Death Stranding 2: How to Set Up PC Controls & DualSense Support

Table of Contents (18)

Why Your Control Setup Matters in Death Stranding 2 (PC)

After my first few hours with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on PC, I realized something fast: if your controls aren’t dialed in, the game feels way more clumsy than it needs to. Between balancing huge stacks of cargo, threading narrow mountain paths, swapping tools, and handling vehicles, you use almost every button on your keyboard or controller.

I bounced between keyboard-and-mouse and a DualSense before I found a setup that felt natural. The breakthrough came when I stopped just “living with” the defaults and actually used all the PC customization options and Steam Input properly.

This guide walks you through:

• All the main default PC controls (keyboard/mouse and controller)
• How to remap keyboard keys in-game
• How to rebind controller buttons using Steam Input
• How to get full DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers on PC
• Pro-level tweaks (hold durations, sensitivity, deadzones) that made the game feel way more responsive

Default Keyboard & Mouse Controls on PC

I started the game on keyboard and mouse because the precision camera control is great for lining up tricky climbs and shots. Here’s how the main default layout is structured, based on my PC build.

Movement & Traversal

• Move Forward: W
• Move Backwards: S
• Move Left: A
• Move Right: D
• Crouch / Stand: C
• Walk (modifier): Ctrl
• Sprint: Shift
• Jump / Climb: Space
• Center Balance (Left): Left Mouse Button
• Center Balance (Right): Right Mouse Button
• Hold Breath: Alt

Those balance buttons matter more than you’d think. Don’t make my early mistake of ignoring them and faceplanting any time my cargo stack got tall. Get used to “feathering” left/right mouse while traversing slopes.

Interaction, Cargo & Tools

• Carry on Back: E
• Perform Action / Interact: F
• Activate Terminal: F
• Use / Dismount Vehicle: F
• Open Cargo Management: I
• Pause / Open Ring Terminal: Tab

Death Stranding 2 throws tons of prompts at you in camps and hubs. Having F as the “do stuff” key right under your fingers is great, but if you keep hitting it by accident while trying to move, consider rebinding it (I’ll cover how later).

Weapons, Structures & Combat

• Ready Tool / Aim: Right Mouse Button
• Place Structure / Fire Weapon: Left Mouse Button
• Adjust Structure (Up / Length / Curve): Mouse Wheel Up
• Adjust Structure (Down / Length / Curve): Mouse Wheel Down
• Switch Structure: R
• Weapon Attachment (Activate / Deactivate): G
• Change Firing Mode: B
• Weapon Light On / Off: Z
• Reload Weapon: R
• Melee Attack: V
• Turn Odradek Light On / Off: 3
• Change Zoom Factor (aimed): Alt

What finally made combat and building feel smooth for me was moving Melee Attack off V to something closer like Mouse Button 4 on my side button, but I played with the defaults for a few hours first so my muscle memory for the rest of the layout was solid.

Camera, Navigation & Menus

• Switch Camera Left / Right: T
• Compass Mode: X
• Communication: Y
• Weapons / Tools Quick Menu: 1
• Signs: 2
• Fieldwear: 3
• Cargo Options: 4
• Photo Mode: F8

Don’t sleep on Compass Mode (X). I wasted a bunch of time zig-zagging the terrain until I built the habit of popping compass mode before committing to a route.

Vehicle Controls (Keyboard)

• Brake / Reverse: S
• Steer Left: A
• Steer Right: D
• Speed Boost: Shift
• Emergency Battery Charge: B
• Compass Mode (Vehicle): X

Vehicle bindings on keyboard are pretty straightforward, but there are still a few context actions the game doesn’t surface well in the menus. When something feels “unbound,” it’s usually mapped to your usual interact key F or a radial menu rather than a new key.

Default Controller Layouts (Xbox & DualSense)

Once I switched to a controller, traversal felt more natural-especially balancing with the triggers. Death Stranding 2 uses the same basic layout for Xbox-style and PlayStation controllers; only the button glyphs change.

On-Foot Controls (Controller)

• Move: Left Stick
• Camera: Right Stick
• Sprint: L3
• Switch Camera Left / Right: R3
• Jump / Climb: A (Xbox) / X (PlayStation)
• Crouch / Stand: RB / R1
• Hold Breath: Hold RB / R1
• Balance (Left): LT / L2
• Balance (Right): RT / R2
• Scan / Odradek: LB / L1
• Compass Mode: Hold LB / L1
• Perform Action / Interact: X / Square
• Pick Up / Carry Cargo: Y / Triangle
• Melee Attack: B / Circle
• Ready Tool / Aim: LT / L2
• Fire / Use Equipment: RT / R2
• Reload Weapon: X / Square
• Change Firing Mode: D-Pad Right
• Weapons / Tools: D-Pad Right
• Fieldwear: D-Pad Left
• Cargo Options: D-Pad Up
• Signs: D-Pad Down
• Send Likes: View (Xbox) / Touchpad (Tap)
• Communication: Hold View / Touchpad (Hold)
• Open Cargo Management: Menu / Options
• Pause / Ring Terminal: Menu / Options
• Photo Mode: View / Touchpad (Right Side)

Vehicle Controls (Controller)

• Use / Dismount Vehicle: X / Square
• Accelerate: RT / R2
• Brake / Reverse: LT / L2
• Steer: Left Stick
• Boost: L3
• Vehicle Jump: A / X
• Drift: B / Circle
• Scanner / Compass (Vehicle): LB or hold LB / L1

There are a few context-sensitive actions that don’t show up in the basic layout, especially with some of the new tools and vehicles. When in doubt, try the interact button (X/Square) near an object or check the in-game control hints on the bottom of the screen.

