View source for Arrow keys

{{Short description|Set of keys on a typical computer keyboard}}
{{about|computer keyboard keys|the universal postal service key|Arrow lock}}

[[File:Arrow keys.jpg|thumb|300px|Arrow keys in an inverted T layout]]

'''Arrow keys''' or '''cursor movement keys''' are keys on a [[computer keyboard]] that are either programmed or designated to move the [[cursor (computers)|cursor]] in a specified direction.<ref>'Inside Macintosh', by Caroline Rose, Bradley Hacker, Apple Computer, Inc. Published 1985, Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. {{ISBN|0-201-05409-4}}. Original from the University of Michigan; Digitized Nov 16, 2007.</ref>

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.<ref>Visual editing on unix By B. Srinivasan, K. Ranai Published 1989 World Scientific Text editors (Computer programs) 182 pages {{ISBN|9971-5-0770-6}}</ref>

Arrow keys are typically located at the bottom of the keyboard to the left 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. 
The inverted-T layout was popularized by the [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] [[LK201]] keyboard from 1982.

==Historical development==
[[File:Mac512K wb.jpg|thumb|upright|The original Macintosh has no arrow keys]]

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 a person to move the [[pointer (computing WIMP)|pointer]] with the cursor keys in the [[Workbench (AmigaOS)|Workbench]] (operating system), 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.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}} It can be used instead of WASD keys, to play games using those keys.

The inverted-T layout was popularized by the [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] [[LK201]] keyboard from 1982.

Most [[Commodore Business Machines|Commodore]] 8-bit computers used two cursor keys instead of four, with directions selected using the shift key.

The original [[Macintosh]] had no arrow keys at the insistence of [[Steve Jobs]], who felt that people should use the mouse instead.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/apples-steve-jobs-hates-buttons/ | work=CBS News | title=Apple's Steve Jobs Hates Buttons}}</ref> They were deliberately excluded from the Macintosh launch design as a forcing device, acclimating users to the new [[Mouse (computing)|mouse]] input device and inducing software developers to conform to mouse-driven design rather than easily porting previous [[Computer terminal|terminal]]-based software to the new platform.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.landsnail.com/apple/local/design/macintosh.html | title=History of computer design: Macintosh | access-date=2013-01-21 }}</ref> 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 keys|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.

== Common uses ==
The arrow keys are used in many applications to do different things such as:
* Moving text cursor to the right, left, previous line and next line
* Moving player's character in [[Video game|video games]]
* [[Scrolling]] down and up in different documents and web pages
* Changing the current selected item in a list or selecting file icon near to the current selected file in a [[File Explorer|file explorer]]
* Moving selected object in a drawing software
* Moving forward and backward while playing [[multimedia]] files

==Alternative 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.

===5678 keys===
This cursor key layout was seen in [[Sinclair ZX80]], [[Sinclair ZX81|ZX81]], and [[ZX Spectrum]] home computer designs. These machines had 40-key alphanumeric keyboards with one or two shift keys for producing symbols or invoking secondary functions. Number keys from {{key press|5}} to {{key press|8}} doubled as cursor control keys when used together with a shift key, putting them in a broadly similar position to the [[VT100|Dec VT100]] but in the order of the [[ADM-3A]]. These were labelled with left-, down-, up-, and right-arrow symbols printed on or directly above them in a colour matching the relevant shift key ({{key press|CAPS SHIFT}} in particular from Spectrum onwards). The [[Jupiter Ace]] keyboard was similar but with up and down functions swapped.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://k1.spdns.de/Vintage/Sinclair/80/Jupiter%20Ace/ROMs/io.txt|title=Jupiter Ace - i/o Ports}}</ref>

In some software for these machines (eg. games), the unshifted {{key press|5}}, {{key press|6}}, {{key press|7}}, and {{key press|8}} keys were directly associated with direction control when they had no other purpose, as this meant less complicated keypress detection routines could be used. The corresponding character codes returned by ROM routines varied between machines, with Spectrum and Ace designs having the order of up and down keys on the keyboard reflecting which had the lesser and greater numeric value.

