Brawlhalla: Why Switching to Keyboard & Mouse Will Instantly Improve Your Gameplay!

 If you have been playing Brawlhalla on a console or controller, you might feel like you’ve hit a skill ceiling. Your movement might feel a bit sluggish, or your inputs don’t feel as precise during fast-paced gravity cancels.

The secret that many pro players won't tell you is simple: Switching to Keyboard & Mouse (KBM) can instantly elevate your game!

In this guide, we’ll dive into exactly why KBM gives you a massive competitive advantage in Brawlhalla and how to set up your controls for maximum speed and precision.

1. Perfect Input Precision (No Joystick Deadzones)

With a controller, your movement relies on an analog stick. Joysticks have physical travel time and deadzones—meaning you have to push the stick all the way to one side to register a movement.

 The KBM Advantage: Keyboard keys are binary (either pressed or not pressed). This means your inputs are registered instantly. Your dashes, fast-falls, and directional attacks will be executed with absolute, pixel-perfect precision.

2. Faster Gravity Cancels and Combos

Gravity Cancels require you to dodge in place in mid-air and immediately input an attack. Doing this on a controller requires moving your thumb across multiple buttons.

 On Keyboard: You can dedicate different fingers to your movement (WASD or Arrow Keys), your dodge key, and your attack keys. Because your fingers are already resting on all the necessary buttons, you can execute complex combos and active-input moves much faster.

3. Best Keyboard Layouts for Brawlhalla

To get the most out of your keyboard, you need a layout that keeps your hands relaxed but ready. Here are the two most popular setups used by competitive players:

Layout A: WASD + Mouse (Great for Beginners)

Movement: ⁠W⁠ (Aim Up/Jump), ⁠A⁠

 (Left), ⁠S⁠ (Down/Fast-fall), ⁠D⁠ (Right)

 Left Click: Light Attack

 Right Click: Heavy Attack 

(Signature)

 

Middle Click / Scroll: Throw Weapon

 

Shift / Space: Dodge / dash

Layout B: Keyboard Only (The Pro Setup)

Using only the keyboard eliminates any slight delay from mouse clicks.

 Movement: ⁠W⁠, ⁠A⁠, ⁠S⁠, ⁠D⁠

 Light Attack: ⁠J⁠

 Heavy Attack: ⁠K⁠

 Throw Item: ⁠L⁠

 Dodge / Dash: ⁠Shift⁠ or ⁠Space⁠

4. Crucial Setting: "Prioritize Neutral Over Side"

Once you switch to KBM, make sure to go into your in-game controller/keyboard settings and check Prioritize Neutral Over Side.

This setting allows you to easily perform a "Neutral Attack" (like Neutral Light or Neutral Air) while holding left or right. It makes hitting your combos much more consistent and prevents accidental side attacks!

🏆 Pro Tip: Transitioning from controller to keyboard and mouse will feel weird for the first 3 to 5 days. Stick with it in the Training Room before jumping into Ranked, and you’ll start seeing your reaction times improve dramatically!

Are you team Controller or team Keyboard & Mouse? Let us know your preferred setup in the comments below, and go claim that Diamond rank!