If you’ve scrolled through TikTok clips of insane Apex Legends trick shots or watched your squad dominate matches on console, you’ve probably asked yourself how do i play apex legends on pc at least once. The good news is that the game is completely free to play, cross-platform compatible, and runs on most mid-tier PCs without expensive upgrades. PC players get access to tons of perks you won’t find on console, including custom keybinds, higher framerates, and more precise aiming with a mouse and keyboard. This guide will walk you through every step from first setup to winning your first Champion match, no prior battle royale experience required.
How Do I Play Apex Legends on PC: First-Time Setup Steps
First, you’ll need to download the game from an official platform. You can grab it for free on either Steam or the EA App, both of which are safe and supported for PC play. Always download the game directly from official platforms to avoid malware or account theft risks — third-party download sites often have modified versions that can steal your login info or install harmful software on your device.
Next, check if your PC meets the minimum system requirements. You don’t need a top-of-the-line gaming rig to run Apex smoothly. The minimum requirements call for an Intel Core i3-6300 or AMD FX-4350 processor, 6GB of RAM, and either an NVIDIA GT 640 or Radeon HD 7730 graphics card. If you want to run the game at 1080p 60fps on high settings, you’ll need at least an Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 390 GPU. Most PCs built in the last 5 years will hit those specs easily.
Once the game is installed, you’ll need to create an EA account if you don’t already have one. If you’ve played Apex on console before, you can link your existing account to carry over all your unlocked legends, skins, and in-game progress thanks to cross-progression. When you launch the game for the first time, you’ll get a quick tutorial that walks you through basic movement and shooting, which is worth playing even if you’ve played the game on console before to get used to PC controls.
Core Gameplay Rules You Need to Know Before Your First Match
Apex Legends is a squad-based battle royale, meaning you’ll team up with two other players (or play solo if you prefer non-squad modes) to fight against 19 other squads for the top spot. The core loop is easy to pick up, but hard to master, and there are a few key rules that will save you from making common beginner mistakes.
Every match follows the same basic flow:
- Drop from the dropship with your squad at a location that balances loot quality and player density to avoid early fights you can't win
- Loot nearby buildings for weapons, ammo, armor, and ability charges before moving toward the center of the safe zone
- Engage enemy squads when you have a positional advantage, and use your legend's unique abilities to turn fights in your favor
- Revive downed teammates or recover their respawn banners to bring them back to life at a respawn beacon, as full squads have far higher win odds
- Outlast all remaining squads to earn a coveted Champion win, the highest prize in standard Apex matches
You don't have to fight every squad you see — new players often make the mistake of running toward every gunfire sound they hear, and end up eliminated 2 minutes into the match with barely any loot. It’s perfectly fine to avoid fights early on to gear up, especially if you’re still learning how the guns handle.
You’ll also want to prioritize armor over extra weapons when you first drop. Common armor gives you 50 extra health, rare gives 75, epic gives 100, and legendary gives 125 plus a 50% reduction to healing time. Armor pieces are more valuable than extra weapons early on, since they give you a much better chance of surviving a surprise attack from an enemy squad that landed nearby.
PC-Specific Controls and Settings to Optimize Your Performance
The default PC controls for Apex Legends are pretty intuitive for anyone who’s played a PC shooter before. You’ll use WASD keys to move, your mouse to aim, left click to shoot, right click to aim down sights, Q to activate your legend’s tactical ability, Z to activate your ultimate ability, space to jump, left control to crouch, and left shift to sprint. That said, one of the biggest perks of playing on PC is that you can customize every single keybind to fit your playstyle.
For example, many players bind crouch to one of their mouse side buttons to make tap strafing and slide jumps easier, both of which are advanced movement techniques that let you move faster and avoid enemy fire more effectively. You don’t have to learn those right away, but it’s good to set up your keybinds early so you can build muscle memory as you play.
There are a few key settings you should adjust before your first match to make your gameplay as smooth as possible. First, set your FOV (field of view) between 100 and 110. Most pro players use this range because it gives you a much wider peripheral vision to spot enemies off to your side, without distorting your aim too much. Turn off mouse acceleration in both your Windows settings and in-game settings to make your aim as consistent as possible — mouse acceleration changes how fast your cursor moves based on how fast you move your mouse, which makes it impossible to build reliable muscle memory.
If you’re playing on a laptop, Invest in a cheap wired mouse if you're playing on a laptop trackpad — trackpads are almost impossible to aim accurately with for fast-paced shooters like this. You don’t need a $100 gaming mouse, either; any $15 wired mouse will work perfectly for new players. You should also turn off motion blur and VSync if you’re running the game on a lower-end PC, as both settings can cause input lag that makes it harder to react to enemies fast enough.
Beginner Tips to Win More Matches as a New PC Player
It’s normal to lose your first 10+ matches when you start playing Apex on PC, even if you’re a good player on console. Mouse and keyboard aim takes time to get used to, and there’s a lot of little details you’ll only pick up with experience. That said, there are a few simple tips that will help you win more matches much faster.
First, pick 1 or 2 legends to main for your first 20 matches, instead of swapping to a new legend every game. For beginners, Wraith, Bangalore, and Gibraltar are all great picks. Wraith’s tactical ability lets her phase out of danger when she gets caught out, Bangalore’s smoke grenades let you escape or push enemies easily, and Gibraltar’s shield gives you extra cover for reviving teammates or reloading in the middle of a fight. Stick with one legend until you know their abilities inside and out, then you can start experimenting with others.
Second, use the in-game ping system to communicate with your squad if you don’t have a mic. Apex’s ping system is one of the best in any shooter, and you can mark enemies, loot, safe spots, and even tell your squad you need healing without saying a word. Most experienced players rely on pings even when they have mics, since they’re faster and clearer than yelling over voice chat.
Spend 5 minutes in the firing range before you jump into matches every time you play. The firing range lets you test out every gun in the game, practice your aim, and get used to how different recoil patterns work. You don’t have to spend hours practicing, but a quick warm up will make a huge difference in how well you aim in your first few matches.
Don't get discouraged if you lose your first 10+ matches — Apex has a steep learning curve, and even top pro players lost hundreds of matches before they started winning consistently. I still remember my first win on PC took 17 tries, and I was so excited I sent a screenshot to all my friends. The fun part is the process of learning, not just winning every match.
If you’ve been wondering how do i play apex legends on pc, you don’t need a fancy setup or years of shooter experience to have a great time. Start by downloading the game from an official platform, adjust your settings to fit your device, learn the core gameplay loop, and take it slow as you get used to PC controls. You’ll mess up a lot at first, and that’s totally okay. Before you know it, you’ll be pulling off your own trick shots and winning Champion matches with your squad. The best part? It’s all completely free, so you can jump in and play whenever you have a spare 20 minutes.