Hands

Overview:
The player character's hands are the equipment slots that will be used most during the game. The hand slots are the most versatile of all the equipment slots - they are used to equip melee weapons, firearms, and shields, but they can also be used to carry regular items, large items, and all movable containers.

Gameplay mechanics:
The hand slots are different from other equipment slots in that they have a great deal more functionality and do not require opening the inventory menu in order to change the item being held (though it is still an option).

Main Link: Scavenging
When items are picked up in the world, they automatically go into an empty hand slot before they can be added into the player character's inventory. This means that at least one hand slot must be free to make searching, scavenging, and taking of items possible. Though the hands need to be empty in order to take items, this doesn't necessarily mean that any weapons need to be unequipped. Weapons with sheaths, holsters, or any other slot or means of carrying it on the body simply just need to be put away, thus freeing a hand for the taking of items. Some weapons WILL need to be dropped, or placed in the inventory, if they do not have a carrying slot on the body.

Weapons and Wieldables:
A weapon can always be equipped from the inventory menu and even a container menu for a weapon just found, but it can also be found as a loose item in the world. With the sufficient amount of free hands, pressing the Interact button will automatically equip it to the hand slot - ready for use. If the weapon is one-handed and the right hand is not free, or the weapon is two-handed and either hand is not free, then the option to pick up the weapon directly into a hand is not possible. It will then act as a loose item on the ground - holding down the Interact button can add it into a held container, or the inventory, when a popup appears - showing both the Left/Right Triggers as well as the Interact button. Pulling the Triggers will put the weapon into the container in the respective hand, if applicable. Holding down the Interact button will add it into the inventory.


 * To add a weapon directly into the inventory, the fastest method is to simply press the Interact button over the weapon and then hold down the Interact button when the popup appears, adding it straight into the inventory.