Approximately Up Controls & Keybinds
Almost everything in Approximately Up is rebindable, which makes a "default keybind list" less useful than it sounds — and makes it easy for a fan site to publish a confident-looking list of keys that were never confirmed. This page only lists keys the developer has stated in a patch note or an options-menu note. If a binding is not here, it is because no published source names it, not because it does not exist.
If a keybind you set used to vanish: that was a real bug, not you. Until patch 1.0.105 on August 26, 2026, bindings only saved when you left a seat — so changing one and then quitting to the Main Menu lost it. They now save the moment you edit them.
Time controls
| Action | Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Time Controls menu | P (default) | Added in 1.0.100. Holds Pause, Fast Forward and Time Rewind together. |
| Fast Forward | Time Controls menu | Runs the whole simulation at 3x. Nothing is skipped or simplified, so it costs CPU and can lower FPS. A small 'FAST FORWARD 3x' label appears top-centre while it is active (1.0.110). |
| Pause | Time Controls menu | Works in singleplayer and multiplayer, added 1.0.100. |
| Time Rewind | Time Controls menu | Two achievements are built around not using it: No Rewinds! for one objective, Golden Thruster for every objective. |
Building
| Action | Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Undo / Redo | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y (default) | Added in 1.0.110 with up to 200 steps of history. The same patch added an option to swap the two keys, for QWERTZ layouts where the defaults sit awkwardly. |
| Pick the component you are looking at | Middle mouse button | Shipped bound to the mouse side button by a typo (Mouse3 instead of Mouse2) and corrected in 1.0.007. |
| Take an inventory item straight into your hand | Right-click in the inventory list | Added in 1.0.100; from 1.0.105 the inventory closes automatically afterwards. |
| Hotbar slots | 1-0, rebindable | Custom hotbar binds added in 1.0.005. |
| H mode (connection view) | H | Since 1.0.110 it marks any component not attached to anything with an exclamation mark — the fix for ships that break apart mid-flight because of one loose part. |
Flying and seats
| Action | Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Invert mouse X / Y while seated | Options menu | Added in 1.0.007. |
| Open the Manual while seated | Manual key | Allowed from 1.0.008 onward; before that you had to leave the seat. |
| Jump | Space | Works on airless surfaces again since 1.0.105. Jumping in space was removed in 1.0.104 because it could push you off the ship with no way back. |
Peripherals
| Action | Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Controller | Community mod | The Steam store page does not list controller support in its categories. A controller flight mod exists in the community mod scene; 'can you use a controller for flying' is one of the game's most-searched questions. |
| HOTAS | Not published | An open Steam thread asks for it. No patch note has confirmed native support. |
14 published bindings checked against patch notes:
The blocks these keys operate are covered in the parts reference, and the patch-by-patch record of every binding change is on the updates page.