
Some gamers prefer the WASD keys to the arrow keys for other various reasons, including the fact that more keys (and therefore, game commands) are easily accessible with the left hand when placed near WASD. Left-handed mouse users may prefer using the numpad or IJKL with their right hands instead for similar reasons.
After being popularized by first-person shooter
s, WASD became more common in other computer game genres as well. Many of the games that have adopted this layout use a first-person or over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. However, some games that use overhead camera views also use WASD to move the camera, such as some city-building game
s and economic simulation games.
(Z, A, SHIFT) which generally allows for more advanced manual binding
. Incidentally, it allows the left hand to remain in homerow with the advantage of the F key homerow marker (available on most standard keyboards) to easily return to position with the index finger. "ESDF" is the default configuration for several games such as Tribes 2
. The game Blackthorne
used a combination of arrow keys for movement and ESDF for actions. Moreover, these keys are compatible with both QWERTY
and AZERTY
keyboard layouts, which is a major plus if the game is also released in France or Belgium.
.
IJKL is used by a growing number of browser game
s. These games cannot use the arrow keys because many browsers' windows will scroll if the arrow keys are used, thus hindering gameplay. This is a problem specific to DHTML/JavaScript
games. IJKL, like WASD, are arranged in an ergonomic inverted T shape, and, since they are used by the right hand, adjustment is easy for people who commonly use the arrow keys.
Also, in many games that also use the WASD keys, the IJKL keys are sometimes used as a secondary player control for games that have multiplayer.
Devil May Cry 4
by Capcom
utilizes IJKL as the player's action keys (such as Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, Special Attack etc) as an alternative to mouse-driven actions.
platform, special support existed in ROM for Escape mode. At the Applesoft BASIC
prompt, using the right and left arrow keys to move the cursor would add/remove characters the cursor passed over to/from the input buffer. Pressing the Escape key entered a mode where pressing the I, J, K or M keys would move the cursor without altering the input buffer. After exiting this mode by pressing Escape again, normal behavior would resume. This made it easy to edit lines of BASIC code by listing them, then re-inputting them with edits interspersed.
and Apple II Plus
originally had left and right arrow keys but no up and down arrow keys. Many programs written for these computers used A and Z to substitute for the missing up and down keys. The IJKM combination was also popular on these computers. These keys fell somewhat out of favor after the release of the Apple II
, which had a full set of arrow keys.
computer world, a practice spawned by its use in the vi
text editor. The editor was written by Bill Joy
for use on an Lear-Siegler ADM-3A
terminal, which places arrow symbols on these letters since, like the original Mac shown above, it did not have dedicated arrow keys on the keyboard. These correspond to the functions of the corresponding control characters Ctrl-H, Ctrl-J, Ctrl-K, and Ctrl-L when sent to the terminal, moving the cursor left, down, up, and right, respectively. (The Ctrl-H and Ctrl-J functions were standard, but the interpretations of Ctrl-K and Ctrl-L were unique to the ADM-3A.) This key arrangement is often referred to as "vi keys". HJKL keys are still ubiquitous in newly developed Unix software even though today's keyboards have arrow keys. They have the advantage of letting touch-typists move the cursor without taking their fingers off of the home row. Examples of games that use HJKL are the text-based "graphic" adventures like NetHack
, the Rogue
series, and Linley's Dungeon Crawl
. It is also used by some players of the Dance Dance Revolution
clone StepMania
, where HJKL corresponds directly to the order of the arrows. gmail
, Google labs
' keyboard shortcuts and other websites use J and K for "next" and "previous".
QAOP had its own variations, as ZXKM or WELP. In any case one hand controls left-right and the other hand controls up-down.
word processor and related applications, in combination with the Control key
.
simulator games. This is mainly because these games usually have quite a large amount of keys needed to control the vehicle properly and the number pad will have plenty of keys for that particular use. Another reason this is commonly used is because right-handed players will find this a more comfortable position than the IJKL keys (see above), and the number pad has less keys around it, thus it is less likely the player will hit the wrong key by mistake.
Another variation is WAXD, used by people who are used to the arrows on the numeric keypad (which has the down arrow a line below the left/right arrows, instead of in between).
