Why we use WASD instead of arrow keys?

[Hanasato_Yuka]

I mean, why is WASD not other keys

[Your_White_Knight]

Messaggio originale di Huydeeptry:

Why we use WASD instead of arrow keys?

I mean, why is WASD not other keys

Because ( mostly ) people are right handed... and the mouse is already used by the right hand...

If the arrow keys were used the keyboard would have to be slid far left in order for both hands not to be next to each other.

It's just more comfortable to keep the keyboard in front of you and have one's arms at their sides to use the W,A,S,D keys...

[WhiteKnight77]

Messaggio originale di Pierce Dalton:

A long time ago some PC games used the arrow keys by default, instead of WASD.

And it was difficult to play said games due to such a key configuration.

[Vince ✟]

I return and refund games when they don't support keybinds but rather force wasd on me.

[MoonC A T]

I refund when no inverted mouse. Game is unplayable.

[Adam Beckett]

... wow, you guys.

Four pages of discussion and nobody mentioned, what made WASD popular to replace the arrow keys.

It was HALF-LIFE!

Remember?

All you other 'old guys'? Nobody was using WASD before. Around the time, Quake 2, Unreal, Blood, Shogo, SiN!

It was Half-Life that had WASD as the default setup.

[EDIT]
I just had to googlebing to confirm that I am not telling stupid things. Here's a PCGamer article explaining the history of WASD:

https://www.pcgamer.com/how-wasd-became-the-standard-pc-control-scheme/

[Ulfrinn]

Both are fairly uncomfortable and unergonomic. Especially WASD which your fingers don't even properly line up on without having to rotate the keyboard, which many people do. People force themselves to use an uncomfortable, imperfect solution because that's all that is available for games that also use the mouse. It's too bad gaming keypads weren't more popular.

[ARGH!!]

ESDF is better when you get more access to keys or using IJKL so you can get more space to use your mouse.

[Kamiyama]

The original Doom used the arrow keys by default.

As time went on and FPS started to use the mouse, they moved to WASD for movement because most people are right-handed and the mouse is on the right side of the keyboard. If you use the mouse with the arrow keys like this it cramps your left hand. It's more ergonomic to use WASD instead.

[Phirestar]

“Video games were better back in the day.”

Video games back then: use the arrow keys to move.

[🍋 Lemonfed 🍋]

Messaggio originale di Adam Beckett:

... wow, you guys.

Four pages of discussion and nobody mentioned, what made WASD popular to replace the arrow keys.

It was HALF-LIFE!

Remember?

All you other 'old guys'? Nobody was using WASD before. Around the time, Quake 2, Unreal, Blood, Shogo, SiN!

It was Half-Life that had WASD as the default setup.

[EDIT]
I just had to googlebing to confirm that I am not telling stupid things. Here's a PCGamer article explaining the history of WASD:

https://www.pcgamer.com/how-wasd-became-the-standard-pc-control-scheme/

from your own article

''It took some experimentation—including a strange attempt to move with WADX—but Fong settled on WASD and has been using it since Doom. Did he invent the scheme? No, probably not. Others were also gravitating to the left side of the keyboard for Doom at the same time.''

so a few pro players where indeed the first peoples to use wasd before even if it's only became the standart default since half life.

[Incarnate]

One guy in 1997.

https://www.pcgamer.com/how-wasd-became-the-standard-pc-control-scheme/

[🍋 Lemonfed 🍋]

I don't think it's would have become the default setting in half life if pro quake players din't used it before.

[L1qu1dator]

Probably cause there are no other buttons close to the arrow keys, for some unknown reason...

[Tsubame ⭐]

Likely because most directional controls in gaming is done using the left hand.

That being said, I can use either with no issues.

[L1qu1dator]

Messaggio originale di ᠌ ⁧⁧Tsubame ⭐:

Likely because most directional controls in gaming is done using the left hand.

That being said, I can use either with no issues.

What stops you from using arrrows with left hand?