How to change weapons in Starfield quickly

Learning how to change weapons in Starfield on the fly is crucial to coming out on top when taking on the many alien species, pirates, and spacers that call the Settled Systems home. From Jemison, Cheyenne, and Mars to the outer fringes of the galaxy, you’re sure to run into trouble sooner or later in Bethesda Studios’ space-faring RPG.

While you can hop into the inventory and change Starfield weapons there, it isn’t the most efficient way to swap between them in the heat of battle. So here, we’ll explain how to change weapons in Starfield without accessing your inventory.

How to change weapons in Starfield

To change weapons in Starfield, you can use one of these two methods.

• Tap the number corresponding to the weapon on your keyboard, or press y button on your Xbox controller to switch weapons quickly from your favourites.
• Tap Q on your keyboard or the D-pad and given direction button to bring up the weapon wheel, then click on the weapon you want to equip.

This method of swapping weapons in Starfield is far more efficient than having to jump to the menu every time you want a different gun. Do remember to update the dial every so often to ensure you’ve got the best weapons assigned.

How to assign weapons to the weapon wheel in Starfield

In order to use weapons in this way, you’ll need to assign weapons to your quick dial, also called a weapon wheel. To do this, access your inventory then click on the weapons submenu. Once there, click on a weapon and tap the favourite key or button (B on PC). This will bring up the dial menu. Select the slot where you want to assign the weapon. Each one is numbered (plus an extra two assigned to the [ and ] keys) and corresponds to the same key on your keyboard. You’ll see a little tab symbol in the top corner of the weapon icon confirming that it’s been slotted in correctly. Repeat for your favourite rifles, pistols, shotguns, and melee weapons. Then just exit the inventory and return to the game screen.

That covers how to change weapons in Starfield. If you’re after a suit and ship to complement your weapons, check out the Starfield Lair of the Mantis puzzle solution. If you’re struggling with the Late Bloomer quest, check out how to persuade Leah Casler in Starfield. We also have dedicated Starfield planets, Starfield companions, and Starfield skills guides, and a quick overview of how to sell items, if you need to get to grips with the basics.