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Half-Life 2 Keyboard & Controller Controls
Shooter games →Default keyboard and mouse controls for Half-Life 2 on PC, built on Valve's Source engine. Covers movement, combat, weapon selection, the gravity gun, and quicksave/load so you can jump back into City 17.
Half-Life 2 controls poster
A generative poster unique to Half-Life 2 — styled by its genre and signature colour. Pure design, zero spoilers. Free to download for your battlestation.
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Framed-quality 300 DPI, no watermark — $2.99 (PC / keyboard edition). Drop your email and we'll send the checkout link.
🎮 Controller / gamepad poster — coming soon.
All Half-Life 2 controls
29 default keybinds across 5 categories. Most can be reassigned in Half-Life 2's control settings. Switch to Gamepad to see Xbox and PlayStation buttons side by side.
+ 2 more controls in the table below
+ 2 more controls in the table below
Weapons 10
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Weapon Slot 1 | 1 |
| Weapon Slot 2 | 2 |
| Weapon Slot 3 | 3 |
| Weapon Slot 4 | 4 |
| Next Weapon | SCROLL |
| Previous Weapon | SCROLL |
| Weapon Slot 5 | 5 |
| Weapon Slot 6 | 6 |
| Last Weapon Used | Q |
| Gravity Gun Quick-Swap | G |
Movement 8
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Move Forward | W |
| Move Back | S |
| Strafe Left | A |
| Strafe Right | D |
| Jump | Space |
| Duck / Crouch | Ctrl |
| Sprint (hold) | Shift |
| Walk (hold) | Alt |
Combat 4
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Primary Attack / Fire | LMB |
| Secondary Attack | RMB |
| Reload | R |
| Suit Zoom | Z |
Misc 4
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Quick Save | F6 |
| Quick Load | F9 |
| Pause | Esc |
| Screenshot | F5 |
Interaction 3
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Use / Interact | E |
| Flashlight | F |
| Squad Command | C |
Sourced from magicgameworld.com , strategywiki.org , developer.valvesoftware.com Last verified
Weapons 4
| Action | Xbox PlayStation Steam Deck Switch |
|---|---|
| Weapon Slot 1 | D-Pad ↑ |
| Weapon Slot 2 | D-Pad → |
| Weapon Slot 3 | D-Pad ↓ |
| Weapon Slot 4 | D-Pad ← |
Movement 4
| Action | Xbox PlayStation Steam Deck Switch |
|---|---|
| Move Forward | L-Stick |
| Jump | A✕AB |
| Duck / Crouch | RSR3R3RS |
| Sprint (hold) | LBL1L1L |
Combat 4
| Action | Xbox PlayStation Steam Deck Switch |
|---|---|
| Primary Attack / Fire | RTR2R2ZR |
| Secondary Attack | LTL2L2ZL |
| Reload | B●BA |
| Suit Zoom | RBR1R1R |
Misc 1
| Action | Xbox PlayStation Steam Deck Switch |
|---|---|
| Pause | MenuOptionsMenu+ |
Interaction 2
| Action | Xbox PlayStation Steam Deck Switch |
|---|---|
| Use / Interact | X■XY |
| Flashlight | Y▲YX |
Sourced from magicgameworld.com , strategywiki.org , developer.valvesoftware.com Last verified
Unofficial reference. ShortcutPosters is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Half-Life 2. All product names, logos, and trademarks are property of their respective owners. See our licensing & trademark notice.
Half-Life 2 controls — FAQ
- What are the default controls for Half-Life 2?
- Half-Life 2, a shooter game, uses 29 default keybinds across 5 categories — on keyboard and controller. The complete, up-to-date list is free to read on this page.
- Can you remap Half-Life 2 controls?
- Yes. These are the game's default bindings — nearly all of them can be reassigned from Half-Life 2's in-game control or key-binding settings.
- Does Half-Life 2 support a controller?
- Yes — Half-Life 2 has full gamepad support. The Xbox, PlayStation and Steam Deck button maps are shown on this page alongside the keyboard controls.
- Which platforms do these Half-Life 2 controls cover?
- These keyboard controls apply on Windows and Mac and Linux. Most bindings are identical across platforms unless noted.
- Is this an official Half-Life 2 resource?
- No. This is an unofficial reference and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Half-Life 2 or its publisher. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
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