PC Gaming With a Controller

[HangTime]

Loads of games work well on a controller, it's really about the genre. FPS and Strategy games are a big no-no, but other than that, controllers are generally fine.

One point of note though, occasionally you get games where I feel I want to use both controller and mouse, typically where aiming is required. So for example something like WH40k where you run around doing melee combat but also shooting is really annoying, constantly picking up and putting down the controller. For GTA games I sometimes use the mouse for shooting sections.

 

[Kelt]

My other main gripe with using a controller apart from aim assist, is having to click the left stick down to sprint! Man that's so annoying, much prefer to use the old pinky on the shift key.

I've set my Xbox Elite to have the top rear paddles set to left and right stick click, great for sprint and whatever the other one is set to.

Main reason I did it but it also saves wear on the sticks, I've read more than once that clicking down on the sticks leads to stick drift problems.

 

[Kelt]

I've heard that RDR2 is great with a controller. I'm going to give that another try... I always felt the M+K to be off with that game.

It is.

 

[Kelt]

I play almost every game with joypad, got my ps5 joypad for steam games and series x pad for gamepass.

It’s only strategy and RTS I play with KB & mouse.

Same here.

 

[heartburnron]

One point of note though, occasionally you get games where I feel I want to use both controller and mouse, typically where aiming is required. So for example something like WH40k where you run around doing melee combat but also shooting is really annoying, constantly picking up and putting down the controller. For GTA games I sometimes use the mouse for shooting sections.

The 3rd person Resident Evil games are like this too; feel better with controller until you come to a boss fight with specific weak spots to target, then you want the mouse.

 

[Angilion]

This is one of the biggest blockers for me moving completely to PC from Xbox... [..]

Me too. I think consoles are better value for money on the whole because they're adequate and come at a much lower cost. But I physically can't play with a controller for more than maybe 30 minutes, tops. Well, I could. If I wanted more pain and loss of functionality in my right thumb. Which I don't. Unsurprisingly. I'm too old for a controller.

The only games I'd like a controller for are racing games. Keyboard is bad for racing games and mouse just doesn't work at all. Of course, if I was serious about racing games I'd have a wheel and pedals. For pootling about with arcade racing games, keyboard will do.

I have always preferred using controller for FPS games as I am nowhere near as good with keyboard and mouse. However the problem I find is there is almost a requirement to use keyboard and mouse for competitive FPS on PC, otherwise you are just at a disadvantage from the outset. From my experience it’s the point and click, strategy, survival and ARMA style of games that seem to work well with keyboard and mouse due to the number of buttons, inventory functions etc. that are within the game.

You're probably better with a controller for FPS games due to the ingame aimbot being enabled. A mouse is vastly superior for rapid and accurate positioning - it's what they were designed for - so anyone who has any familiarity with a mouse will be able to do that better with a mouse than with a mini joystick unless they have a handicap that prevents them using a mouse but doesn't prevent them using a mini joystick.

Maybe mouse and joystick or trackball would be best. The main drawback of KB+M is that the keyboard is a digital input and in some games having two analogue inputs is better. Mouse for looking and aiming, some other analogue input for movement, buttons on mouse and/or other input device for the things that would usually be handled by keyboard (map, inventory, journal, etc).

 

[wildest_jjk]

You're probably better with a controller for FPS games due to the ingame aimbot being enabled. A mouse is vastly superior for rapid and accurate positioning - it's what they were designed for - so anyone who has any familiarity with a mouse will be able to do that better with a mouse than with a mini joystick unless they have a handicap that prevents them using a mouse but doesn't prevent them using a mini joystick.

Let's put it this way, I'm not aware of having any handicap...

However that might explain why I am better than most people I play against on console.

 

[HEADRAT]

I simply can't play with anything other keyboard/mouse, with a controller in FPS I just spin around either looking at ceiling or floor, it's like a disability

 

[whatalegend123]

all FPS with a controller, any RTS & driving

and then most 3rd person view with a controller, so things like, Batman Arkham asylum, Assassins creed, bastion and RPGs

 

[kevman]

The 3rd person Resident Evil games are like this too; feel better with controller until you come to a boss fight with specific weak spots to target, then you want the mouse.

Agree- I started RE2 remake on the controller but moved back to k&m because it was much easier to accurately aim.

 

[kinger8938]

I use my PC via my TV essentially as a console so controller only.

I don't enjoy playing online really these days so for my needs controller and sofa is great.

Most games especially cross platform games have native controller support these days. I usually find most games from the PS3/360 era onwards are fine in that regard.

Some outliers like RTS games and PC exclusives require KB/M but again, not my genre and haven't missed the ability to play those personally.

I use a wireless keyboard with a track pad to navigate windows and launch the games

 

[dan958]

Use keyboard and mouse for pretty much everything, inc third person games.

Makes playing GTA V a bit annoying, having to constantly switch to k/m for on foot, and controller for driving. (luckily the game detects instantly what you are using)

 

[tyler_jrb]

Majority of rpg games with a controller. Rest especially fps with a K+M.

 

[Smok3y]

Just curious because I prefer using a pad these days, do all you that say you use a pad for most games inc FPS play CoD, PUBG, BF, Siege etc.......

 

[Radox-0]

Just curious because I prefer using a pad these days, do all you that say you use a pad for most games inc FPS play CoD, PUBG, BF, Siege etc.......

I don’t play the other games aside you listed apart from COD. Play that with a pad on pc. Mostly as I do cross play and got friends over the world who use consoles rather then pcs. It does have a snapping system of sorts in COD which I gather KB+M does not have, but had no issues with it on pad partly I suppose as I don’t know any better.

 

[agnes]

If it's not a FPS or MMO, I use controller.

 

[Nothin]

Would be interesting to find out if the people who prefer controller for everything, even fps games, grew up playing on a console before coming to PC.
I only ever played on a PC, occasionally used a controller when playing sports or racing games on mates consoles but to this day I can't aim accurately with the analogue thumb-sticks no matter how much I try to 'get good'.
Though I do prefer to play games like the Assassin's Creed series with a controller as they have target lock-on.

 

[Kelt]

Just curious because I prefer using a pad these days, do all you that say you use a pad for most games inc FPS play CoD, PUBG, BF, Siege etc.......

I mainly use a pad for everything bar RTS and strategy games, but I don't play PVP online anymore.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

So, I bought an Xbox Series X controller in order to play Nier Automata which just feels right in comparison to a mouse and keyboard and I was wondering... Are there any other PC titles which are best played with a controller?

What do you guys play with?

Prefer a controller myself its just more relaxed can sit back in chair/sofa rather than hands stretched over desk/keyboard started gaming with consoles and just carried on really though I have played FPS games with keyboard/mouse

 

[bagleyboy]

I'm in the camp that use a controller for everything, grew up on consoles so makes sense. Still using a xbox one controller and will be until it finally dies