Although the [[Sinclair_QL|QL]]-style keyboard on later [[ZX_Spectrum#ZX_Spectrum+|Spectrum +]] and [[ZX_Spectrum#ZX_Spectrum+|+ 128K]] models introduced various dedicated keys including arrow keys either side of the space bar (left/right in a pair to its immediate left, and up/down to the immediate right) and removed related labels, either method produced the same signals and there was no difference between which of the alternatives was used as far as software was concerned.

=== WASD keys ===
[[File:ASUS ROG Strix G15 (G513QY-HQ012T)-top keyboard WASD PNr°0888.jpg|thumb|WASD keys on a [[Gaming Laptop|gaming laptop]]]]
WASD (,AOE on [[Dvorak Simplified Keyboard|Dvorak]] keyboards; ZQSD on [[AZERTY]] keyboards) is a set of four keys on a [[QWERTY]] or [[QWERTZ]] computer keyboard that mimic the inverted-T configuration of the arrow keys. These keys are most commonly used to control the [[player character]]'s movement in [[computer game]]s. {{Key press|W}}/{{Key press|S}} control forward and backward, while {{Key press|A}}/{{Key press|D}} control [[Strafing (video games)|strafing]] left and right.

The main reason for this arrangement is that the arrow keys are not ergonomic to use with a right-handed [[Computer mouse|mouse]]. During the early days of gaming, this was not a problem as the mouse was not used; the arrow keys controlled both movement {{key press|Up}}{{key press|Down}} as well as looking around {{key press|Left}}{{key press|Right}}, with strafing done using [[modifier key]]s (usually {{Key press|Alt}} + {{key press|Left}}{{key press|Right}}). However, the introduction of [[Free look|mouselook]], a system that let one use the mouse to look around both vertically and horizontally, enabled 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. Since the mouse was now used for looking, the {{key press|Left}} and {{key press|Right}} keys for looking would be redundant and thus were altered to become strafe keys.

The style was popularized in competitive play in ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' and subsequently ''[[QuakeWorld]]'', notably by professional player [[Dennis Fong]], where the advantages of WASD and mouselook were recognized over a purely keyboard-based control system.<ref name=" PC Gamer" >{{cite web | title=How WASD became the standard PC control system | first=Tyler | last=Wilde | url=http://www.pcgamer.com/how-wasd-became-the-standard-pc-control-scheme/ | work=PC Gamer | date=2016-06-25 }}</ref> In the same year that ''[[Castle Wolfenstein]]'' was released, 1981, the game ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'' used the AWD keys for movement in a first-person dungeon. Both the programmers of ''Castle Wolfenstein'' and ''Wizardry'' were users of the earlier [[PLATO (computer system)|PLATO system]] where the game ''[[Moria (PLATO)|Moria]]'' used the AWD keys.<ref name=" PC Gamer"/>

Another advantage of WASD is that it allows the user to use the left-hand thumb to press the {{key press|space}} bar (often the jump command) and the left-hand little finger to press the {{key press|Ctrl}} or {{key press|Shift}} keys (often the crouch and sprint commands), as opposed to the arrow keys which lack other keys in proximity to press. {{key press|Ctrl}} and {{key press|Shift}} were chosen partly because they are larger keys and thus easier to hit, but primarily because in older systems the computer could only recognize a couple of alphanumeric key presses, a limitation circumvented by the use of [[modifier key]]s. In later games, the usage of the {{key press|E}} key to interact with items or open up the [[inventory]] was also popularized due to its location next to the WASD keys, allowing players to reach it quickly.

''[[Telengard]]'' (1982) may be the first game to use WASD keys;<ref name="harbron20201029">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLGkqpPZ60c |title=Time Machine? Or VIC-20 24KB RAM 7 Cartridge Expander? |date=2020-10-29 |last=Harbron |first=Robin |via=YouTube |publisher=8-Bit Show and Tell}}</ref> ''[[Dark Castle]]'' (1986) may be the first to use WASD keys and mouse for control.<ref name="moss20180322">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-making-of-i-dark-castle-i-an-excerpt-from-the-secret-history-of-mac-gaming |title=The making of Dark Castle : An excerpt from The Secret History of Mac Gaming |last=Moss |first=Richard |date=2018-03-22 |website=Gamasutra |language=en |access-date=2018-03-25}}</ref> ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'' (1998) was one of the first mainstream games to use WASD by default.<ref name="PC Gamer"/> After being popularized by [[first-person shooter]]s, WASD became more common in other [[computer game genre]]s as well. Many of the games that have adopted this layout use a first-person or over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. Some games that use overhead camera views also use WASD to move the camera, such as some [[city-building game]]s and [[Business simulation game|economic simulation game]]s.

