Diff - controls and keybindings - Starsand Island Wiki

11 Overview

33 Starsand Island supports keyboard and mouse as well as controller input. All keybindings are remappable through the in-game settings menu, though some limitations exist during Early Access (see Remapping below). Controller users get additional options for rumble intensity, per-axis camera sensitivity, gyroscope controls, and auto-aim. There is no dedicated dodge or roll mechanic; players avoid attacks by strafing and circling enemies.

55 Keyboard and Mouse

77 Movement

99 KeyActionW / A / S / DMove forward / left / backward / rightLeft ShiftSprint (hold to run faster)Left CtrlToggle walk/run speedSpaceJump

1010 Menus and Interface

1111

1212 KeyActionEscBack / open settings menuTabOpen phone menu (main menu hub)BOpen bag (inventory / backpack)MOpen mapJOpen journal / quest logCEnter build mode (on your farm)ROpen garage (summon vehicles and mounts)PEnter photo modeVShow quest navigation markerEOpen emotes wheel / switch rightQSwitch leftRight AltOpen tool wheel / enter toolbar

1313 Interaction and Tools

1414

1515 InputActionFInteract with objects, NPCs, and stationsLeft ClickUse equipped tool or itemHold Left ClickCharged strike (stronger hit with wider area)Right ClickSwitch targets / open backpack submenuMouse WheelScroll through quickbar items / zoomZPut away held item1 through 0Select quickbar slot directlyAlt + Mouse WheelSwap between the two hotbar rows

1616 Combat (Slingshot and Bow)

1717

1818 InputActionMouseAim (crosshair at center of screen)Left ClickFire projectileHold Left ClickCharged shot (release for increased damage)Right ClickSwitch ammo type (Simple Pellets, Bomb Pellets, etc.)

1919 Fishing

2020

2121 InputActionHold Left ClickAim cast (longer hold = further cast); also reel in while hookedRelease Left ClickRelease the line into the water; relax tension when line is red

2222 The fishing minigame requires alternating between reeling (hold) and releasing (let go) based on line color. White means safe to reel. Red means stop or the line snaps. This rhythm of hold, release, hold is the core fishing mechanic.

2323

2424 Vehicles and Skateboard

2525

2626 InputActionW / A / S / DMove while ridingMouseAdjust camera angleSpaceJump (while on skateboard)Left ClickMount / dismount vehicleShiftSpeed boost (during Offshore Racing events)

2727 Skateboards handle Parkour Puzzles better than the standard jump. Players report they work well for platforming sections due to the skateboard jump's height and distance.

2828

2929 Build Mode

3030

3131 InputActionCEnter build mode (must be on your farm)Click item, then XPick up / remove placed furniture

3232 Photo Mode

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3434 InputActionPEnter photo modeTabHide UI (removes camera lens and HUD for clean screenshots)

3535 Xbox Controller

3636

3737 Xbox controllers are fully supported with on-screen button prompts that update automatically. Many buttons are context-sensitive: they change function depending on whether you are exploring, in combat, fishing, or using a menu.

3838

3939 Basic Controls

4040

4141 InputActionLeft StickMoveRight StickCamera / aimLeft Stick Press (L3)Switch targetsRight Stick Press (R3)Show quest navigation markerAInteract / selectBJump / backXPut away itemYOpen phone menuLT (Left Trigger)Use tool or item / open emotes wheel (hold + stick to select)RT (Right Trigger)Run / sprintLB (Left Bumper)Open tool wheel / enter toolbarRB (Right Bumper)Switch targetsD-Pad UpOpen bag (inventory)D-Pad RightOpen settings menuD-Pad DownOpen garage (vehicles and mounts)D-Pad LeftEnter photo modeView Button (two squares)Open mapMenu Button (three lines)Settings / save and exit

4242 Controller Combat

4343

4444 When using a Slingshot or bow, the controller switches to combat mode with different button functions:

4545

4646 InputActionRT (Right Trigger)Fire / shootHold RTCharged shot (release for increased damage)ASwitch ammo type

4747 Controller Hotbar Navigation

4848

4949 InputActionLB + D-Pad Left / RightSwitch between hotbar itemsLB + D-Pad DownSwitch between the two hotbar rows

5050 Controller Photo Mode

5151

5252 InputActionD-Pad LeftEnter photo mode (from normal gameplay)YHide UI in photo mode

5353 PlayStation and Other Controllers

5454

5555 PlayStation controllers work through Steam Input but display Xbox button labels. This is a known cosmetic issue; button positions are mapped correctly (Cross acts as A, Circle as B, etc.). Third-party controllers require Steam Input to be enabled in Steam settings. The GuliKit ES Pro and Elves 2 controllers have special editions created in collaboration with the game. PS5 vibration feedback is supported (added in patch 0.3.2537 for fish harvesting).

5656

5757 Controller Settings

5858

5959 The following controller-specific settings are available in the options menu:

6060

6161 Rumble intensity adjustmentSeparate X-axis and Y-axis camera sensitivityAim mode sensitivity (separate from normal camera sensitivity)Gyroscope sensitivity controls (pitch, yaw, roll)Auto-aim toggleY-axis and X-axis inversion options

6262

6363 Remapping

6464

6565 All keyboard, mouse, and controller bindings can be changed through the in-game settings menu. Movement, interaction, navigation, vehicle access, photo mode, build mode, and combat controls are all individually configurable. However, during Early Access, remapping has some known limitations:

6666

6767 WASD movement keys cannot be rebound through the in-game menu.Some remapped keys have caused overlapping functions and bugs, especially on controller.Patch 0.3.3595 fixed abnormal key remapping behavior for the Map and Quest buttons.Patch 0.3.3595 also fixed an issue where fishing rods and projectile tools could not be used after remapping.Workarounds for WASD rebinding include Steam Input remapping, AutoHotkey, or programmable keyboards.

6868

6969 Non-Obvious Controls

7070

7171 A few controls that are easy to miss:

7272

7373 Alt + Mouse Wheel swaps between two hotbar rows. Most players do not discover this until hours into the game.Right Click switches Slingshot ammo types. Without this, you might not realize you can swap between Simple Pellets and Bomb Pellets mid-fight.Left Ctrl toggles walk/run speed. This is critical for bug catching. Insects flee when you run toward them; toggle to walking speed to sneak up.B opens the bag directly without going through the phone menu. Much faster for inventory checks.V shows the quest navigation marker, pointing you toward your current objective.Z puts away your held item, freeing your hands.Tool-specific button prompts appear above the hotbar when a tool is equipped. This shows contextual actions.On controller, LB + D-Pad Down is the only way to switch hotbar rows. There is no single-button shortcut for this.

7474

7575 Known Issues (Early Access)

7676

7777 Jumping feels inconsistent in some areas, with reports of invisible walls mid-air during platforming.No dedicated single-button map shortcut on controller (keyboard has M; controller requires the View button or navigating through the phone menu).PlayStation controllers show Xbox button labels regardless of controller brand.Default controller sensitivity for Slingshot aiming is too high for most players. Try lowering it to 30 to 40 in the controller settings.Some Steam Deck users report only joysticks working initially. Enabling Steam Input in Steam settings resolves this. The Steam Deck LCD hotkey is LB + D-Pad Up.WASD cannot be rebound through the in-game menu. Use Steam Input or external tools as a workaround.

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7979 Related Articles

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8181 System RequirementsGetting StartedBug NetFishingSlingshotSkateboardPhoto Mode

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