Vaguely related is the ZXC layout, used in many freeware games, and a common setup for emulation
and older 2D gaming using a keyboard. An OPAQ layout was also common for full-keyboard games.
A few games from the 1980s, such as the Phantasie
series, used the "3WES" layout, which forms a diamond on QWERTY
keyboards. In this layout, three of the four keys happen to correspond to the compass directions "West", "East" and "South". These games usually assigned both "N" and "3" to "North".
AZERTY
users will use the "ZQSD" combination instead of "WASD", since those are the keys in place of WASD on a QWERTY
keyboard. Depending on the configuration, "QAOP" may either still work or be vertically inverted. On the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard
, "WASD" would be ",AOE".
Left-handed
players may use the numeric keypad
instead.
A somewhat uncommon variant is YGHJ which while requiring the keyboard to be turned slightly clockwise, can result in the thumb resting comfortably upon the right Alt key and the little finger resting on C. This can be useful in games that utilize both jump and sprint functions as it allows the fingers to rest on smaller keys than Shift and Space. The YGHJ configuration also places the hand closer to the center of the QWERTY section of the keyboard, potentially opening up the entire board to custom keybindings.
Computer keyboard
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor
Cursor (computers)
In computing, a cursor is an indicator used to show the position on a computer monitor or other display device that will respond to input from a text input or pointing device. The flashing text cursor may be referred to as a caret in some cases...
in a specified direction.
The term "cursor movement key" is distinct from "arrow key" in that the former term may refer to any of various keys on a computer keyboard designated for cursor movement, whereas "arrow keys" generally refers to one of four specific keys, typically marked with arrows.
Numeric keypad
A numeric keypad, numpad or tenkey for short, is the small, palm-sized, seventeen key section of a computer keyboard, usually on the very far right. The numeric keypad features digits 0 to 9, addition , subtraction , multiplication and division symbols, a decimal point and Num Lock and Enter keys...
, usually arranged in an inverted-T layout but also found in diamond shapes and linear shapes. Arrow keys are commonly used for navigating around documents and for playing games. Before the computer mouse was widespread, arrow keys were the primary way of moving a cursor on screen. Mouse keys
Mouse keys
Mouse keys is a feature of some graphical user interfaces that uses the keyboard as a pointing device...
is a feature that allows controlling a mouse cursor with arrow keys instead. A feature echoed in the Amiga whereby holding the Amiga key would allow you to move the mouse pointer with the arrow keys in the workbench(OS), but most games require a mouse or joystick. The use of arrow keys in games has come back into fashion from the late 1980s and early 1990s when joysticks were a must, and were usually used in preference to arrow keys with some games not supporting any keys. It can be used instead of WSAD keys, to play games using that keys.
The inverted-T layout was popularized by the Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
LK201
LK201
The LK201 was a detachable computer keyboard introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation of Maynard, Massachusetts in 1982. It was first used by Digital's VT220 ANSI/ASCII terminal and was subsequently used by the Rainbow-100, DECmate-II, and Pro-350 microcomputers and many of Digital's computer...
keyboard from 1982.
Some Commodore 8-bit computers used two keys instead of four, with directions selected using the shift key.
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
, who felt that people should use the mouse instead. They were deliberately excluded from the Macintosh launch design as a forcing device, acclimating users to the new mouse
Mouse (computing)
In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons...
input device and inducing software developers to conform to mouse-driven design rather than easily porting previous terminal
Computer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
-based software to the new platform. Arrow keys were included in later Apple keyboards. Early models with arrow keys but no middle section (Home, End, etc.) placed them in one line below the right-hand Shift key
Shift key
The shift key is a modifier key on a keyboard, used to type capital letters and other alternate "upper" characters. There are typically two shift keys, on the left and right sides of the row below the home row...
in an HJKL-like fashion; later versions had a standard inverted-T layout, either in the middle block or as half-height keys at the bottom right of the main keyboard.
