Controls | Dark Souls 2 Wiki


Controls for Dark Souls II are the default button input bindings that allow players to perform specific actions and movesets. Each game or platform may have a different layout of actions and bindings that can be adjusted to each player's preference. Other players may have methods or recommendations to improve or optimize these bindings for a better gameplay experience by remapping their control layouts. All default controls for each available platform can be found on this page for reference when mapping out key bindings or button bindings. The controls page covers basic movement, attack actions, combat actions, equipment interactions and interactions with the environment of the game. 

 

Dark Souls 2 Controls Information

 

Playstation Controls
Xbox Controls
PC Controls

  

ps5 controls wiki guide 2 min

Movement & Basic Controls

left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Left Stick  Player Controls
right stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Right Stick Camera Controls
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Roll: Left Stick Forward/Back/Right/Left + Tap Circle
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Run: Left stick forward + hold Circle 
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Backstep: Tap Circle
dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px D-Pad Selected Items and Equipment 
up dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Up Cycle remembered spells
down dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Down Cycle equipped items
left dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Left Swap left hand weapon
right dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Right Swap right hand weapon
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + L3 Jump: Run forward + press L3 (PS3 has a setting in the Options menu where you can switch jumping to the circle button instead of the L3 button)
Hold circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px +left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px+ L3  Jump: Hold Circle + Left Stick + L3
Start Menu
Select Gestures

Actions & Interactions

triangle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px  Press to two-hand right hand weapon.
Hold triangle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Hold down to two-hand left hand weapon.
Hold down with weapons of the same category; It will change your stance to dual wielding.
(Only if you have 1.5x the strength/dexterity parameter requirement of each weapon)
x ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px  Action
square ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Use selected item
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px (Ladder) Fall off ladder: Tap Circle
(On Ladder)
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px		 Slide down ladder: Hold down on the left stick, and hold Circle
(On Ladder)
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px		 Fast climb Ladder: Hold up on the left stick, hold Circle
(On Ladder) 
circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px		 Fall off ladder: Tap Circle 

 

Combat

l1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25pxr1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Attack (L1 Attacks when weapon is equipped in off-hand)
l1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Guard (shield), Attack (weapon, catalyst). 
l2 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px  Parry (small shield), Bash (large shield), Parry (weapon)
l1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px or r1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px +  left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px(forward) Guard Break:  Forward + R1/L1
 l1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25pxr1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px 
(While falling)		 Takedown
 l1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25pxr1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px 
(Behind Foe)		 Backstab (must not be blocking) 
 circle ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + Double Tap  l1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25pxr1 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px  Dash Attack
l2 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25pxr2 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px  Heavy Attack
l2 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25pxr2 ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px +  left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px(Forward) Jumping Attack Forward + R2/L2
 R3 Target lock/release
Swap target by moving the Right Stick. Move it in the direction of the preferred target, from its current position.

 

  

xbox button map button wiki guide 600px

Movement & Basic Controls

left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Left Stick  Player Controls
right stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Right Stick Camera Controls
dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px D-Pad Selected Items and Equipment 
up dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Up Cycle remembered spells
down dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Down Cycle equipped items
left dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Left Swap left hand weapon
right dpad ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Right Swap right hand weapon
b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Backstep: Tap B
b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Forward Run: Left stick forward + hold B
b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px Any direction Roll: Left Stick Forward/Back/Right/Left + Tap B
Start Menu
Back Gestures

 

Actions & Interactions

y xbox controls button wiki guide 25px  Press to two-hand right hand weapon.
Hold y xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Hold down to two-hand left hand weapon.
Hold down with weapons of the same category; It will change your stance to dual wielding.
(Only if you have 1.5x the strength/dexterity parameter requirement of each weapon)
a xbox controls button wiki guide 25px  Action
x xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Use selected item
(On ladder)
hold b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px ↓		 Slide down ladder: Hold down on the left stick, and hold B
(On ladder)
hold b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px ↑		 Fast climb Ladder: Hold up on the left stick, hold B
(On ladder)
b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px		 Fall off ladder: Tap B

 

Combat

Forward +rb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px  Lunge Guard Break (Can be used with any weapon): Forward + RB
(While falling) 
rb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px		 Takedown
 (Behind Foe)
rb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px		 Backstab (Weapon must not be blocking when you press RB).
b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + rb xbox controls button wiki guide 25pxrb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Dash Attack
rt xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Heavy Attack
 Forward + rt xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Jumping Attack.
 R3 Target lock/release: Swap target by moving the Right Stick. Move it in the direction of the preferred target, from its current position.
lb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Guard (shield), Attack (weapon, catalyst).
lt xbox controls button wiki guide 25px Parry (small shield), Bash (large shield), Parry (weapon) 
rb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px After successful Parry: RB to riposte when enemy is on the ground.
Hold b xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + L3 Jump: Hold B + Left Stick + L3
 (On ladder)
Hold left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px + Holdb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px		 Slide down ladder: Hold down on the left stick, and hold down B
(On ladder) 
rb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + rt xbox controls button wiki guide 25px		 Upward attack: RB/RT
(On ladder)
 lb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + lt xbox controls button wiki guide 25px		 Downward attack:  LB/LT
(On ladder) 
Holdb xbox controls button wiki guide 25px + left stick ps3 controls button wiki guide 25px		 Climb faster: Hold B + Left stick

 

 

Basic Movement

  • W: Move Forward
  • S: Move Backwards
  • A: Move Left
  • D: Move Right
  • Space: Sprint
  • Z: Toggle walk/run
  • X: Toggle run/sprint
  • F: (While sprinting) Jump

Action

  • Shift+LMB: Interact
  • E: Use selected item
  • N: Equiv to "Y" can press or hold.
  • M: Toggle Block
  • Left Mouse Button: Attack with left-hand weapon.
  • Right Mouse Button: Attack with right-hand weapon.
  • O: Reset Camera/Target Lock/Release
  • ↑/←/↓/→: Selected Items and Equipment.
  • Up: Cycle remembered spells
  • Down: Cycle equipped items.
  • Left: Swap left hand weapon.
  • Right: Swap right hand weapon.

Camera Controls

  • J - Camera Control Left/ Right
  • L - Camera Control Left/ Right
  • I - Camera Control Up/ Down
  • K - Camera Control Up/ Down
  • O: Reset Camera/Target Lock/Release

 

Using a Controller on PC

If you are having a hard time getting your controller to work on Steam, you need to:

  • Go to Start menu/Control Panel/Device Manager
  • Open the Human Interface Device menu
  • Right click on any HID-compliant game controller and select Disable.
  • Re-start Dark Souls

 

 




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