Rust Keybinds & Console Commands (2026)
Every default Rust keybind, the rebinds top players actually use, and the F1 console commands worth knowing — including the legitimate FPS-boost commands (no scripts, no cheats).
Default keybinds — the must-know set
| Action | Default key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Move | W A S D | Standard FPS movement |
| Sprint | Shift | Hold; drains stamina |
| Jump | Space | Standard jump |
| Crouch | Ctrl | Most players rebind to C |
| Inventory | Tab | Opens inventory + crafting |
| Map | G | World map. Marker placement here |
| Reload | R | Reload current weapon |
| Use / interact | E | Open doors, loot bodies, take items |
| Voice chat (push-to-talk) | V | Hold to broadcast voice in proximity |
| Auto-run toggle | Z | Hands-free travel |
| Console | F1 | In-game command line |
| Quick chat | U | Fast pre-set messages |
| Hotbar slots | 1-6 | Equip belt items |
| Eat / drink | E on item | Right-click item in inventory for advanced options |
| Drop item | Backspace | Drop equipped item from belt |
Recommended rebinds (community consensus)
| Action | Default | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crouch | Ctrl | C | Ctrl is hard to hold during combat / strafing. C is one-handed accessible. |
| Jump | Space | Space + alternate Mouse4 | Mouse4 jump enables advanced jump-shooting tactics |
| Voice chat | V | T or Mouse5 | Frees V for other binds; T or M5 is harder to misclick during fights |
| Auto-run | Z | Disabled or rebound | Z is too easy to hit by mistake mid-combat |
| Quick craft | Tab | Same | Default is fine; tab inventory has crafting tab |
Useful console commands (F1 menu)
All commands below are first-party (built into the game). None are cheats. Type into the F1 console and press Enter.
| Command | Effect | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| perf 1 | Show FPS counter | Always-on FPS display |
| perf 2 | FPS + memory + frame stats | Diagnostics |
| perf 0 | Hide perf overlay | Clean view |
| graphics.shadowdistance 30 | Reduce shadow render distance | FPS boost (default ~50) |
| grass.shadowcast 0 | Stop grass casting shadows | FPS boost in dense biomes |
| grass.displacement 0 | Stop grass reacting to player | Minor FPS boost |
| terrain.shaderlod 200 | Lower terrain shader quality | FPS boost on lower-end PCs |
| screenshot 4 | Save 4× resolution screenshot | Hi-res capture for sharing |
| console.clear | Clear console output | Reset cluttered F1 log |
| kill | Suicide your character | Respawn at sleeping bag faster than starvation |
| combatlog | Show last 30 combat events | Verify if you got hit / who shot you |
| respawn_sleepingbag <ID> | Spawn at specific bag | Bypass selection menu |
| bind <key> <command> | Custom keybind | e.g. bind c +duck |
FPS-boost command bundle
Paste each command into F1 console (one per line). Combined effect is typically +10 to +30 FPS on mid-range hardware, more on low-end PCs. Test in a server before locking in.
Bundle for low-end / mid-range PCs
graphics.shadowdistance 30
graphics.shadowmode 0
grass.shadowcast 0
grass.displacement 0
grass.distance 50
terrain.shaderlod 200
antialiasing 0
effects.aa 0
effects.bloom 0
effects.ssao 0
Frequently asked questions
How do I open the console in Rust?
Press F1. The console is a built-in command line where you can type commands like "perf 1" (show FPS), "console.clear" (clear log) or any of the graphics tweaks listed above. F1 also opens during gameplay — useful for in-fight tweaks.
Is binding scripts (auto-clicker, recoil scripts) allowed in Rust?
No. Facepunch's anti-cheat (EAC) bans players for using third-party scripts that automate input. Console-line bind commands that just remap a single key (like binding crouch to C) are fine — those are first-party features. Rapid-fire macros and recoil scripts are bannable.
What's the most-recommended rebind?
Crouch on C (default is CTRL, awkward for combat) and bind "+forward; +duck" to a single key for jump-crouch. The full list of community-favourite rebinds is in the table above.
Can I bind voice chat to a key other than V?
Yes. Open F1 console and type bind
Does "perf 1" or "perf 2" actually help?
perf 1 shows FPS only; perf 2 adds memory and frame stats. Neither boosts performance — they just display numbers. For actual FPS gains, use the graphics commands in the table above (shadowdistance, grass.shadowcast, etc).