===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 finger]] ({{key press|Q}}, {{key press|A}}, {{key press|Z}}) which generally allows for more advanced manual [[keyboard shortcut|binding]]. Incidentally, it allows the left hand to remain in the [[home row]] with the advantage of the {{key press|F}} key home row marker (available on most standard keyboards) to easily return to position with the index finger. 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.

Perhaps the earliest game to use ESDF was ''[[Crossfire (1981 video game)|Crossfire]]'' (1981), which used the keys for firing in multiple directions.{{r|tommervik198201}} Dan "vise" Larsen from ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' Team Deathmatch clan "clan Kapitol" popularized ESDF as an alternative to "WASD", explaining that the player gains three additional keys to bind the ''Quake'' game's controls to. It 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.

Some players use RDFG or TFGH to give access to even more keys ({{key press|S}} and {{key press|X}} for the little finger).

===DCAS keys===
Another alternate to the WASD shooter movement style is DCAS (sometimes called ASDC). In this configuration, {{key press|D}} and {{key press|C}} control forward and backward motion, while {{key press|A}} and {{key press|S}} control side-stepping (strafing). Typically the {{key press|Alt}} key is utilized for crouching instead of the Ctrl key, as it is more easily reached when the hand is positioned for DCAS.

When Bungie's first-person shooter ''[[Marathon (video game)|Marathon]]'' was released in 1994, it featured up/down look control and the option to fully control turning and aiming by mouse (a feature later popularized by id's ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' as [[Freelook|mouselook/freelook]]). However, it did not include a set of default controls to handle this. With WASD not yet a well-known standard, some people devised their own control schemes to handle combined keyboard movement with mouse aiming; DCAS was one such control scheme.

Like WASD, DCAS allows the player to easily utilize the left modifier keys; this is advantageous because on most keyboards, the circuitry is better at tracking multiple key-presses simultaneously if some of them are modifier keys. But unlike WASD, the position of the left hand for DCAS gameplay is very similar to the left hand's position on the home row keys. This is very comfortable for right-handed players and seen as the primary advantage over using WASD, but it is ill-suited for left-handed mousing.

===IJKL keys===
Two early games that used IJKL were ''Crossfire''<ref name="tommervik198201">{{cite news | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1982&pub=6&id=3 | title=Crossfire | work=Softline | date=January 1982 | access-date=13 July 2014 | author=Tommervik, Art | pages=15}}</ref> (1981) and ''[[Lode Runner]]'' (1983).

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.

===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 II]], 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 [[Esc key]] entered a mode where pressing the {{key press|I}}, {{key press|J}}, {{key press|K}} or {{key press|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 II]] 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 {{key press|A}} and {{key press|Z}} to substitute for the missing up and down keys. The IJKM combination was also popular on these computers. Another fairly common variant on these machines was the combination of {{key press|RETURN}} and {{key press|/}} (slash) with the left and right arrows, as those four keys roughly form a diamond on the keyboard; while the right {{key press|SHIFT}} key would be in the more natural position for "down", pressing {{key press|SHIFT}} alone was not detectable by software on an unmodified Apple II or Apple II plus. All these keys fell somewhat out of favor after the release of the [[Apple IIe]], which had a full set of arrow keys.