Other cursor movement keys
Although the "arrow keys" provide one convention for cursor movement on computers, there are also other conventions for cursor movement that use entirely different keys.WASD keys
Dvorak Simplified Keyboard
The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard is a keyboard layout patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak and his brother-in-law, Dr. William Dealey. Over the years several slight variations were designed by the team led by Dvorak or by ANSI...
keyboards; ZQSD on AZERTY
AZERTY
AZERTY is a specific layout for the characters of the Latin alphabet on typewriter keys and computer keyboards. The layout takes its name from the first six letters to appear on the first row of alphabetical keys...
keyboards) is a set of four keys on a QWERTY
QWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
or QWERTZ
QWERTZ
thumb|175px|A computer QWERTZ keyboardThe QWERTZ or QWERTZU keyboard is a widely used computer and typewriter keyboard layout that is mostly used in Central Europe...
computer keyboard
Computer keyboard
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
which mimics the inverted-T configuration of the arrow keys. These keys are often used to control the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
's movement in computer games. W/S control forward and backward, while A/D control strafing
Strafing (gaming)
In video games, strafing is the technique of moving the player's character from side to side, rather than forward and backward. In the context of first-person shooters, it refers to the movement alone, even when no weapon is being fired...
left and right. Typically, modifier key
Modifier key
In computing, a modifier key is a special key on a computer keyboard that modifies the normal action of another key when the two are pressed in combination....
s are not used to strafe (as performed using the Alt
Alt key
The Alt key on a computer keyboard is used to change the function of other pressed keys. Thus, the Alt key is a modifier key, used in a similar fashion to the Shift key. For example, simply pressing "A" will type the letter a, but if you hold down either Alt key while pressing A, the computer...
+ arrow keys in older games such as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
).
Primarily, WASD is used to account for the fact that the arrow keys are not ergonomic to use in conjunction with a right-handed mouse. This also allows the user to use the left hand thumb to press the space bar (often the jump command) and the left hand little finger to press the CTRL or SHIFT keys (often the crouch and/or sprint commands).
As opposed to the default keyboard-only controls of Doom or Duke Nukem 3D, WASD is usually used in combination with a mouse. The greatest advantage of using a mouse and keyboard combination over a keyboard-only configuration is the ability to use the mouse to look around both vertically and horizontally, referred to as mouselook
Free look
Free look describes the ability to move the mouse to rotate the player character's view in video games. It is almost always used for 3D game engines, and has been included on role-playing games, real-time strategy games, third-person shooters, first-person shooters, racing games, and flight...
. Mouselook enables the player to perform techniques such as smooth circle strafing, which, although possible with the keyboard, was difficult to perform and resulted in jagged movement.
The scheme wasn't popularized until competitive play in Quake and subsequently QuakeWorld
QuakeWorld
QuakeWorld is an update to id Software's seminal multiplayer deathmatch game, Quake, that enhances the game's multiplayer features to allow people with dial-up modems to achieve greatly improved responsiveness when playing on Internet game servers...
made clear its advantages over the older arrow key configurations. In the same year that Castle Wolfenstein was released, 1981, the game Wizardry
Wizardry
Wizardry is a series of computer role-playing games, developed by Sir-Tech, which were highly influential in the development of modern console and computer role playing games. The original Wizardry was a significant influence to early console RPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. ...
used the AWD keys for movement in a 3D dungeon. Both the programmers of Castle Wolfenstein and Wizardry were users of the earlier PLATO system where the game Moria
Moria (PLATO)
Moria is a dungeon crawl style computer role-playing game first developed for the PLATO system around 1975, with copyright dates listed as 1978 and 1984...
used the AWD keys.
Some gamers prefer the WASD keys to the arrow keys for other various reasons, including the fact that more keys (and therefore, game commands) are easily accessible with the left hand when placed near WASD. Left-handed mouse users may prefer using the numpad or IJKL with their right hands instead for similar reasons.
After being popularized by first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s, WASD became more common in other computer game genres as well. Many of the games that have adopted this layout use a first-person or over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. However, some games that use overhead camera views also use WASD to move the camera, such as some city-building game
City-building game
City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
s and economic simulation games.
ESDF keys
The ESDF variation is an alternative to WASD and is sometimes preferred because it provides access to movement independent keys for the little fingerLittle finger
The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English , or small finger in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.-Muscles:There are four muscles that...
