The Gear Wheel Opens During Missions with the G Key

The gear wheel in Warframe is a radial menu that appears during active missions on your PC. Press the G key to open it. The menu shows your equipped gear items — things like healing consumables, air support charges, and other tactical tools you've brought into the mission. It only works while you're in a mission; you cannot open it in the orbiter, relays, or other non-mission areas.

The gear wheel appears as a circle of icons around your cursor. Move your mouse toward the item you want to use, then click it. The menu closes after you select an item or press G again to dismiss it without using anything.

Key Takeaways

  • Press G during an active mission to open the gear wheel; it does not work in the orbiter or relays.
  • The gear wheel shows only the gear items you equipped before the mission started, not your weapons or warframe abilities.
  • You equip gear in the loadout screen before launching a mission, not during the mission itself.
  • If the G key does not open the gear wheel, check your control settings in the Options menu to confirm the keybind has not been changed.

Where to Equip Gear Before a Mission

You set up your gear in the loadout screen, which you reach from the orbiter. On the left side of your screen, select the warframe or weapon you want to customize. Look for the Gear section — it is usually a separate tab or panel showing empty slots.

Click an empty gear slot and choose from your inventory. Common gear items include Restore pads (restore health or shields), Ammo restores, and air support charges that call in support fire during combat. You can equip up to four gear items per loadout. Once you have selected them, launch the mission; your gear will be available in the wheel during play.

What Happens If G Does Not Work

If pressing G does not open the gear wheel during a mission, your keybind may have been changed or reassigned. Open the Options menu from the main screen, then select Controls. Search for "gear wheel" or scroll through the list to find the keybind. It should be set to G by default, but you can change it to any key you prefer.

If you find the keybind is already set to G and it still does not work, try rebinding it to a different key, then back to G. This sometimes resets a stuck keybind. If the problem persists, verify that no other program running in the background is intercepting the G key — some overlay software or gaming keyboards can cause this.

Gear Wheel vs. Ability Wheel

Warframe has two separate wheels: the gear wheel (G key) and the ability wheel (hold the middle mouse button or your configured ability key). The gear wheel holds consumable items you bring into missions. The ability wheel shows your warframe's four powers, which you normally cast with 1, 2, 3, and 4 keys.

Do not confuse the two. If you press G and see your warframe's abilities instead of gear items, you may have rebound the gear wheel to a different key or the ability wheel to G. Check your Controls settings to sort out which key does what.

Using Gear During Combat

Once the gear wheel is open, you have a few seconds to select an item before it closes automatically. Move your mouse to highlight the item you want, then click it. The item activates when ready, and the wheel disappears. Some gear items have cooldowns — you cannot use them again until a timer runs out, which is shown on the item's icon.

You can also close the gear wheel without using anything by pressing G again or by moving your mouse away from all items and waiting. This is useful if you opened it by accident or changed your mind about which item to use.

Common Gear Items and What They Do

The gear you can equip depends on what you have crafted or purchased in the market. Restore pads are the most common — they restore your health, shields, or energy depending on the type. Air support charges call in orbital strikes or other support fire. Ammo restores refill your ammunition reserves.

Some gear items are mission-specific or faction-specific, meaning they only work in certain mission types or against certain enemies. Check the item's description in your inventory to see where it can be used. Gear items are consumable, so using one removes it from your inventory; you have to craft or buy more to use it again in future missions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the gear wheel in the orbiter or relay?

No. The gear wheel only works during active missions. You cannot open it in the orbiter, relays, or any non-mission area. If you need to change your gear, return to the orbiter, go to your loadout screen, and equip different items before launching your next mission.

What if I have no gear equipped?

If you have not equipped any gear items before the mission, pressing G will still open the wheel, but it will show empty slots. You can still open it, but there will be nothing to use. Equip gear in your loadout before launching to have items available during the mission.

Do I lose gear if I do not use it during a mission?

No. Gear items are only consumed when you use them. If you bring four restore pads into a mission and use only one, you keep the other three in your inventory. Unused gear stays in your inventory after the mission ends.

Can I rebind the gear wheel key to something other than G?

Yes. Open Options, select Controls, find the gear wheel keybind, and change it to any key you prefer. Some players rebind it to a mouse button or a key closer to their movement keys for faster access during combat.

Why does my gear wheel show abilities instead of gear items?

You have likely rebound the gear wheel key to the same key as your ability wheel, or the ability wheel is set to G. Check your Controls settings and make sure the gear wheel and ability wheel have different keybinds assigned to them.