So, you finally got your hands on Eve’s journey on PC. You’ve seen the trailers, the outfits, and that incredibly slick combat that everyone’s been raving about since it hit PS5 last year. But now you’re sitting at your desk, staring at your mechanical keyboard and that high-DPI mouse, wondering if Stellar Blade mouse and keyboard is actually a viable way to play or if you’re just setting yourself up for a world of pain.
Honestly? It's a bit of a mixed bag.
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Shift Up did a surprisingly decent job with the PC port that dropped back in June 2025. Usually, these console-to-PC jumps feel like an afterthought—looking at you, Nier: Automata. But here, we actually got full rebinding and native support. That doesn't mean the default layout isn't kinda unhinged, though. If you try to go in with the stock settings, your left pinky is going to be screaming for mercy by the time you finish the first major boss fight.
The Reality of Combat Without a Controller
Stellar Blade is a game built on rhythm. It’s all about those perfect parries and frame-perfect dodges. When you're using a controller, that tactile feedback and the 360-degree analog movement feel natural. On a keyboard, you’re limited to eight directions.
That might sound like a dealbreaker, but it’s really not.
The biggest hurdle for most people using a Stellar Blade mouse and keyboard setup is the default keybind for dodging. The game initially wants you to use Shift + WASD, which sounds fine until you realize you’re also trying to manage parries, combos, and special skills at the same time. Many players have reported that "Shift-Tab" accidents—where you accidentally open the Steam overlay in the middle of a life-or-death struggle—are a constant threat.
You’ve got to be smart about how you map your gear. If you have an MMO mouse or even just a mouse with two side buttons, you're already ahead of the curve. Mapping your dodge and parry to the thumb buttons changes the game entirely. It lets your left hand focus purely on movement while your right hand handles the timing.
Breaking Down the Default Jitter
One thing you’ll notice immediately is how the camera feels. Using a mouse to look around is way more precise for the shooting sections (which, let’s be real, can be a bit clunky on a gamepad), but it can make the third-person platforming feel "floaty." Because the game was designed for the slow tilt of an analog stick, the instant response of a mouse can make Eve feel like she’s sliding on ice sometimes.
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How to Fix the Most Annoying Keybinds
If you’re determined to stick with the Stellar Blade mouse and keyboard experience, you need to do some surgery on the settings menu. Don't just settle for what Shift Up gave you.
First off, let's talk about the Scan function. By default, it’s bound to TAB. In many versions of the game, players found that TAB was weirdly locked or caused issues when trying to rebind other things. There's actually a workaround involving the Input.ini file if you're comfortable digging into your AppData folders, but for most, simply adding a secondary bind to a more accessible key like 'Q' or a mouse button will save you hours of frustration.
Then there are the Burst skills. Later in the game, you unlock these high-tier moves that the game suggests you trigger with combinations like Alt + 1, 2, 3, or 4. Mid-combat? That’s a recipe for a hand cramp.
Try this instead:
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- Move Dodge to a side mouse button.
- Move Parry/Block to the other side mouse button (or keep it on Right Click).
- Rebind Burst Skills to something like the arrow keys if you have a way to reach them, or better yet, use a dedicated gaming keypad.
- Turn OFF Aim Assist. It sounds counterintuitive, but mouse aiming is so precise that the game's built-in "magnetism" actually makes it harder to hit specific weak points on the Naytibas.
Why Some Players Still Prefer the Mouse
It’s not all bad news. There are some specific parts of Stellar Blade where the mouse actually mops the floor with a DualSense.
Take the "forced range" sections. There are moments where the game shifts into a quasi-shooter, and trying to lead targets with a thumbstick is... fine, I guess. But with a mouse? You’re basically John Wick. Headshots become trivial, and those annoying flying enemies that plague the Wasteland become much less of a headache.
Also, for the NIKKE-themed mini-games and certain puzzle elements, the point-and-click nature of a mouse is objectively superior. You aren't fighting the deadzone of a controller; you're just clicking where you want to go.
The DualSense Factor
We have to address the elephant in the room: the haptics. One of the reasons Stellar Blade was such a hit on PS5 was how it used the DualSense controller. You could feel the rain, the vibration of a perfect parry, and the resistance in the triggers.
On PC, you can actually still get this! If you plug in a PS5 controller via USB (not Bluetooth, it has to be wired), you get all those features. When you play with a Stellar Blade mouse and keyboard, you lose that sensory layer. You're trading immersion for precision. For some, that's a fair trade. For others, it makes the world feel a bit more "static."
Technical Tweaks for a Smoother Ride
Since you're on PC, you're likely chasing that sweet 144Hz+ glory. The port supports DLSS 4 and FSR 3, which is great, but there have been reports of micro-stuttering during shader compilation.
If you find that your mouse movements feel "stuttery" even if your FPS is high, try capping your frame rate. Unlocked frame rates are great, but Stellar Blade’s engine sometimes struggles with frame pacing, which translates to a jittery mouse feel. Capping it at 120 or 144 usually smooths out the input latency significantly.
Also, check your polling rate. If you're using a high-end gaming mouse with an 8000Hz polling rate, some users have noticed it causes CPU spikes in this specific game. Dropping it down to 1000Hz often fixes weird performance dips without any noticeable loss in "pro-gamer" feel.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth It?
If you grew up on PC action games like Devil May Cry or Metal Gear Rising using a keyboard, you’ll feel right at home once you spend 20 minutes fixing the binds. If you’re a casual player who just wants to enjoy the story and the visuals, the Stellar Blade mouse and keyboard setup might feel like you're fighting the game rather than the monsters.
It’s completely playable. It’s even "good" if you have the right mouse. But it requires effort. You can't just launch the game and expect a seamless experience without some tinkering.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Launch the game and head straight to the "Controls" tab before you even finish the prologue.
- Rebind Dodge and Parry to your mouse side buttons immediately; the default Shift/Right-Click combo is too crowded for high-level play.
- Disable "Easy Aiming" in the settings if you are using a mouse—you don't need the help, and it actually messes with your muscle memory.
- Check your
Input.inifile if you find the TAB key is giving you trouble with the Scan function, as this is a known quirk in the PC version's architecture.
The game is a masterpiece of action design. Don't let a clunky default control scheme ruin what is easily one of the best ports we've seen in years. Take the time to dial in your settings, and Eve will move exactly how you want her to.