===HJKL keys===
[[File:KB Terminal ADM3A.svg|thumb|450px|right|ADM-3A keyboard layout]]
HJKL is a layout used in the [[Unix]] computer world, a practice spawned by its use in the [[Vi (text editor)|vi]] text editor. The editor was written by [[Bill Joy]] for use on a [[Lear-Siegler]] [[ADM-3A]] terminal, which places arrow symbols on these letters, since it did not have dedicated arrow keys on the keyboard. These correspond to the functions of the corresponding control characters {{key press|Ctrl|H}}, {{key press|Ctrl|J}}, {{key press|Ctrl|K}}, and {{key press|Ctrl|L}} when sent to the terminal, moving the cursor left, down, up, and right, respectively.<ref>[http://vt100.net/manx/details/11,5618 Tenth Anniversary ADM 3A Dumb Terminal Video Display Terminal User's Reference Manual], p. 1-5 (13 of 54).</ref> (The {{key press|Ctrl|H}} and {{key press|Ctrl|J}} functions were standard, but the interpretations of {{key press|Ctrl|K}} and {{key press|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 (video game)|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".<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6594
| title = Gmail keyboard shortcuts
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.google.com/experimental/
| title = Google Experimental Search
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://lifehacker.com/130690/bloglines-keyboard-shortcuts
| title = Bloglines keyboard shortcuts
| date = 13 October 2005
}}</ref>

===SDF-SPACE and ASD-SPACE===
Another old-style variation that spawned from games like ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' was the SDF-SPACE layout. In this layout, {{key press|S}} = turn left, {{key press|D}} = forward, {{key press|F}} = turn right, space = backpedal, {{key press|E}} = strafe left and {{key press|R}} = strafe right. This layout allows the player to aim with the mouse while strafing (sidestepping), turning and running or backpedaling 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 {{key press|S}} and {{key press|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.

This variant adopted to newer games using mouse-look doesn't really need worry about the turn left and turn right keys. Instead {{key press|S}} = strafe left, {{key press|D}} = strafe right, {{key press|A}} = backpedal, and space or {{key press|F}} = forward. This is a more natural feel on the keyboard as your fingers rest on the [[Touch typing|home row]]. The comfort and usability points from ESDF apply here. Notice that jump is left out, that is because in games like Quake jump was usually MOUSE2. With more alternate fire and aim-down-sights oriented games today you may have to play with {{key press|F}}, SPACE, and MOUSE2 on what you want them to do.

A similar layout is ASD-SPACE. Commonly used in 2D-based [[fighting games]], ASD-SPACE maps {{key press|A}}, {{key press|S}}, and {{key press|D}} to "left", "down", and "right" movement, while the spacebar is used for "up" (jumping). This allows an easier access to "360 degree" motions than a normal inverted-T layout, as well as being more ergonomic than simply placing all directions in a single row (ex. ASDF). There is even a "stickless" [[arcade controller]] based around the concept, called the Hitbox.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hitboxarcade.com |title = Fighting Game Button Controllers and Joysticks {{!}} Hit Box – Hit Box Arcade}}</ref>

===WQSE keys===
Another, close, variation is the WQSE combination, which follows the belief that the index and ring fingers' natural and more ergonomic positions when the middle finger is on {{key press|W}} are {{key press|Q}} and {{key press|E}} rather than {{key press|A}} and {{key press|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.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}} 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 {{key press|A}} key moved up to {{key press|Q}}, or WQSE with the {{key press|E}} moved down to {{key press|D}}). For players who prefer to keep the keyboard centered on the body, this results in less wrist rotation, as it places the index finger naturally over the {{key press|D}} key when the left arm rests down to the left of the keyboard. Another variation is EWDF, which is the same shifted right one key, as in ESDF. 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 {{key press|Shift}} and SPACE keys.

===QAOP keys===
QAOP, sometimes called OPQA, dates back to the [[ZX Spectrum]]. The O/P keys were used for left/right movement, and the Q/A keys for up/down or forward/backwards movement. With SPACE being located at the bottom right of the original rubber-keyed Spectrum, the {{key press|M}} or sometimes {{key press|N}} key would be used for fire/action; on later models the SPACE bar would be used.

QAOP had its own variations, such as ZXKM or WELP. Many [[BBC Micro]] games used the keys '''ZX*?''' respectively for left, right, up, and down (with "*" being the key above and right of "?", where "@" is on [[QWERTY#United Kingdom|modern UK keyboards]]). In each case, one hand controls left/right, and the other hand controls up/down movement. A further variation is used when two players use the keyboard at the same time; for example, ''[[Gauntlet (1985 video game)|Gauntlet]]'' uses the combination 1QSD for Player 1, and 8IKL for Player 2.

