GameLoop Keymapping: How to Set Up Custom Controls for Any Game
GameLoop's keymapping editor lets you assign any keyboard key or mouse button to any on-screen control. This guide walks through every control type and shows how to build a working layout for battle royale and MOBA games from scratch.
Mobile games are designed around touchscreen taps and swipes. Keymapping is how GameLoop translates those actions into keyboard keys and mouse buttons, making the game playable on PC without a touchscreen.
Every game in GameLoop gets its own keymapping profile. Changes in one game do not affect others. Profiles save automatically and persist across sessions.
Opening the keymapping editor
Launch any game through GameLoop, then look for the keyboard icon in the right-side toolbar while the game is running. Click it to open the keymapping overlay.
The overlay covers your screen with transparent tap targets. Each target represents a virtual touch: whatever key you assign to that target sends a tap to that screen location when pressed.
To close the editor and return to the game, click the keyboard icon again or press Escape. Changes save automatically when you close.
Control types
GameLoop's editor offers several control types. Right-click any empty area of the screen to add a new control.
Virtual Joystick — places a circular stick on the screen. Moving the keyboard keys you assign (typically WASD) moves the joystick in that direction. Used for character movement in almost every action and battle royale game. Set sensitivity separately from camera sensitivity.
Single Tap — sends one tap to a fixed screen position when you press the assigned key. Use this for skill buttons, reload, jump, crouch, open inventory, or any button that requires a single press.
Smart Shooting — specialized control for aiming games. Locks the mouse cursor inside the game window and converts mouse movement into camera/aim movement. Enables right-click to activate aim down sights (ADS) and left-click to fire. Most battle royale players enable this mode.
Repeated Tap — sends repeated taps while a key is held. Less common; used in idle games or auto-attack situations.
Free View — separates camera movement from movement input, letting you look around without changing direction. Useful in MOBA games.
Battle royale layout (CODM, PUBG Mobile, Free Fire)
These games share similar control needs. A working starting layout:
| Action | Control type | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Move | Virtual Joystick | WASD |
| Fire | Smart Shooting → left click | Left mouse button |
| ADS | Smart Shooting → right click | Right mouse button |
| Jump | Single Tap | Space |
| Crouch | Single Tap | C |
| Prone | Single Tap | Z |
| Reload | Single Tap | R |
| Melee | Single Tap | F |
| Grenade | Single Tap | G |
| Map | Single Tap | M |
| Inventory | Single Tap | I |
| Scope zoom | Single Tap | V |
| Sprint (hold) | Single Tap | Shift |
After placing the joystick, resize it so the center sits at the position your left thumb would naturally rest when using a mobile screen. For most games this is slightly left and below center.
Enable Smart Shooting by clicking the mode icon in the upper-right of the editor and selecting it. Once active, your mouse controls the camera and aim while inside the game window.
MOBA layout (Mobile Legends, Honor of Kings)
MOBAs use a fixed camera and a joystick for directional movement. The right side of the screen handles abilities.
| Action | Control type | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Move | Virtual Joystick | WASD |
| Basic attack | Single Tap | A |
| Skill 1 | Single Tap | Q |
| Skill 2 | Single Tap | W |
| Skill 3 / Ultimate | Single Tap | E or R |
| Recall | Single Tap | B |
| Item 1 | Single Tap | 1 |
| Item 2 | Single Tap | 2 |
| Scoreboard | Single Tap | Tab |
Wild Rift is a special case — it supports PC Control Mode inside its own settings, which handles much of the keymapping automatically. See the Wild Rift GameLoop guide for that specific setup.
Adjusting and fine-tuning controls
Moving a control: click and drag it to a new position. Place each button where the actual button appears in the game UI, not in the center of the screen.
Resizing the joystick: drag the outer ring. A larger joystick gives more precise directional input at the cost of screen space.
Sensitivity: the joystick control has a separate sensitivity slider accessible from its settings (click the gear icon on the control). This affects how fast the virtual stick reaches maximum deflection, not how fast the camera moves — camera sensitivity is set inside the game.
Testing: close the editor and play one full game. Note which actions feel awkward, reopen the editor, and adjust those specific controls. Most people settle on a layout after two or three games.
Saving and sharing keymaps
Keymaps save automatically per game. GameLoop also supports Smart Keymapping: a library of community-contributed keymaps for popular titles. To use one:
- Open the keymapping editor while in the game.
- Click "Smart Keymapping" in the top bar.
- Browse presets and select one to apply it instantly.
Smart Keymapping presets are a fast starting point. They are rarely perfect out of the box, but they handle the basic layout so you only need to adjust a few controls rather than building from nothing.
gameloophub.com maintains over 20 hand-tuned keymap configs for CODM and other popular GameLoop titles — these are worth checking before building a layout manually.
Common issues
Keys not registering in-game: if a key press does nothing, check that the keymapping editor is closed (not just minimized). Some games also require Smart Keymapping to be in a specific mode — try toggling Smart Shooting on or off.
Camera keeps drifting: this usually means the virtual joystick center is slightly off its resting position. Delete the joystick control, place a new one, and use the calibrate option to set the neutral center point.
Layout breaks after a game update: some game updates change the position of on-screen buttons. If controls stop working after an update, open the editor and reposition the affected tap targets to match the new button positions.
Sensitivity feels wrong: camera sensitivity inside GameLoop is separate from the game's own sensitivity setting. Adjust the in-game sensitivity first, then fine-tune the joystick sensitivity in the keymapping editor. Changing both at once makes it harder to identify which adjustment caused a given feel.