(Z, A, SHIFT) which generally allows for more advanced manual binding
Keyboard shortcut
In computing, a keyboard shortcut is a finite set of one or more keys that invoke a software or operating system operation when triggered by the user. A meaning of term "keyboard shortcut" can vary depending on software manufacturer...
. Incidentally, it allows the left hand to remain in homerow with the advantage of the F key homerow marker (available on most standard keyboards) to easily return to position with the index finger. "ESDF" is the default configuration for several games such as Tribes 2
Tribes 2
-Legacy:On November 20, 2002, Sierra released an update for Tribes 2. This update contained two new game types, new maps and updates to address several issues. Sierra, which is now part of Vivendi SU, licensed the franchise to Irrational Games for a third installment; Tribes: Vengeance was...
. The game Blackthorne
Blackthorne
Blackthorne is a computer and video game, a cinematic platformer, that was developed by Blizzard Entertainment....
used a combination of arrow keys for movement and ESDF for actions. Moreover, these keys are compatible with both QWERTY
QWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
and AZERTY
AZERTY
AZERTY is a specific layout for the characters of the Latin alphabet on typewriter keys and computer keyboards. The layout takes its name from the first six letters to appear on the first row of alphabetical keys...
keyboard layouts, which is a major plus if the game is also released in France or Belgium.
IJKL keys
One of the earliest games to use IJKL was the 1983 8-bit classic game, Lode RunnerLode Runner
Lode Runner is a 1983 platform game, first published by Brøderbund. It is one of the first games to include a level editor, a feature that allows players to create their own levels for the game. This feature bolstered the game's popularity, as magazines such as Computer Gaming World held contests...
.
IJKL is used by a growing number of browser game
Browser game
A browser game is a computer game that is played over the Internet using a web browser. Browser games can be created and run using standard web technologies or browser plug-ins. Browser games include all video game genres and can be single-player or multiplayer...
s. These games cannot use the arrow keys because many browsers' windows will scroll if the arrow keys are used, thus hindering gameplay. This is a problem specific to DHTML/JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
games. IJKL, like WASD, are arranged in an ergonomic inverted T shape, and, since they are used by the right hand, adjustment is easy for people who commonly use the arrow keys.
Also, in many games that also use the WASD keys, the IJKL keys are sometimes used as a secondary player control for games that have multiplayer.
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4 is an action game that was published and developed by Capcom in 2008 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows platforms. The game is the fourth installment to the Devil May Cry series....
by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
utilizes IJKL as the player's action keys (such as Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, Special Attack etc) as an alternative to mouse-driven actions.
IJKM keys
Some older computer games, especially those on 8-bit platforms, often had the combination IJKM used as the standard control key combination, which was more logically arranged, if far less ergonomic than an inverted-T. In addition, on the Apple IIApple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
platform, special support existed in ROM for Escape mode. At the Applesoft BASIC
Applesoft BASIC
Applesoft BASIC was a dialect of Microsoft BASIC supplied with the Apple II series of computers. It superseded Integer BASIC and was the BASIC in ROM in all Apple II series computers after the original Apple II model. It was also referred to as FP because of the command used to invoke it instead...
prompt, using the right and left arrow keys to move the cursor would add/remove characters the cursor passed over to/from the input buffer. Pressing the Escape key entered a mode where pressing the I, J, K or M keys would move the cursor without altering the input buffer. After exiting this mode by pressing Escape again, normal behavior would resume. This made it easy to edit lines of BASIC code by listing them, then re-inputting them with edits interspersed.
AZ keys
The Apple IIApple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
and Apple II Plus
Apple II Plus
The Apple II Plus was the second model of the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer, Inc. It was sold new from June 1979 to December 1982.-Features:...
originally had left and right arrow keys but no up and down arrow keys. Many programs written for these computers used A and Z to substitute for the missing up and down keys. The IJKM combination was also popular on these computers. These keys fell somewhat out of favor after the release of the Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, which had a full set of arrow keys.
