Summary
- Keyboard controls can work well for fighting games like Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3, BlazBlue and Street Fighter 6.
- Gamers can benefit from the precision of keyboard controls to execute complex moves and combos in games like Mortal Kombat and The King of Fighters series.
- Keyboard configurations can improve gameplay in newer titles like Guilty Gear Strive and Virtua Fighter 5: REVO, giving players an edge in competitive play.
Some games live and die based on their peripherals. Lightgun games have gone from being system sellers in the NES days to being left in the arcades. Racing games have come with all kinds of wheel controllers in the past, although they could be played just fine with a regular controller. Then there are fighting games. There are all kinds of different ways to play them, whether it's with specialized gamepads, arcade sticks, hitbox controllers, and mixboxes.
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But some gamers can't afford a fancy special controller and have had trouble setting up gamepads for their PC. What will they use to play fighters on Steam or elsewhere? Their keyboards? Actually, yes. Keyboards are viable ways to play and have led to the rise of stickless controls. But some games, including the entire series, work better with them than others, and these fighting games are especially useful for keyboard players.
Tagging the classics for true X factor
- ISSUED
- November 15, 2011
- Developer(s)
- Eight, Capcom
The Marvel vs. Capcom games (including its games X-Men, Marvel's superheroesAnd so on predecessors) seem like they shouldn't be too much trouble on a keyboard. Their entrances are much simpler compared to the main line Street Fighter games, especially when Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3and Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite used four attack buttons instead of six, leaving more room for assist attacks. But it can vary depending on the version of the game people are playing.
With the right look, the players were able to quit UMvC3his more sophisticated techniques like plinking with less stress than tampons. MvC: methe black sheep of the series, they also allow for different keyboard configurations. However, people have had problems binding keyboard commands to Marvel Vs Capcom Fighting Collectionand once they did, the game would have trouble reading some inputs. So keyboard players will either have to start the emulators until the issue is fixed or go back to UMvC3 to get their fix of tag fight action.
2 BlazBlue: Core Fiction
Passing keyboard commands to Overdrive
BlazBlue: Core Fiction
One of the advantages players find with keyboard controls is that they can be more precise with their movements. 360° moves and pretzels become less difficult when flying WASD or ASD-Space, etc. instead of spinning a stick or thumbing a D-pad. However, it takes some practice to map the keys to the fighting game directions, whether they're hitbox setups or old arrow key setups.
BlazBlue Central Fiction it's a good place to start practicing because it allows players to set up their keys however they want. If they don't want to stay in the purgatory of the practice mode, they can branch out into the other modes. The story and arcade modes are good ways to experience the game first-hand, while the Grim of Abyss mode allows them to use stat-boosting items to advance. That way, they can last long enough to pull off the game's elaborate astral finishes with less fuss and noise.
3 The Mortal Kombat series
Fight to the death by typing Combo
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
- ISSUED
- October 6, 1995
- Developer(s)
- Midway Games
In the old days of PC and microcomputer gaming, it was obvious to make the arrow keys the directional inputs. Except for those who played classic Mortal Kombat games on the Commodore Amiga where pressing Left and Right, or Up and Down at the same time caused the game to crash. Nowadays, the big problem that keyboard players face is ghosting, where the keyboard will override several inputs in favor of others.

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Fortunately, there are plenty of anti-ghosting gaming keyboards out there, like the Redragon K552 and the Razer Cynosa V2. Once they're connected, they play old school MK games like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 it will be less of a hassle as its dial-a-combo and Run Button functions will be just a few taps away. Players can also use KB commands in newer games such as Mortal Kombat 1but they were made with consoles in mind, so their combos tend to flow better with a pad than a keyboard.
4 The King Of Fighters series
Mastering the art of fighting a fatal rage
The King of Fighters the series is famous for its difficult directional controls and tight input controls. Players need to be faster to make their combos (or “lips”) count, with older games being stricter than games like King of Fighters 15. Then heaven help players if they try to complete the combo attempts in another spectacular The King of Fighters 13which are notoriously difficult even for master players.
However, keyboard controls can reduce their advantage, as setting directional inputs to buttons makes them more accurate. With a little practice, players will be able to pick up on the game's curious pretzel moves and half-double moves in no time. Even the stiffer controls of older games can feel more fluid if players can adapt to the quirks and advantages of keyboard controls.
5 Guilty Gear Strive
Where a keyboard can lead a player to heaven or hell
Newer KOF games work well with the keyboard as well MvC: me (just in time for her Infinity and Beyond fan-made graphics upgrade). But what about today's big hitters like Guilty Gear Strive? If it works with its old sister series BlazBlueit could definitely work for Sol-Badguy and the gang. It depends on one's setup, with some players recommending using the spacebar to jump over W. But in general, the keyboard controls work very well for Make an effort.
Because of this added precision, people found themselves performing movements they had trouble doing before. A few have even managed to take low-level characters like Faust to high ranks online using their commands. However, even mastering top characters like May takes practice, as keyboards aren't a set of win buttons. If players want to break into the tournament scene, they'll either have to hope it uses a KB-compatible version, or get a hitbox/mixbox controller to use what they've learned at competitive levels.
6 Street Fighter 6
Climb to the top of the mountain with a few button presses
With Street Fighter games that require six buttons just for punches and kicks, a keyboard would seem perfect for the series. It sure didn't hurt Street Fighter 5where players found comfortable setups with their keyboards to understand the troubled fighter. So how about its sequel? Street Fighter 6? It's just as simple as before, if not more, thanks to the increase in stickless controllers and the keyboard.

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Its configuration settings are more adaptable to different keyboard settings, including allowing players to use the mouse for the character select screen. But it comes with some bugs. His World Tour mode will default to the standard keyboard commands for Chapter 1, since this is the tutorial chapter. It will also not allow the rebinding of the arrow keys. Most keyboard players tend to use variations of the WASD or ASD-Space controls, but it's still a hit for those more used to arrow key-based controls.
7 Virtua Fighter 5: REVO
Helping people prepare for the series revolution

Compared to Street Fightersetting up commands for Virtua Fighter games should be easy. The series only uses three buttons for attacks: Kick, Punch, and Guard (yeah, like MKplayers must hold Guard to block attacks). This leaves a lot of room for players to bind other keys to different button commands, such as Kick+Punch or Punch+Guard for throws, etc. That's just as well, because they'll be using them a lot in the latest version.
Virtua Fighter 5: REVO will be the first (official standalone) appearance of the series on PC since then Virtua Fighter Remix in 1996. It is a rejigging of Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown and will precede its appearance and, as of this writing, untitled Virtua Fighter continuation. It won't happen until January 2025, so how can people know if it will work with keyboards or not? Because a lucky few were able to try it out in its beta tests, where players fared very well. Except, like SF6it doesn't allow rebinding the arrow keys, but that may change once it's fully released.
8 Tekken 8
Iron King keyboards
- ISSUED
- January 26, 2024
Given the original Tekken was largely accomplished by ex-Peak personally, it's no wonder his game isn't fundamentally different. Players only have four main attack inputs instead of three (none of which involve blocking) and a different set of bells and whistles to adjust to. Tekken 8Rage's mechanics and Heat system are a world away Peaksimple approach to combat.
However, KB's precise inputs can help make his moves accurate, such as Mishimas' Electric Wind Godfist. The option to set different key combinations can also make King, Dragunov and Nina's multi-part throw commands less demanding, as doing them with just the face buttons of a pad can be a chore. It even allows people to use the arrow keys if they're more used to them, though most players stick to the standard WASD or hitbox layouts.

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