Best CS:GO Key Binds and How to Use Them
Once you reach a higher rank, you’ll realize that making use of CS:GO key binds can give you a slight advantage. This is a way of configuring your keyboard and mouse so that it is optimal for the way that you play the game. Changing the default key bindings to keys that make more sense for your play style. This might be as simple as swapping where the throw and jump keys are or as complex as changing every single key binding in the game. In this guide, we’ll cover how to use key binds and what the best ones out there for you to use are.
What are Binds for in CS:GO?
While playing CS:GO, the mouse and keyboard need to feel like they’re a natural extension of your hands. This means that the controls must be intuitive and easy to remember. If you have to think about where a key is or look away from the screen, your key bindings aren’t optimal for your play style.
Regardless of the hardware you have at your disposal. You won’t play at your best unless you’ve tweaked the key bindings to be right for you. Games like CS:GO have key binding options so that you have the power to create the best setup for you. Every player is different. Some may feel most comfortable with the default key bindings, while you may need all of the buttons crammed into one corner of the keyboard. That’s what binds are for.
How Do you Bind Keys in CS:GO?
- Launch the game and ensure that the Developer Console is enabled
- Jump into a match with bots
- Open the Developer Console and copy and paste the key binds into it
This is almost certainly the most important section of this guide on CS:GO key binds. We’ve brought together what is widely agreed upon as the best key binds for CS:GO out there. However, before you start changing things around, you need to know how to do that.
Setting key binds isn’t quite as easy as opening the game’s settings and changing them in a menu. First, you need to launch the game from Steam. Ensure that Developer Console is enabled when you open the game otherwise, you’ll need to quit and restart. Finally, launch a match with bots, open the Developer Console using the ‘~’ key, and copy and paste the key binds below.
Remember to press ‘Enter’ after entering each bind, otherwise they won’t register in the game.
Key Bindings
- bind f “use weapon_flashbang”
- bind z “use weapon_decoy”
- bind x “use weapon_hegrenade”
- bind c “use weapon_molotov”
- bind c “use weapon_incgrenade”
This combination of binds sees ‘F’ become the flashbang key, ‘Z’ become the Decoy key, ‘C’ the Molotov/Incendiary key, and ‘X’ the HE key. You can press the ‘ESC’ key to close the Developer Console once you’ve finished adding these.
The advantage here is that you can dodge the highly inefficient default controls for swapping through weapons. Normally you can either use the mouse wheel or the numbers across the top of your keyboard. To reach grenades, this means you have to reach over to the right-hand side of the keyboard though, away from all other important keys.
By using these key bindings, you’re giving each grenade a dedicated key. That will let you use each one without needing to check which number they’re under. You can also keep your hands close to all the other keys. This means that you won’t accidentally get shot because your hands were in the wrong place, away from the crouch or throw button.
The other advantage of using these key bindings is that your replacing buttons that rarely get used in matches. For example, ‘C’ is the Radio by default, and ‘F’ is normally the Inspect Weapon key.
An alternative to this example would be to assign each grenade to a mouse button if you have several at your disposal. This is how some professional players gain an edge in tournaments.
How Do you Get Rid of Key Binds in CS:GO?
You have two options when it comes to getting rid of key binds in CS:GO. The first is to go to the Settings menu and reset the Keyboard to default. This will change every key binding back to what they are by default. This is the method we would recommend since it’s very easy.
The second method of resetting key bindings is to type the following into the Developer Console.
unbind f
This will unbind the ‘F’ key. If you change ‘F’ for any key that you would like to unbind, it will also work. The only issue here is that the game won’t assign any other command back to that key. It won’t do anything. You could change the bind by typing the bind command in with a different key in mind. However, we’d recommend simply resetting the keyboard in the settings menu.
CS:GO Useful Binds
Here we have compiled a list of the most useful CS:GO key binds out there for you to use. Type any of them into the Developer Console and they’ll be yours.
Mouse Wheel Jump Bind
bind mwheelup +jump;bind mwheeldown +jump;bind space +jump
Causes you to jump whenever you use the mouse wheel. It’s used by most players to make bunnyhopping easier, a method of moving that’s much faster than sprinting.