How to Rebind Keyboard & Mouse Controls In-Game

The PC version lets you fully remap keyboard and mouse without any external tools. I recommend playing a couple of hours on the default layout first, then fixing the few keys that bother you.

How to Rebind Keyboard & Mouse Controls In-Game

The PC version lets you fully remap keyboard and mouse without any external tools. I recommend playing a couple of hours on the default layout first, then fixing the few keys that bother you.

• From the main menu or in-game, open Settings (or the options menu).
• Go to the Controls / Keyboard & Mouse section.
• Look for a Key Bindings or Remap Controls submenu.
• Select the action you want to change (e.g. Melee Attack).
• Press the new key or mouse button you want to assign.
• Confirm, and repeat for any other actions.
• Apply / Save changes before backing out.

What finally worked for me was moving all “frequent” actions (melee, scan, weapon swap) to keys I could hit without taking my fingers off WASD. Less urgent stuff like Photo Mode stayed on the edge keys.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Double-binding by accident: If you remap something important onto a key that already does something else, check both actions and make sure you’re not creating conflicts.
• Putting too much on modifiers: It’s tempting to stack actions on Ctrl or Alt, but you’re already using them for walk/zoom/hold breath. Keep core actions simple.

How to Rebind Controller Buttons with Steam Input

On PC, Death Stranding 2 doesn’t offer deep native controller remapping, so if you want to change button layouts you need to go through Steam Input (if you’re playing on Steam).

• In your Steam Library, right-click Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
• Choose Properties…, then go to the Controller tab.
• Under Override for Death Stranding 2, select Enable Steam Input.
• Launch the game once so Steam picks up the default layout.
• Back in Steam, click the controller icon on the game’s page to open the Controller Layout screen.
• From here you can click on any button and remap it to a different input or even to keyboard keys.
• Save your layout as a custom profile.

I used this to move “scan” and “compass mode” off the shoulder bumper to a face button on a custom layout, since I’m constantly pulsing the scanner while moving.

If something feels off after enabling Steam Input (like double inputs or wrong glyphs), try setting the Override to Use default settings, restart Steam, and then re-enable Steam Input cleanly.

Setting Up DualSense with Full Haptics on PC

Plugging in a DualSense was a game-changer for me. The adaptive triggers make cargo weight and vehicle acceleration feel surprisingly physical, and the haptics sell the terrain under your boots.

• Connect your DualSense to PC with a USB-C cable (wired is required for full in-game haptics and adaptive triggers).
• On Steam, open Settings → Controller → General Controller Settings and enable PlayStation Configuration Support.
• Make sure Steam detects your controller as a PlayStation 5 Controller.
• In the game’s Settings → Controls, set button prompts to PlayStation (or whichever glyph style you prefer; the prompts are cosmetic).
• In the same menu, look for a Haptics or Controller Feedback section and ensure vibration and trigger effects are enabled.

Once it’s set up correctly, you’ll feel:

• Subtle resistance on the triggers based on cargo weight and balance.
• Different rumble patterns for rain, BT encounters, and rough terrain.
• Heavier trigger pull on certain weapons and vehicles.

If you aren’t feeling anything beyond a basic rumble, double-check you’re on a wired connection and that Steam isn’t forcing a generic XInput layout (which can strip out the advanced effects).

Pro Tweaks: Hold Durations, Sensitivity & Deadzones

Out of the box, the controls are fine, but a few small tweaks made them feel much snappier on my setup.

• Minimum Button Hold Duration: In the Controls or Accessibility section, there’s a setting for how long you need to hold a button for “hold” actions. I dropped this to around 3-4 (from the default) so interactions and radial menus popped faster without accidental triggers.
• Camera Sensitivity: I nudged horizontal/vertical look sensitivity up slightly for controllers to avoid constant full-stick deflection, but left mouse sensitivity fairly low for precise aiming.
• Aim Deadzone: If your sticks are in good shape, try lowering stick deadzones toward 0 for aiming and camera to make micro-adjustments smoother. If you notice drift, bump this back up until the camera stays still when you let go.
• Toggle vs Hold: Check for options to toggle sprint/crouch/zoom instead of holding them. I personally keep crouch on toggle (less finger fatigue), but sprint on hold to avoid accidentally sprinting off cliffs.

These small changes don’t look dramatic in a menu, but when you’re juggling gear in combat or threading a narrow ridge in a storm, they really add up.

Common Pitfalls & Quick Fixes

• Problem: Button prompts don’t match your controller (showing Xbox when you’re on DualSense).
  Fix: In-game, change the Button Prompt Type to PlayStation; in Steam, ensure PlayStation configuration support is on.
• Problem: No haptics / adaptive triggers on DualSense.
  Fix: Use a wired USB connection; disable any third-party gamepad tools; make sure Steam isn’t forcing a generic layout.
• Problem: Inputs feel delayed or sluggish on controller.
  Fix: Lower Minimum Button Hold Duration; check for added input smoothing or acceleration in the options; reduce deadzones slightly.
• Problem: You keep mis-hitting interaction or melee on keyboard.
  Fix: Move those actions closer to WASD or onto mouse side buttons. I put melee on Mouse 4 and scan on Q so I never leave the movement cluster.

Wrapping Up: Dial It In, Then Forget It

Once I spent 20-30 minutes really tuning my controls-rebinding a few keys, enabling Steam Input properly, and setting up my DualSense-the game went from “a bit clunky” to feeling like everything was an extension of muscle memory. That’s exactly what you want in a game where a single wrong step can send your entire delivery tumbling down a ravine.

Use this guide as your baseline: start on the defaults, change the few bindings that bother you, get DualSense (or your preferred controller) configured, then fine-tune sensitivity and hold durations. Once you push through that setup phase, the rest of Death Stranding 2’s systems—combat, traversal, vehicles, and Photo Mode—become much easier to enjoy.