PC gamers frustrated by keybind remapping issues in games
Some PC gamers are frustrated when they remap Skyrim keybinds, only for the in-game UI pop-ups to continue displaying the original button inputs. This is despite the fact that the dev has enabled keybinding customization. In fact, some users even defend developers who enable PC keybinding customization, regardless of the lack of UI changes.
The topic comes up in a Steam chat, as one user expresses frustration at Skyrim's keybinds not reflecting button remaps. "This is inexcusable," the user says. "It's either a bug or a feature. A bug that should be fixed."
"It's a bug," one user replies. "The dev should be fixing it."
"It's a missing feature," another user replies, "and there's nothing wrong with that." The user explains that Skyrim's UI already shows all possible keybinds, so changing keybinds shouldn't be reflected as a bug.
Another user shares their experience with Mafia 3, where the on-screen prompts did not match the actual button inputs, and they felt anxious during critical decision-making moments because the button prompts did not match what they were actually doing. They argue that incorrect UI prompts can affect gameplay progress, and that the lack of consistency in the way Skyrim keybinds are reflected in the UI pop-ups is an example of poor development.
"It's a bug," the user replies. "It's not a missing feature. They should update the UI when you change bindings."
"Custom keybinds aren't a big deal," another user says. "I can see why some devs only partially update the in-game messaging." The user adds that the dev could add a note to the Steam community hub to clarify the issue.
Another user expresses sympathy for developers who only partially update the in-game messaging when remapping keybinds. "I understand it but it's super frustrating," the user replies. "I just wanna play the game."
"This is why we report bugs," another user replies. "It's their job to fix them."
The comparison between an indie game like Sun Haven, where keybinds aren't reflected in the UI pop-ups, and AAA games like Skyrim, where keybinds are reflected, but only partially, comes up again. "I don't understand why people think that indie games should be held to the same standard as Bethesda games," one user replies. "It should be reported," they add.
Another user suggests that the complexity of implementing proper keybind changes in game development is more than just copying and pasting open-source code. "There are things here that need to be handled by developers," the user replies.
Others suggest that it's not as simple as copying and pasting, but that game development is more complex than some users think. "I'm not an expert in software development, but there are a lot of things that can go wrong in a game," a user replies.
Another user mentions that the limited budget and resources of indie games are potential reasons for issues with keybind remapping. "Console UI is often lazy," another user replies. "[But] PC UI sometimes is considered low priority."
The inconvenience of having to manually change keyboard layouts in certain games is brought up, with some users suggesting buying a US layout keyboard as a solution. "US keyboards are the best," a user replies dismissively. "Those who struggle with remapped keybinds are 'too dumb' to remember their changes," they add.
Another user argues that the issue of incorrect UI prompts affecting gameplay progress is debatable. "I don't think this is a big deal," the user replies. "But I do think it's an issue."
Another user mentions a similar issue in the game Sun Haven, where remapped keybinds are not reflected in the UI pop-ups. "I can't even report it," the user replies. "There's no way to do it."
The debate between whether the lack of UI updates is a bug or simply a missing feature arises again. "Incorrect keybinds [is] definitely a bug," one user replies.
"It's obvious it's a bug," another user replies. "If it's not a bug, then it's a feature that should be added. It's not good to leave something like this."
"In some way I wish that [the lack of UI updates] was a feature," another user replies. "I can't imagine how hard it must be to implement this."
The user adds that Skyrim, as an open-world game, has hundreds of buttons, and implementing correct keybind changes into such a large game must be very challenging.
