Another online match foiled because your WASD and arrow keys got swapped? We’ll teach you how to fix it, so please don’t throw out your keyboard!
PC gamers are more than familiar with the WASD keyboard layout. The WASD configuration will typically route a game’s directional commands (up, down, left, and right) to the W, A, S, and D keys on a QWERTY keyboard. This arrangement allows the right hand to focus on mouse movement, while the left does all the navigating.
Once in a blue moon though, your keyboard’s WASD and arrow keys can get swapped. Fortunately, the process of switching things back to normal is easy as can be. Let’s take a look at how to fix this little layout problem, as well as what causes the swap to happen in the first place.
However, sometimes the WASD and arrow keys can switch accidentally, or become permanently swapped on a keyboard. That’s not ideal, especially when it comes to normal typing projects — and it can be frustrating for gamers if they can’t switch to the directional option again, or if the keys suddenly switch in-game and need to be switched back. Let’s look at how to fix WASD keys that have suddenly become arrow keys, and why this swap happens.How to switch WASD and arrow keys back
Step 1: If you can, unplug your keyboard and plug it back in again, preferably into a different port. This is a quick fix that usually resets any alternative arrow key modes and will get the WASD keys functioning as they normally would.
Step 2: Look for the Fn key on your keyboard. Not all keyboards have one, but most do, and it’s typically located in the lower-left portion of the keyboard.
