Approximately Up PC Keyboard Controls

Approximately Up uses different control layers depending on whether you are walking around the base, editing in the garage, or flying a ship you wired yourself. This reference lists the default PC keyboard controls for the full Steam release, plus quality-of-life options added in patches 1.0.005–1.0.008. Press M in-game to open the manual for the latest list.

If you are brand new, read Getting Started first for context on when to use G versus R. Ship-specific inputs (joysticks, levers, RCS) depend on your build — see Build Your First Ship and RCS Thrusters Setup.

Movement and character actions

Action	Key
Move forward	W
Move left	A
Move back	S
Move right	D
Roll left	Q
Roll right	E
Sprint	Left Shift
Jump	Space
Crouch	C
Flashlight	T
Ping / mark	F
Action / interact	E
Control modifier	Left Ctrl
Alt modifier	Left Alt

On foot, E handles interaction with terminals, cargo, and seats. Space jumps; hold it in some contexts to continue upward movement. Double-tap Left Shift to toggle hover-style dampening where the game supports it.

Flight and ship control

Action	Key
Enter / exit fly mode (hold)	R
Reset lever or joystick value	Middle mouse (Mouse2)
Pick component you are looking at into hand	Middle mouse (default after 1.0.007)

Fly mode is the heart of the game. Hold R to launch — physics engage, loose parts may fall, and your thrusters either work or do not. Hold R again to end the flight; the world resets to the pre-flight arrangement so you can patch wiring in garage mode.

Inside a cockpit, click a joystick or lever to focus it, then use WASD and mouse movement to actuate it. Many builders pair a 2D joystick for main thrust with a 3D joystick for RCS. If a control sticks or your ship tumbles, middle mouse resets the focused lever or joystick to neutral before you rebuild anything.

Patch 1.0.007 corrected the default pick-up bind that had accidentally pointed at a mouse side button. If pick-up still feels wrong after updating, open Options and confirm middle mouse (or your preferred rebind).

Seated mouse invert (1.0.007)

New Options toggles let you invert mouse X and Y while seated. Use them if cockpit look feels mirrored compared to on-foot camera habits.

Garage edit mode

Action	Key
Toggle garage edit mode	G
Garage debug info	H
Clone selected part	C
Delete selected part	X
Box-select (with Ctrl)	Ctrl+G, then drag
Lift selection (garage)	Ctrl+G, then mouse drag

Press G to enter garage editing. This is where you place frames, thrusters, routers, and logic blocks. C clones the highlighted component; X removes it. Use Ctrl+G to select groups — essential when moving an entire thruster cluster after a power routing fix.

Context note: C also crouches on foot. The game uses mode context — if you are in garage edit with a part selected, clone takes priority.

Menus, hotbar, and UI

Action	Key
Inventory	I
Objectives	O
Blueprints	B
Manual	M (usable while seated after 1.0.008)
Time rewind	P
Lobby info	Tab
Empty hand / clear tool	` (backtick)
Edit seat key bindings	Left Alt
Hotbar slots (default)	1–0 (rebindable since 1.0.005)
New chat message	Enter
Close chat bubble	Tab

O opens mission objectives — track deliveries, lost packages, and the new Objectives Completion % footer from patch 1.0.006. B stores ship blueprints; Fuel Analyzer mode knobs now save with blueprints after 1.0.007 (Blueprints guide).

Custom hotbar keybinds (1.0.005)

You can rebind the default 1–0 hotbar keys to any preferred keys. Rebuilders who map tools, floodlights, or thruster presets to the number row should set this once after updating, then screenshot the layout for co-op friends.

Options notes

• VSync must be disabled before Max FPS limits apply — VSync still wins if left on (called out in 1.0.005).
• You can disable the in-game Workshop from Options if you want a quieter garage UI.

Controls versus ship design

Keyboard defaults only get you to the garage door. Actual flight uses the components you wire:

• Throttles and joysticks — data ports to thrusters
• RCS controller — pitch, yaw, roll inputs from a 3D joystick
• Switches and buttons — toggle hover logic (Hover Logic guide) or landing gear

Wrong wiring feels like bad controls. Before remapping keys, confirm power routers, Fuse Boxes, and data cables in Power and Data Routing. Retest Logic Gate OR circuits after patch 1.0.005.

Co-op and communication

Online co-op supports four players. Tab shows lobby information; Enter sends chat. Patch 1.0.005 shows a clearer message when client and host versions differ. Split tasks: one player in G garage mode while another holds R for test flights. See the Co-op Guide for crew workflows.

Quick troubleshooting

Problem	Try this
Ship will not launch	Hold R long enough; check that fly mode is not blocked by unfinished wiring
Lever stuck at full thrust	Middle mouse on the focused control
Cannot pick up a part	Confirm middle-mouse pick-up bind after 1.0.007
Cannot edit blocks	Press G — you may still be in fly mode
Wrong part deleted	Ctrl+G selection before X; clone (C) backups first
Spinning in space	Reset joystick, then verify RCS thruster axis knobs
OR gate never fires	Retest after 1.0.005 OR-as-AND fix

Related guides

• Getting Started — tutorial flow on Earth
• Build Your First Ship — cockpit layout patterns
• Patch Notes — full 1.0.x changelog
• Achievements — No Rewinds and Golden Thruster discipline
• Moon Landing Guide — transfer burns and landing approach
• Thrust Calculator — tune thrust after control surfaces work

Master G, R, and middle mouse first. Everything else in Approximately Up builds on those three.