If you are a PC gaming enthusiast, you have probably noticed a common pattern in most games: Default movement settings use WASD keys instead of directional keys or any other options.
As you remember Hard Zone, in the early days of PC gaming, directional keys were the logical choice for character movement. However, over time, developers realized that this setup was inconvenient when players needed to perform additional actions, such as jumping or shooting.
The transition to using WASD keys for movement came in part thanks to the game dark castle 1986. At that time, it was decided to adopt WASD keys because When you placed your hand on them, your thumb was conveniently located just above the space bar.. This arrangement made it easy to assign functions, such as jumping, while moving the character.
Half-Life marked the era
Howeverit was in 1998 with the release of the iconic Half-Life that WASD keys became standardized as the default setting for movement in games. These keys were combined with others, such as Space bar to jump, SHIFT to run and CTRL to crouch.
All of these keys were easily accessible when your fingers rested on the WASD keys. At that time, the mouse was used to rotate the camera, point and shoot.
Despite this transition to WASD keys, some games still offered directional keys as an alternative for movement, as can be seen in Half-Life. However, over time, this alternative became less common as WASD keys became established as the preferred option.
Additionally, WASD keys are convenient because they allow easy access to other important keyboard keys, such as the SPACE BAR, SHIFT, ALT, Tab, and CTRL. They also leave room for the number keys 1-4, E, R, Q and F, making it easier to assign additional skills and commands in more complex games.