Steam boss Gabe Newell doesn’t use WASD, but much prefers ESDF. But what is that, and why is this key combination so popular?
What does Gabe Newell say? The head of Steam, Gabe Newell, explained in an interview with the British magazine PCGamer that he doesn’t use the WASD keys on the keyboard. He stated:
I personally don’t like WASD because it distracts the hand from typing the home keys. That’s why I always remap to ESDF.
And Gabe Newell is not the only fan of the ESDF keys. But why do players use ESDF instead of the much more well-known WAS combination?
The ESDF keys are located just to the right of the WASD keys, which some players consider to be a better hand placement for gaming. However, it is disputed why ESDF keys are now better.
Some players consider ESDF to be the better alternative to WASD
What are the advantages of ESDF? The strongest argument for ESDF is primarily greater flexibility: When you use ESDF instead of WASD, you have much more space on the left side of your hand. If you normally use WASD, you only have Q available for shortcuts next to CTRL and Shift. If you shift your hand to the right on ESDF, you have more keys to choose from.
Some players even explain that Q, A, or W are much easier and more comfortable to press than CTRL and Shift.
Another argument from ESDF fans: The number keys above the left hand are much easier to reach with ESDF. This provides many more options. The alternative would be to assign all shortcuts to a mouse with macro buttons. That’s why you often hear the argument: For RPGs, real-time strategy, and simulators, ESDF is much better.
What are the disadvantages? The first disadvantage is probably the most obvious: ESDF only works in your games if they allow that key layout. Typically, the controls are set to WASD and some games simply do not offer “rebinding” of the keys. Especially when it comes to rather weak console ports. So games that were developed for PlayStation and Xbox and then released for PC.
Furthermore, ESDF takes some getting used to: If you are used to using Shift and CTRL in shooters, then ESDF feels “weird” at first because the familiar keys move further away or you have to look for alternatives.
More about the Steam boss: Gabe Newell, the head of Steam, has launched a new company and aims to produce a new neural chip. However, his new appearance surprises many of his fans and is quite a larger topic:
