Issues with input devices like a mouse or keyboard can manifest in issues interacting with the game interface, or sending inputs for anything from character abilities to chat.
Mouse Input Troubleshooting
Most mouse difficulties arise from other programs - most often, those which render overlays on the game screen - interfering with your ability to click on various interface elements in-game.
If you are aware that you have any overlay software installed, you may be able to quickly resolve the issue by simply identifying the program and disabling its overlay functionality while playing Guild Wars 2.
Below is a list of software that has been found to cause such issues:
- Voice and communication software (Discord, etc.) often has an option to display information about the users you are communicating with as an overlay on your games.
- Performance monitoring software (MSI Afterburner, Riva Tuner, etc.) can be used to display hardware and performance statistics for monitoring your system while you play.
- Overlay and driver-based screen recording software (Nvidia Shadowplay, Radeon ReLive, Xbox Game Bar, etc.) can be used to record game footage, and often uses an overlay to display recording information and allow quick access to certain recording and performance settings.
- Third Party Addons (DPS meters, graphics and shader tools, etc.) all implement various overlay solutions to render their interfaces.
If you know you are using any of the above tools, you can begin by disabling their overlay functionality (or removing/turning off the software entirely) while you play Guild Wars 2 to see if this resolves the issue.
If you are unsure what software could be interfering, or disabling those listed above does not work, you can also try a clean boot to disable all unnecessary programs which are launching when you boot into Windows, then enable them again one by one until you find the culprit.
Once you have identified the interfering program, you can adjust the program's settings until you find a playable solution. Please note that, while some programs may include compatibility settings or have other known workarounds to prevent input interference, the Guild Wars 2 support team does not directly support these other pieces of software, so we will often recommend that you disable the overlay (or uninstall the interfering program) entirely for best results.
Keyboard Input Troubleshooting
Keyboard input issues are a bit more varied and can take many different forms which will result in different issues impacting your game experience.
Input and Skill Delay
Most often, input delay is not being caused by your keyboard or mouse itself, but rather by game lag. You can often resolve these sorts of problems by following our instructions for troubleshooting connectivity and lag.
Incorrect or Random Inputs
If you find that your inputs do not align with keys you are pressing (for example, you press the number 1 but the character skill that is activated is associated with the 5 key) or that your characters are acting without your input at all, then you may have activated a macro stored on your input device.
If you have a keyboard which comes with driver and configuration software, you can often find options for recording and setting macros within these programs, and we encourage you to check to ensure your keys are all assigned to the correct inputs. Since some higher end gaming keyboards often have a dedicated macro recording button or hotkey combination on the device itself, it can be easy to accidentally activate this functionality.
Another cause may be that you have another input device plugged in to your computer that is receiving inputs. Try unplugging any secondary mice, keyboards, or game controllers and see if this resolves the issue.
Regional Text and Special Characters
Some languages use different keyboard layouts than the standard QWERTY format to allow the input of accented letters or characters associated with other languages.
If you are having trouble inputting such characters to communicate with other players who speak your language, please ensure that your operating system's region and language are set appropriately, as the Guild Wars 2 game client should take its input settings directly from those set in your operating system.
Please note that, while the game client and the fonts used for chat should support a wide range of special characters used by many languages, the game only officially supports English, Spanish, French, and German language options. The in-game interface and voiceover is only available in these languages, and we may not be able to offer further support for input in other languages.
Troubleshooting Issues With Other Peripherals
Players have found much success using alternative input devices to play the game, be it a traditional console-style controller or a special gaming device such as the Steam Deck. This is often done by using software to convert the button presses on such devices into mouse and keyboard button presses using emulation.
Please note that, while using such devices to play is perfectly acceptable and encouraged, we are unable to offer support for anything beyond standard mouse and keyboard input.
If you wish for assistance getting such input devices setup and working with the game, you can likely find many dedicated fans sharing their solutions on the official forums, or in the Steam discussion board for the Steam version of Guild Wars 2.
For other devices, you should reach out to the support team of the manufacturer, or locate the community discussion board for the device.