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Keymapping Left Control and Right Control not recognized

Gridlock shared this bug ago

Reported

SE update on 4/28/2025 has removed the game's ability to differentiate Left and Right Control keys on keyboard. Before update, my custom control for Right Control stated "RCtrl", after noticing my custom control was performing additional tasks I attempted to remap that same control. Now that same custom control states "Ctrl" when attempting to map it as Right Control. Also all of my custom control settings have been defaulted.

Merged Objects

SHADOWTHX

Keybind Bug Since update 28/04/2025

Keybind bug since update. im left handed and use the Right CTRL to crouch. now since the update both left and right CRTL are the same. Just CTRL, meaning Everytime I switch toolbars (CTRL + 1-9) I simply slam into the ground. The game has instantly become unplayable.

NightReaper

Bug with keybinding

Left and right control (Ctrl) keys used to bind separately and was very useful, (I personally put crouch on my left control key and then had a thumb button on my mouse bound to right control for modifier functionality), but now they behave as if they're the same key.

Given how many functions there are already and then how many more just a few mods add, I really hope this is just a bug and not by design, as it is counter productive for people use utilised the separation, and given the preexisting ability to assign multiple keys to a single function, provides no benefits to the player

potato2123

Controls no longer differentiate between left and right CTRL key

Just a minor issue. I have my Hud On/Off set to my right CTRL key while still being able to use my left CTRL key independently when building. Now it uses both, so whenever I use my left CTRL key while building it now toggles my Hud as well.

Adam Spikings

Having the game controls menu distinguish between left shift and shift

Hi,

I think something changed in a recent update to make the game treat left shift and right shift as the same.

For all my time playing SE, I have used left shift as the jump button. It is a more natural key for me to use than whever the default is. The problem has always been that holding shift is also the hotkey for sending a production order to a grid using build planner.

This was not a problem in the past since I could just use right shift for that; pressing right shift did not make the character jump so I could use the key combination rshift + middlemouse to send the build planner production order to the grid when staring at an inventory port.

Now, however, rshift also makes the character jump.

It would be helpful if I could bind keys such that only the lshift key was jump and both lshift and rshift keys served as the build planner modifiers. However, i don't seem able to do this, not even by modifying the game config file (although that attempt might have failed due to me incorrectly guessing the code for the left shift button).

I have the same bug

Replies (11)

Axlotl Questions ●

This also affects Alt and Shift keys.

How did this even happen? What a joke.

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SHADOWTHX ●

Im left handed and mapped the Right CTRL as Crouch. now as soon as i change toolbars I slam into the ground making the game unplayable

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Ondrej Borz ●

Hello Engineer,

thank you for reaching our forum with this problem.

It has been successfully reproduced on our side and put into our internal system.

Kind Regards

Keen Software House: QA Department

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Kevin Starwaster ●

I found out the hard way about this, I prefer to use MXB1 (side mouse button) for dampeners and Ctrl+MXB1 used to work automatically for relative dampeners but it stopped working when you made Relative Dampening a separate keybind and you can't explicitly assign Ctrl to a mouse button press. (Ctrl+Z is awkward for me which is why I put it on a mouse button. This update really screwed that up for me)

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SHADOWTHX ●

literally just junked the game for me being left handed. Why even hard code the keybinds in the first place?

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SHADOWTHX ●

As a left-hander, it's literally killed the game for me. As soon as I change the toolbar, I slam myself into the ground. with the STUPID HARDCODED CTRL. let the player decide what keybinds they want to use.

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Keen SWH QA Agent 2 ●

Hello engineers,

To help us investigate the key mapping issue further, we kindly ask for your configuration (config) files from both the current game version (1.206.030) and the previous version (1.205). Specifically, we are looking for the key mappings of Right/Left modifiers, including Right/Left Ctrl, Alt, and Shift in your custom control settings.

Steps to Provide the Config Files:

Collect the Current Version (1.206.030) Config:

Launch the game and go to Options → Controls.
Set the key mappings (right/left modifiers) that are causing the issue.
Save the settings and exit the game.
Press Win + R, type %appdata%, and press Enter.
Navigate to Roaming\SpaceEngineers.
Find the file named SpaceEngineers.cfg.
Copy this file to a new folder (e.g. "1.206 Config").

Collect the Previous Version (1.205) Config:

Open your Steam Library, right-click on Space Engineers, and select Properties → Betas.
Choose 1.205 from the drop-down list and wait for the game to update.
Launch the game, go to Options → Controls, and apply the same key mappings as before.
Save the settings and exit the game.
Navigate again to %appdata%\Roaming\SpaceEngineers.
Copy the SpaceEngineers.cfg to a separate folder (e.g. "1.205 Config").

Finally, please zip both folders and attach them here so we can analyze the differences and help resolve the issue.

Kind Regards,

Keen Software House: QA Department

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SHADOWTHX ●

Before the right shift and right ctrl were configurable and worked independently of the modifiers. its stil not fixed in todays hotfix either.

Files:

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SHADOWTHX ●

these are the problems since the update

<Key>CROUCH</Key>

<Value>

<item>

<Key>Keyboard</Key>

<Value>RightControl</Value>

<Key>CROUCH</Key>

<Value>

<item>

<Key>Keyboard</Key>

<Value>Control</Value>

and

<Value>

<item>

<Key>Keyboard</Key>

<Value>RightShift</Value>

<Value>

<item>

<Key>Keyboard</Key>

<Value>Shift</Value>

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NightReaper ●

I only have Left Control bound in one location in the config file, I have my Right Control bound to a thumb button on my mouse in some external software (Logitech G HUB) and have confirmed that the external software is correctly distinguishing between the Left and Right Control key inputs, however the issue is that pushing either one is the same as pushing both simultaneously.

In the latest version of Space Engineers (1.206.032 as I write this), the game still fails tor recognise a difference between the Left and Right Control keys

EDIT: tried binding the Left and Right Shift and Alt and got the same behaviours

Files:

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Ligne de Bus ●

Ugh, that shift key thing sounds super annoying, especially when you've got your fingers trained a certain way for jumping! It's a bummer that recent update seems to have smooshed them together. Seriously, the controls menu really needs to get with the program and let us bind "Left Shift" and "Right Shift" separately. That would be a total game-changer for custom layouts and fix this jumpy build planner problem. Fingers crossed Keen adds that in – it would make setting up our controls way less of a headache!

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SHADOWTHX ●

whats the expected turnaround for this to be looked at and addressed? if ever!

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