How to Enter Cheat Codes for PC Games With a Non-US Keyboard

Activate cheats for computer games using different keyboard layouts

By

Updated on 02/09/21

What to Know

With any keyboard layout, use the key in the same location as the tilde key (~) on U.S. keyboards to display the cheat console.
Some keyboard layouts do not work with cheats that require the tilde key, so you need to add one manually.
In Windows, go to Language settings > [language] > Options > Add a keyboard. Choose a layout that includes the tilde key (~).

Most cheat codes for computer games require players to press a certain key to display the cheat console, but some keys don't work as expected if you don't use a standard U.S. keyboard. Learn how to activate Windows and PC cheat codes using any keyboard layout.

How to Activate the Cheat Console With Most Keyboards

In PC games, like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the tilde key (~) is used to display the console window where cheat codes are entered. On most U.S. keyboards, the tilde key is located above the Tab key. On a Swedish keyboard, however, the tilde key is located near the Enter key, and pressing it doesn't load the cheat console.

Regardless of the keyboard layout, use the key in the same location as the tilde key on U.S. keyboards to display the cheat console. For example, on a Swedish keyboard, the correct key is the one that has the ½ and § symbols on it. You shouldn't experience any problems pressing the tilde key (or the key above Tab) on the following keyboard layouts:

U.S.
U.S.-International
AZERTY (France, Belgium)
Dvorak Simplified
QZERTY
Sebeolsik 390
Sebeolsik Final
Sebeolsic Noshift
Arabic
Bulgarian
Chinese
Danish
Devanāgarī
French
Greek
Hangul (Korean)
Hebrew
Japanese
Norwegian
Swedish / Finnish
U.K.

Some games use different keys to activate the cheat console. Consult cheat guides for the game to find out how to enter codes.

Potentially Problematic Keyboard Layouts

The following keyboard layouts aren't likely to work with cheats that require the tilde key:

Armenian
Bulgarian BDS
Canadian French
Canadian Multilingual Standard
Danish
Hungary
Norwegian
Portuguese (Portugal)
Portuguese (Brazil)
QWERTZ (Germany, Austria)
QWERTZ (Swiss-German, Swiss-French, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg)
Romanian
Russian
Thai

How to Use PC Game Cheats With Other Keyboards

If the standard keyboard layout precludes the use of the tilde key as mapped to U.S.-based keyboards, it's possible to add alternative keyboards to your system.

To add a new keyboard in Windows 10:

Go to the Windows search bar, type language, then select Language settings.
Select your language, then select Options.
Select Add a keyboard.
Select a new keyboard layout.
Press Windows key+Spacebar to cycle through keyboard layouts so that you can enter cheats.

If English isn't your primary language, install English-language support before adding an English keyboard layout.