GameShifter
Unlocking the power
of your keyboard.
Mac shortcuts on Windows. Any key combo in any game.
A small app for Windows. No driver, no admin rights.
Assigning forbidden shortcuts to games (mouse keys, Shift+E, …) is cool. But the real fun begins when you can make Windows work and feel like macOS. With GameShifter + WinWin.
Two jobs, one small app
One half for work. One half for play.
Mac mode
Windows works like a Mac.
- The key next to the spacebar becomes ⌘
- Word and line jumps with ⌥ and ⌘
- Cmd+Tab between apps, Cmd+` between windows
- @ where your Mac has it
Games
Bind what the game won't.
Shift+ECtrl+XMouse 5
- Shift+E, Ctrl+X, mouse buttons and wheel tilt
- Lower DPI while you aim
- Games go quiet when you tab out
- A second set of abilities on your mouse
Mac mode
One switch. Windows works like a Mac.
The key next to the spacebar becomes ⌘. That's the whole idea, and then a lot of small fixes so it holds up all day.
The PC bottom row. Flip the switch.
Mac mode · Mac-style keyboard
Alt becomes Ctrl. Ctrl becomes Win. Win becomes Alt.
Three keys trade places, so the modifier you use most sits under your thumb. Right Alt is left alone, so AltGr still types @ and €.
Jump through text one word at a time.
Mac mode · Word & line jumps
⌥ jumps a word. ⌘ jumps the line.
⌥+←/→ moves by word, ⌘+←/→ goes to the start or end of the line. Add ⇧ to select on the way. Press Backspace instead of an arrow, and the same keys delete the word or the line.
Mac mode · Browser tab switching
Switch browser tabs from the keyboard.
Hold ⌘ and ⌥, then tap ← or → for the previous or next tab.
@ where your Mac has it.
GameShifter detects your keyboard layout (German, Swiss, Nordic, Spanish, Italian…) and puts @ back where your fingers look for it.
Windows shortcuts, out of the way.
The Windows shortcuts that collide with the Mac ones get turned off or moved.
Steps aside in games.
Mac mode switches itself off while a game is in front. Your apps always keep it.
Mac mode · App & window switching
Cmd+Tab for apps. Cmd+` for windows.
Windows only has Alt+Tab, which mixes every window of every app together. GameShifter splits it in two, the way a Mac does.
Browser
Cmd+Tab cycles between apps.
One stop per app, however many windows it has open.
Cmd+` cycles the windows of one app.
Three browser windows? Flip through just those, and stay in the browser.
Games
Bind the combos games won't let you bind.
Many games accept R but not Shift+R, and they ignore the extra buttons on your mouse. GameShifter catches the combo you want and hands the game a plain key it will accept.
You pressThe game sees
Games · Shortcut swaps
Shift+E works. Even when the game says no.
Add a game from Steam, Epic, GOG, Ubisoft Connect or any .exe, then record a combo just by pressing it. Mouse buttons and wheel tilt count too.
Games · Hold breath
Aim, and the mouse slows down.
While you aim (Shift + right click), GameShifter lowers the mouse DPI, like holding your breath on a scope.
Games · Muted in the background
Tab out, and the game goes quiet.
It gets its sound back when you return. On by default for every game in your libraries.
Games · Per-game DPI
Each game gets its own DPI.
Set it once per game and stop thinking about it.
Mouse buttons
Your mouse has more buttons than your games admit.
GameShifter binds all of them, wheel tilt included. Then hold a modifier or a mouse button, and every other button does something else: a second set of abilities under your hand.
Nothing held. Every spare button already has a job.
- 1Wheel tilt leftQ
- 2Front edge button1
- 3Rear edge button2
- 4ForwardMouse shift
- 5SniperJ
- 6BackG
- 7Right clickclick
- 8Wheel clickclick
- 9Wheel tilt rightE
- 10Behind the wheelM
The game sees a plain key
Whatever you held to get there, the game gets one ordinary key it's happy to bind.
Not just for games
You can create custom bindings for any app.
Works with your mouse
No special mouse and no G HUB needed. For the most buttons, I recommend a Logitech G502, without G HUB running.
Who it's for
Three kinds of people. Maybe you're two of them.
You switch between a Mac and a PC
Your fingers stop caring which one they're on. Cmd+C is Cmd+C, everywhere.
You only use Windows
The modifier under your thumb is simply kinder than the one under your little finger.
You want more binds than the game allows
Shift+R, the side buttons, the wheel tilt. If you can press it, you can bind it.
Trust
It sits between you and your keyboard. So it's careful.
You're right to be nervous about an app that listens to keys. Here's how this one behaves.
Panic key
Everything off. Instantly.
There are also two kill switches in the app and a toggle in the tray.
No driver, no admin rights
Not for the normal path. It's a small app that sits in your tray and starts with Windows.
Keystrokes stay on your PC
They're never stored and never sent anywhere.
Pass-through by default
Anything GameShifter doesn't handle reaches the app untouched, so a bug can't lock up your keyboard.
Hands off your games
Muting only touches the Windows volume mixer, never a game's files or memory.
FAQ
Fair questions.
Does it work with my keyboard layout?
GameShifter detects your layout and puts @ where your Mac has it. German, Swiss, Nordic, Spanish and Italian layouts are covered, among others. Right Alt is left alone, so AltGr keeps typing @ and €.
Will it get me banned?
Be careful here. Catching keys and sending different ones is cheating-shaped behavior, even when all you want is Shift+E. Competitive games with kernel anti-cheat, such as Valorant with Vanguard, may flag it. Don't use GameShifter where it breaks a game's terms of service.
Do I need a special mouse, or G HUB?
No. GameShifter works with any mouse and any keyboard, and it doesn't need G HUB. If you want the most out of the mouse features, I recommend a Logitech G502, used without G HUB running.
Does it need a driver or admin rights?
No, not for the normal path. It lives in the tray and starts with Windows.
What if something goes wrong while I'm typing?
Press Ctrl+Alt+Pause and everything turns off at once. And because GameShifter passes through anything it doesn't handle, a bug can't lock up your keyboard.
Does Mac mode get in the way in games?
No. Mac mode switches itself off while a game is in front, and comes back when you return to your apps.
Unlock your keyboard.
Mac shortcuts on Windows. Any key combo in any game.
gameshifter.app