===ESDX keys===
The ESDX keys (known as the "cursor movement diamond") were used in the [[WordStar]] word processor and related applications, in combination with the [[Control key]]. These keys were also used, and had [http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/keyboard/keyboard.html arrows printed on them] on the [[TI-99/4A]] computer.

''[[Car Wars (video game)|Car Wars]]'' is an example of a 99/4A game that uses ESDX keys.<ref name="derusha19820412">{{Cite magazine |last=De Rusha |first=Lawrence R. Jr. |date=1982-04-12 |title=Car Wars, a car-racing game for the TI-99/4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YjAEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA3&pg=PA28#v=onepage&q&f=true |access-date=2025-03-16 |magazine=InfoWorld |pages=28-29}}</ref>

===8426 keys===
The [[Model F keyboard]] that came with the original [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]] didn't have dedicated arrow keys, and instead used the 8426 keys with [[Num Lock]] turned off. Therefore this was the scheme used by the earliest [[MS-DOS|DOS]] games.

The numpad or number pad keys are used quite often, but are used mostly in [[driving simulator]] games. This is mainly because these games usually have quite a large number 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 left-handed players will find this a more comfortable position than the IJKL keys (see above), and the number pad has fewer keys around it, thus it is less likely the player will hit the wrong key by mistake.

===WAXD (including QEZC)===
[[File:PLATO IV Keyboard cursor keys subset.jpg|thumb|WAXD keycaps of PLATO IV]]
Another variation is WAXD, using either 4 or 8 keys surrounding the "s" key. Eight directional arrows were printed on the keysets of [[PLATO (computer system)|PLATO terminals]] developed in the 1960s and 1970s, and many games (including [[Empire (1973 video game)|Empire]], Dogfight, and more than a dozen dungeon games such as [[Avatar (1979 video game)|Avatar]]) utilize this layout. The TUTOR language display editor, character set (bitmap) editor, and line set editor also use these keys on that system and its successors. For ballistic targeting, key combinations (e.g. "we", "de", etc.) are used to get angles in multiples of 22.5 degrees. In many programs, the "s" key is often used to either "select" or "shoot", depending upon the application.

This layout also appears on the numeric keypads of some keyboards, using 8462 (including 7913).

===Less common variations===
Vaguely related is the '''ZXC''' layout, used in many freeware games, and a common setup for [[emulator|emulation]] and older 2D gaming using a keyboard.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

A few games from the 1980s, such as the [[Phantasie (series)|''Phantasie'' series]], use 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 assign 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 keyboard layout]], "WASD" is ",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 {{key press|Alt}} key and the little finger resting on {{key press|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 {{key press|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]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}

[[File:QWOP screenshot.jpg|thumb|''QWOP''{{'s}} title refers to the four keyboard keys used to move the muscles of the sprinter avatar]]

The game ''[[QWOP]]'' uses the control scheme "QWOP" to control the sprinter's arms and legs. the {{key press|Q}} and {{key press|W}} keys control the sprinter's thighs while the {{key press|O}} and {{key press|P}} keys control the sprinter's calves making an intentionally difficult control system as a result.

Layouts such as '''Shift Z Ctrl X''', where {{key press|Shift}} is up and {{key press|Ctrl}} is down, allow all direction keys to be used in any combination, without the delay of changing finger position. But the use of modifier keys can be problematic, as some games do not allow mapping of these keys.

Professional ''[[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive|Counter Strike: Global Offensive]]'' player Fashr is known to use somewhat unorthodox keybindings. Using the right mouse button to move forward, semicolon to move backwards, comma for strafing left and the full stop to strafe right.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fashr's 'different' CS: GO settings, crosshair and viewmodel settings |url=https://esports.gg/news/cs-go/fashrs-cs-go-settings-crosshair-and-viewmodel-settings/ |access-date=2023-01-07 |website=Esports.gg |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Arrow (symbol)]]
** [[← (disambiguation)|←]] [[↓ (disambiguation)|↓]] [[↑ (disambiguation)|↑]] [[→ (disambiguation)|→]]
* [[D-pad]]
* [[Pointing stick]]
* [[QWERTY]]
* [[Scroll Lock]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20240202031150/https://www.eldacur.com/~brons/NerdCorner/InverseT-History.html The Nerd Corner: Inverse-T History]

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[[Category:Computer keys]]