VSCode key bindings to navigate like Neovim

keybindings.json

[
  // Navigation
  {
    "key": "ctrl-h",
    "command": "workbench.action.navigateLeft"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl-l",
    "command": "workbench.action.navigateRight"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl-k",
    "command": "workbench.action.navigateUp"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl-j",
    "command": "workbench.action.navigateDown"
  },
  {
    "key": "space ,",
    "command": "workbench.action.showAllEditors",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus)"
  },
  {
    "key": "space e",
    "command": "runCommands",
    "args": {
      "commands": [
        "workbench.action.toggleSidebarVisibility",
        "workbench.files.action.focusFilesExplorer"
      ]
    },
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus) && !sideBarFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space e",
    "command": "runCommands",
    "args": {
      "commands": [
        "workbench.action.toggleSidebarVisibility",
        "workbench.action.focusActiveEditorGroup"
      ]
    },
    "when": "sideBarFocus && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space e",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus && foldersViewVisible",
    "command": "workbench.action.toggleSidebarVisibility"
  },
  {
    "key": "s h",
    "command": "workbench.action.splitEditor",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus)"
  },
  {
    "key": "s v",
    "command": "workbench.action.splitEditorDown",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus)"
  },

  // Coding
  {
    "key": "space c a",
    "command": "editor.action.codeAction",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "shift-k",
    "command": "editor.action.moveLinesUpAction",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'VisualLine' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "shift-j",
    "command": "editor.action.moveLinesDownAction",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'VisualLine' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "shift-k",
    "command": "editor.action.showHover",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space c r",
    "command": "editor.action.rename",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space c s",
    "command": "workbench.action.gotoSymbol",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space b d",
    "command": "workbench.action.closeActiveEditor",
    "when": "(vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus) || !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space b o",
    "command": "workbench.action.closeOtherEditors",
    "when": "(vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus) || !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space space",
    "command": "workbench.action.quickOpen",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus)"
  },
  {
    "key": "space g d",
    "command": "editor.action.revealDefinition",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space g r",
    "command": "editor.action.goToReferences",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space g i",
    "command": "editor.action.goToImplementation",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space s g",
    "command": "workbench.action.findInFiles",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus)"
  },
  {
    "key": "space g g",
    "command": "runCommands",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus)",
    "args": {
      "commands": ["workbench.view.scm", "workbench.scm.focus"]
    }
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl-n",
    "command": "editor.action.addSelectionToNextFindMatch",
    "when": "(vim.mode == 'Normal' || vim.mode == 'Visual') && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus)"
  },

  // File Explorer
  {
    "key": "r",
    "command": "renameFile",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "c",
    "command": "filesExplorer.copy",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "p",
    "command": "filesExplorer.paste",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "x",
    "command": "filesExplorer.cut",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "d",
    "command": "deleteFile",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "a",
    "command": "explorer.newFile",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "s",
    "command": "explorer.openToSide",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "shift-s",
    "command": "runCommands",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceReadonly && !inputFocus",
    "args": {
      "commands": [
        "workbench.action.splitEditorDown",
        "explorer.openAndPassFocus",
        "workbench.action.closeOtherEditors"
      ]
    }
  },
  {
    "key": "enter",
    "command": "explorer.openAndPassFocus",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !explorerResourceIsFolder && !inputFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "enter",
    "command": "list.toggleExpand",
    "when": "filesExplorerFocus && foldersViewVisible && !explorerResourceIsRoot && explorerResourceIsFolder && !inputFocus"
  },

  // Debug
  {
    "key": "space d a",
    "command": "workbench.action.debug.selectandstart",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus) && debuggersAvailable"
  },
  {
    "key": "space d t",
    "command": "workbench.action.debug.stop",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus && inDebugMode && !focusedSessionIsAttached"
  },
  {
    "key": "space d o",
    "command": "workbench.action.debug.stepOver",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus) && inDebugMode && debugState == 'stopped'"
  },
  {
    "key": "space d b",
    "command": "editor.debug.action.toggleBreakpoint",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "space d e",
    "command": "editor.debug.action.showDebugHover",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && editorTextFocus && inDebugMode && debugState == 'stopped'"
  },
  {
    "key": "space d c",
    "command": "workbench.action.debug.continue",
    "when": "vim.mode == 'Normal' && (editorTextFocus || !inputFocus) && inDebugMode && debugState == 'stopped'"
  }
]

If you're trying to use the ctrl-h,j,k,l navigation in Cursor and seeing Unknown part workbench.parts.activitybar, see: cursor/cursor#1570

The reason why gg does not work to go to the top of the file is that VS Code seems to handle the keybindings.json before vim.normalModeKeyBindings (settings.json).

I.e. if you have a keybinding sequence that starts with g you break all VIM sequences that start with g. Similarily a command like ct (change to next whitespace) also (currently) does not work as VS Code knows there is a keybinding sequence that starts with a space, starts listening and the space never reaches VIM.

This is the big drawback of configuring it the keybindgs.json way!

I fixed this by moving all commands that start with a g over to the settings.json and only having sequences that start with space in the keybindings.json. That's still not perfect (ci does not register, keybings split over two files, etc.) but works for me. Here is the relevant part of the settings.json if anyone wants to use it:

"vim.normalModeKeyBindingsNonRecursive": [
    {
      "commands": ["editor.action.goToTypeDefinition"],
      "before": ["g", "y"],
      "silent": true
    },
    {
      "commands": ["editor.action.goToReferences"],
      "before": ["g", "r"],
      "silent": true
    },
    {
      "commands": ["editor.action.goToImplementation"],
      "before": ["g", "i"],
      "silent": true
    },
    {
      "commands": [
        "editor.action.insertLineAfter",
        "editor.action.commentLine",
        "extension.vim_insert"
      ],
      "before": ["g", "c", "o"],
      "silent": true
    },
    {
      "commands": [
        "editor.action.insertLineBefore",
        "editor.action.commentLine",
        "extension.vim_insert"
      ],
      "before": ["g", "c", "shift+o"],
      "silent": true
    }
  ]