HJKL keys
HJKL is a layout used in the UnixUnix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
computer world, a practice spawned by its use in the vi
Vi
vi is a screen-oriented text editor originally created for the Unix operating system. The portable subset of the behavior of vi and programs based on it, and the ex editor language supported within these programs, is described by the Single Unix Specification and POSIX.The original code for vi...
text editor. The editor was written by Bill Joy
Bill Joy
William Nelson Joy , commonly known as Bill Joy, is an American computer scientist. Joy co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982 along with Vinod Khosla, Scott McNealy and Andy Bechtolsheim, and served as chief scientist at the company until 2003...
for use on an Lear-Siegler ADM-3A
ADM-3A
The ADM-3A was one of the first computer terminals manufactured by Lear Siegler, first produced in 1975. It had a 12 inch screen displaying 12 or 24 lines of 80 characters.- Details :Originally priced at $1195, a DIY kit later sold for $995...
terminal, which places arrow symbols on these letters since, like the original Mac shown above, it did not have dedicated arrow keys on the keyboard. These correspond to the functions of the corresponding control characters Ctrl-H, Ctrl-J, Ctrl-K, and Ctrl-L when sent to the terminal, moving the cursor left, down, up, and right, respectively. (The Ctrl-H and Ctrl-J functions were standard, but the interpretations of Ctrl-K and Ctrl-L were unique to the ADM-3A.) This key arrangement is often referred to as "vi keys". HJKL keys are still ubiquitous in newly developed Unix software even though today's keyboards have arrow keys. They have the advantage of letting touch-typists move the cursor without taking their fingers off of the home row. Examples of games that use HJKL are the text-based "graphic" adventures like NetHack
NetHack
NetHack is a single-player roguelike video game originally released in 1987. It is a descendant of an earlier game called Hack , which is a descendant of Rogue...
, the Rogue
Rogue (computer game)
Rogue is a dungeon crawling video game first developed by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman around 1980. It was a favorite on college Unix systems in the early to mid-1980s, in part due to the procedural generation of game content. Rogue popularized dungeon crawling as a video game trope, leading...
series, and Linley's Dungeon Crawl
Linley's Dungeon Crawl
Linley's Dungeon Crawl is a roguelike computer game originally programmed by Linley Henzell in 1995, and first released to the general public on October 1, 1997. Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, a branch of Dungeon Crawl currently in development, is one of the most popular roguelikes being played today...
. It is also used by some players of the Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
clone StepMania
StepMania
StepMania is an open source and cross-platform rhythm video game and engine. It was originally developed as a simulator of Konami's arcade game series Dance Dance Revolution, and has since evolved into an extensible rhythm game engine capable of supporting a wide variety of rhythm-based game types...
, where HJKL corresponds directly to the order of the arrows. gmail
Gmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
, Google labs
Google Labs
Google Labs was a page created by Google to demonstrate and test new Google projects. Google calls Google Labs,Google also uses an invitation-only phase for trusted testers to test projects including Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Wave and many of these have their own "labs" webpages for...
' keyboard shortcuts and other websites use J and K for "next" and "previous".
SDF-SPACE layout
Another old-style variation that spawned from games like Quake, was the SDF-SPACE layout. In this layout, s=turn left, d=forward, f=turn right, space=backpedal, e=strafe left and r=strafe right. This layout allows for a player to aim with the mouse while strafing(sidestepping), turning and running or backpedalling all at once creating slightly more complex movements. This variation is not favoured any longer for two main reasons. First, because many players deem the turn commands useless because the mouse can act as a turning device, and so they assign "S" and "F" to the sidestep commands and leave the turn commands unassigned. The second, and probably more prominent reason is, in assigning both the turn and strafe commands, performing movements and dodges can be much more confusing, so newcomers tend to not prefer this key setup. Though no longer widely used, many FPS veterans and tournament players still employ this key setup.WQSE keys
Another, close, variation is the WQSE combination, which follows the belief that the index and ring fingers' natural and more ergonomic position when the middle finger is on 'W' is Q and E rather than A and D, respectively. This can be attested to by the fact that the arrow keys were partly designed in the inverted T shape in order to avoid having the side buttons possibly directly underneath other keys. It also has the advantage that there is less distance needed to travel to reach the number keys. For similar reasons, some gamers use the WQSD combination (which is WASD with the 'A' key moved up to 'Q', or WQSE with the 'E' moved down to 'D'). For players who prefer to keep the keyboard centered on the body, this allows for less wrist rotation, as it places the index finger naturally over the 'D' key when the left arm rests down to the left of the keyboard. SAZD is a slight variation on WQSE and WQSD, in that it is both ergonomic and rotated, but gives the fingers closer proximity to the SHIFT and SPACE keys.QAOP keys
This layout dates back to Sinclair Spectrum games: the original Spectrum did not have any cursor keys, and the Spectrum+ had the up and down cursor keys next to one another, side by side. The 'O'-'P' keys are used for left-right movement, and the 'Q'-'A' keys are used for up-down or forward-backwards movement. With SPACE being a key in the bottom right of the orgional rubber keyed Spectrum the M or sometimes N key would be used for fire/action; on later models The SPACE bar would be used.QAOP had its own variations, as ZXKM or WELP. In any case one hand controls left-right and the other hand controls up-down.
