The Controls

The best way to play DOOM Retro is to use mouse and keyboard together. You can also play using just the keyboard, or a controller. Most controls may be changed using the bind CCMD in DOOM Retro’s console.

Here’s a list of the default keyboard controls:

ESC	Opens the menu.
TAB	Opens the automap.
~	Opens the console.
F1	Opens the help screen.
F2	Opens the Save Game menu.
F3	Opens the Load Game menu.
F4	Opens the Sound Volume menu.
F5	Toggles low/high graphic detail.
F6	Quicksaves the game.
F7	Ends the game.
F8	Toggles player messages.
F9	Quickloads a game.
F10 or ALT + F4	Quits DOOM Retro.
F11 or SHIFT + F11	Increases/decreases the gamma correction level.
PAUSE	Pauses the game.
PRINTSCREEN	Takes a screenshot.
ENTER	Shows the previous player message. Hides the current player message.
ALT + ENTER	Toggles between fullscreen and a window.
– / +	Decreases/increases the screen size. Toggles widescreen mode with/without a status bar/heads up display.
1	Equips your fists/chainsaw.1
2	Equips your pistol.
3	Equips your shotgun/super shotgun.2
4	Equips your chaingun.
5	Equips your rocket launcher.
6	Equips your plasma rifle.3
7	Equips your BFG-9000.3
↑ or W	Moves you forward.
↓ or D	Moves you backward.
←	Turns you to your left.
→	Turns you to your right.
SHIFT + ↑ / ↓ / ← / →	Makes you run instead of walk.
CAPSLOCK	Toggles you to always run instead of walk.
ALT + ←, A or ,	Makes you strafe to your left.
ALT + →, D or .	Makes you strafe to your right.
CTRL	Fires your currently equipped weapon.
SPACE or E	Makes you use a switch or door.

You will turn by moving the mouse left or right, and while also holding down the ALT key, you will strafe. There is no forward or back mouse movement by default. The left mouse button is used to fire, and the mouse wheel is used to equip the next/previous weapon.

The mouse may also be used to look up and down by enabling the freelook CVAR in the console.

DOOM Retro supports all modern controllers such as the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Sony PlayStation DualSense Edge Wireless Controller. They can be connected at any time, even once a game has started. Here are the default controls on a controller:

Controllers rumble whenever you are injured, you fire your weapon, you pick something up, or a nearby barrel explodes. Controllers may also be used to look up and down by enabling the freelook CVAR in the console.

¹The chainsaw replaces your fists once you pick one up. Only once you have also picked up a berserk power-up, and only until the end of the map, are you able to switch between your fists and the chainsaw.
²You can only equip a super shotgun in DOOM II.
³You can’t equip a plasma rifle or BFG-9000 in the shareware version of DOOM.