Quickswitch Bind
bind q "use weapon_knife;slot1"
Switches from your equipped weapon to your knife and back again when pressed. This is commonly used to avoid being forced into a scope after firing, or swapping out of a pistol back to a knife to run away.
Grenade Binds
bind z "use weapon_flashbang";bind x "use weapon_smokegrenade";bind c "use weapon_hegrenade";bind v "use weapon_molotov;use weapon_incgrenade"
These are the binds that we’ve mentioned above about using grenades in the most optimal way.
Nade Lineup Crosshair Bind
bind 1 "slot1 ; cl_crosshairsize 3"; bind 2 "slot2 ; cl_crosshairsize 3"; bind 3 "slot3 ; cl_crosshairsize 3"; bind 4 "slot8 ; cl_crosshairsize 1000"
Makes your crosshair stretch out to all four corners of the screen.
Mute All Voice Bind
bindtoggle j voice_enable
Mutes everyone on your team, helping you avoid distraction or unnecessary chatter.
Drop Bomb Bind
bind b "use weapon_knife; use weapon_c4; drop; slot1"
Causes you to instantly drop the bomb, much better that swapping between it and a weapon.
Clear Decals Bind
bind m "r_cleardecals"
Removes all the decals from walls in the game, making it easier to see enemies hiding in front of them.
Switch Hands Bind
bind l "toggle cl_righthand 0 1"
Switches your gun’s position between your right and left hand. It’s used to prevent the gun from blocking visibility.
Noclip Bind
bind p "sv_cheats 1; noclip"
This bind lets you fly around the map without clipping into boundaries. It’s great for private servers where cheats are allowed, but not good for real matches with intense players.
Drawothermodels Bind
bind j "sv_cheats 1; toggle r_drawothermodels 1 2"
This is another cheat bind. It highlights players through walls, so you can always see them no matter where you are.
Remove Crosshair Bind
bind f2 "toggle crosshair 0 1"
This bind removes your crosshair. It’s perfect if you’re trying to take a good screenshot, or want to show off your skills in a video.
Jump Throw Bind
alias "+jumpthrow" "+jump;-attack"; alias "-jumpthrow" "-jump"; bind alt "+jumpthrow"
This bind is used to get a perfect arc for throwing your smoke. It makes you jump and throw at the exact moments when each is optimal for the best throw.
Net_graph Scoreboard Bind
alias +netg "net_graph 1;+showscores";alias -netg "net_graph 0;-showscores";bind TAB "+netg";
This is a bind that most players use. It highlights important information like your ping and FPS, which is essential knowledge for highly-skilled players. While it does add clutter to the screen, it’s good to have it up if you’re experiencing some lag and want to know why.
Increase Volume When Walking Bind
alias +incvol "incrementvar volume 0 2 0.5;+speed";alias -incvol "incrementvar volume 0 2 -0.5;-speed";bind SHIFT +incvol
Walking in CS:GO is often tense because you’re trying to be quiet whilst also listening out for others. This bind will raise the game’s volume while you’re walking so that you can listen out more keenly for any approaching enemies.
Zoom Radar Bind
bind o "incrementvar cl_radar_scale 0 1 0.25"
This key bind allows you to zoom the radar in four times before it resets to standard, and you can start again. It’s great for those who never know quite how much zoom they need on the radar but can’t use the initial zoom quality at all.
How do you Bind the Side Mouse Buttons in CS:GO?
CS:GO registers mouse buttons as follows.
- Mouse1 – left mouse button
- Mouse2 – right mouse button
- Mouse3 – clicking the mouse wheel
- Mouse4 – bottom side button
- Mouse5 – top side button
- mwheelup – scroll up on the mouse wheel
- mwheeldown – scroll down on the mouse wheel
Your mouse may have more buttons than this, in which case you should consult the user manual to find out what each button is referred to by your games.
Conlcusion
Using key binds in CS:GO isn’t just normal. It’s the most common way to play the game. Changing the game’s default controls so that they’re easier and more accessible for you is sensible and will give you an edge while playing that may just see you beat the enemy team in the last seconds. Use the key binds we’ve listed in this guide as a start, but change your keys all you want until you find what works best for you.
With all the wins you’ll be getting with these key binds, you might want to check out the best CS:GO skins as well, so that you look good while playing like a professional.