Silent Shark Keyboard and Mouse Controls

Silent Shark on Windows, macOS, and Linux assumes keyboard and mouse command from instrument stations. There is no required HOTAS or joystick. This reference summarizes default control concepts; exact key labels may shift slightly in pre-release builds — verify in-game and check Launch Notes near August 12, 2026 if bindings change after a patch.

Controls mirror between demo and full release. Skills built here transfer directly to campaign patrols.

Core control categories

Chart navigation

• Pan the tactical map by dragging with mouse.
• Zoom with scroll wheel for intercept geometry fine-tuning.
• Place timestamped points and bearing lines using chart tool modes documented in Map Tools.

Chart fluency is the highest-leverage control skill — more important than memorizing obscure hotkeys.

Station switching

Switch between chart, hydrophone, periscope, TDC, torpedo tubes, telegraph, and depth stations via keyboard shortcuts or clickable station tabs depending on UI layout. Stations guide recommends a consistent loop during attacks.

Recent demo patches moved the tutorial panel left to give TDC and instruments more space — station keys remain reachable without obscuring the chart.

Time compression

Time compression accelerates transit on the chart. Attack phases should use lower compression so hydrophone bearings and TDC updates stay valid. Basic Tutorial disables 1000× compression after it caused overshoots — treat that as guidance for self-managed limits in custom scenarios.

Pause and settings

Pause freezes sim time for plotting breaks. Settings host rebinding, audio levels, and UI preferences. Rebind before starting a convoy scenario, not during tube flooding.

Mouse-specific tips

• Use precise scroll for ruler measurements on Map Tools.
• Click vs drag distinctions matter on small laptop trackpads — external mouse recommended for long sessions.
• Periscope pan sensitivity rewards smooth motion when aligning stadimeter graticule — see Stadimeter Range.

Rebinding workflow

1. Open settings from main menu or pause.
2. Map station switch keys to one hand cluster (e.g., left side Q/W/E/R).
3. Keep chart toggle on an always-reachable key.
4. Test in Basic Tutorial before convoy attempts.
5. Steam Input can layer shift-modifiers for macOS laptops with fewer physical keys.

Document personal layouts if you switch machines — campaign sessions are long in full release.

Platform notes

• Windows / Linux — standard mouse + keyboard.
• macOS — function keys may need fn; test compression toggles early.

Mobile ports are planned separately from Steam 1.0 and are not covered here.

Related

• Stations Workflow
• Getting Started
• Controls Hub

Suggested binding layout

Cluster chart, hydrophone, and TDC on adjacent keys for the Stations loop. Avoid placing tube flood on keys your pinky hits while panning. Test bindings in Basic Tutorial before convoy scenarios.

Compression discipline

Use moderate compression only on transit without active bearing collection. Four Bearings require low compression — demo disabled 1000× in tutorial for this reason. Evasion stays 1× until hydrophone clears.

Accessibility

Increase UI scale if needed; chart readability beats minimal HUD. External mouse strongly recommended on laptops for Map Tools ruler work.

Common control mistakes

Rebinding flood to mouse wheel accidentally causes premature tube noise. Forgetting which key returns to chart mid-attack causes missed bearing updates. Test full Stations loop after any rebind change.

Audio cues complement controls

Hydrophone audio is part of control rhythm — headphones help hear escort sprint phases during evasion without staring at depth gauge alone.

Pause key hygiene

Pause is learning tool, not crutch. Track how many pauses per sortie; reduce weekly until convoy viable under continuous time.

Summary

Master chart mouse fluency first, station keys second, compression discipline third. Everything else in Silent Shark builds on those three control habits through the August 2026 campaign and beyond. Revisit bindings after major patches noted in Launch Notes.

Binding mastery drills

Spend ten minutes in a quiet chart view cycling every station binding until your fingers stop hunting. Then run Getting Started content without looking at the keyboard. If you still hunt for the periscope key under escort pressure, you will raise the scope too long.

Mouse on the chart

Chart precision matters. Learn fine pan/zoom before you trust a four bearings plot. Sloppy marks create sloppy speeds, which create confident TDC lies. Pair this page with map tools.

Pause is a feature

Pause to think. Silent Shark’s fantasy is deliberate command, not twitch aiming. If a tutorial step confuses AoB geometry, pause, open How to Use the TDC, then continue. That is better play than guessing and flooding.

Full release expectations

Controls for campaign map routing will sit beside encounter stations after August 12, 2026. The encounter bindings you learn in the Demo remain the foundation. Do not wait for 1.0 to build muscle memory.