ESDX keys
The ESDX keys (known as the "cursor movement diamond") were used in the WordStarWordStar
WordStar is a word processor application, published by MicroPro International, originally written for the CP/M operating system but later ported to DOS, that enjoyed a dominant market share during the early to mid-1980s. Although Seymour I...
word processor and related applications, in combination with the Control key
Control key
In computing, a Control key is a modifier key which, when pressed in conjunction with another key, will perform a special operation ; similar to the Shift key, the Control key rarely performs any function when pressed by itself...
.
NUMPAD keys
The NUMPAD or number pad keys are used quite often, but is used mostly in drivingDriving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
simulator games. This is mainly because these games usually have quite a large amount of keys needed to control the vehicle properly and the number pad will have plenty of keys for that particular use. Another reason this is commonly used is because right-handed players will find this a more comfortable position than the IJKL keys (see above), and the number pad has less keys around it, thus it is less likely the player will hit the wrong key by mistake.
Less common variations
Some gamers shift further across to RDFG, to give the little finger access to more keys.Another variation is WAXD, used by people who are used to the arrows on the numeric keypad (which has the down arrow a line below the left/right arrows, instead of in between).
Vaguely related is the ZXC layout, used in many freeware games, and a common setup for emulation
Emulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
and older 2D gaming using a keyboard. An OPAQ layout was also common for full-keyboard games.
A few games from the 1980s, such as the Phantasie
Phantasie
Phantasie is a fantasy computer role-playing game series designed by Winston Douglas Wood and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1985. It was developed for a variety of systems, including the Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64 and DOS.With the popularity of the Ultima...
series, used the "3WES" layout, which forms a diamond on QWERTY
QWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
keyboards. In this layout, three of the four keys happen to correspond to the compass directions "West", "East" and "South". These games usually assigned both "N" and "3" to "North".
AZERTY
AZERTY
AZERTY is a specific layout for the characters of the Latin alphabet on typewriter keys and computer keyboards. The layout takes its name from the first six letters to appear on the first row of alphabetical keys...
users will use the "ZQSD" combination instead of "WASD", since those are the keys in place of WASD on a QWERTY
QWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
keyboard. Depending on the configuration, "QAOP" may either still work or be vertically inverted. On the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard
Dvorak Simplified Keyboard
The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard is a keyboard layout patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak and his brother-in-law, Dr. William Dealey. Over the years several slight variations were designed by the team led by Dvorak or by ANSI...
, "WASD" would be ",AOE".
Left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
players may use the numeric keypad
Numeric keypad
A numeric keypad, numpad or tenkey for short, is the small, palm-sized, seventeen key section of a computer keyboard, usually on the very far right. The numeric keypad features digits 0 to 9, addition , subtraction , multiplication and division symbols, a decimal point and Num Lock and Enter keys...
instead.
A somewhat uncommon variant is YGHJ which while requiring the keyboard to be turned slightly clockwise, can result in the thumb resting comfortably upon the right Alt key and the little finger resting on C. This can be useful in games that utilize both jump and sprint functions as it allows the fingers to rest on smaller keys than Shift and Space. The YGHJ configuration also places the hand closer to the center of the QWERTY section of the keyboard, potentially opening up the entire board to custom keybindings.