It’s not that PC gamers were opposed to using controllers. PC gamers love our peripherals. The problem was support for it. Most of the controllers beforehand had proprietary connectors that would never work in the PC. And then even if you could connect the controller there was no guarantee it would work. But now with more standardization around USB and Bluetooth adding and better driver support for the controllers we can finally use them.
yeah, I’d have to solder a PS1 controller to printer port back then. even when controller moves to wireless(like dual shock 3) the protocol was proprietary until windows have a proper driver for them.
Most of the controllers beforehand had proprietary connectors that would never work in the PC.
That was in the 90s… 20 years ago I was gaming on PC with a PS1 dual shock using a cheap adapter, and then switched to the Xbox 360 controller which used a standard USB port.
Not here to comment on whether you are right (because you are) but more to report the whiplash of realising 20 years ago is still in the 2000s. Mentally, 20 years ago puts something early nineties to me.
Nothing will ever be as accurate as a 1:1 pointing device. Using a thumbstick sucks ass for general mouse-work why would it be suddenly good for FPS games? Thumbsticks are best at racing, platforming, flight sims, maybe RPGs and scrollers.
Right tool for the job.
I just played through Portal again, using a DualShock 4… up until Test Chamber 18. It was simply not possible to look left/right without ever-so-slightly moving, enough to miss falling back into the portal. Mouse and keyboard- cleared it instantly.
Edit: I may try again, using a controller that has 8-way detents on the analog sticks (i.e. GameCube gamepad)
Personally on the steamdeck gyro, once I got used to it, has become indispensable for a lot of games to solve this sort of problem
When playing through games with both shooting and driving (or horseback riding in RDR2) I keep my controller handy and swap between it and mkb. I find I generally prefer walking around with a controller until I need to shoot; I end up using the controller 75% of the time.
Can’t you use a controller + mouse combo?
I could but I’d rather not. With a controller in one hand and a mouse in the other there aren’t many buttons near my fingers, I’d have to let go of one to do some stuff anyway for some functions. Plus it makes UI glyphs flash between keyboard and controller which is irritating.
Absolutely. I started cyberpunk again and it’s keyboard/mouse until I get in a vehicle, then it’s controller
I have no idea why Halo is the only game that uses mouse for direct on driving. So much better fine control, but the pc only people I knew got so confused by it when it was ported the first time. I always quit Half life 2 episode 2 at the Strider Battle.
Trackball controller
Wait, those are a thing?
You might find one as an accessibility option
I’ve been trying to make one in a normal form factor but can’t find anything on how to make a track ball from scratch/program a board to read it
What are your thoughts on the Steam deck’s Touchpads? I’d love to see them in a thumb ball type formfactor
My problem with touch pads is limited range, you constantly have to recentre. In a competitive environment that’s wasted ms where you are moving your finger back to make your next movement
The thumb ball reduces the amount of that
At least with the ones on the steam deck this is solved (for me) largely by software emulating the momentum of the trackball
Yeah I’m pretty sure people are just starting to use controllers for the controllers’ usecases. A lot of people (including me) played stuff like space simulators with mouse+keyboard, which are obviously not the right tool for the job.
I hate controllers. I use them only on games that suggest they are important. I don’t tend to like those games.
As others have said, it really depends on the game. But I would say >90% of my PC gaming is done with a controller. I’ve just become so adapted to them, that the keyboard and mouse just feels foreign now. Even with FPS, most of the time I use a controller. I’m aware of the advantages of using a mouse obviously, but again I’m just conditioned to it now.
If you can aim assist snap as fast as someone can flick, it’s fine. A lot of games account for this and it pisses off the “m+kb is the only good peripheral” crowd every time despite their constant insistance that controller is worse for everything. Even OG overwatch had competitive controller pros (e.g. Malik); map knowledge, good awareness and positioning, control of resource locations (or power weapon spawns in older fps) have always been skills that contribute to wins as much as aiming well, regardless of peripheral. The best peripheral is the one you’re most comfortable competing with.
Or if you only play single player FPS games so you don’t have to care what anyone thinks
As long as we’re not talking games that have a ton of extra stuff going on like milsims or ultrakill, yeah I really do think controller is fine.
Wow, I’m surprised at the downvotes! You’re not wrong.
Fortunately, votes don’t mean anything here
I believe many users are going controller over mnk is because these game devs are making it extremely easy to aim using controller, which does not make it a fair fight against mnk players.
There are also a thousand video game genres that don’t require shooting.
I don’t understand controllers. I can never get to use them properly. I grew up playing on computers all my life. My brain simply can’t grasp them and I always forget where all the buttons are.
Steam Deck and the console users that pivoted to PC gaming during the scalpers riddled PS5/Xbox launch are probably the most likely causes for this.
Right, PC gamers aren’t embracing controllers, console gamers are embracing PC gaming.
The truth is, for me at least, my wrists aren’t getting any younger and the controller is easier for me to use.
I do still use M+KB for games and activities that need it, but if there’s a reasonable controller option I’m going to go that route.
Other than soulslikes I pretty much always prefer mouse+KB. Playing bg3 with a controller briefly during a co-op run was just way worse, for example.
BG3 has an entirely different interface when using controller. I’m not a fan of the radial menus, but it’s not really an issue with the controller.
BG3 is completely playable with a controller though. Yes, kbm is better here, but I’ve played 2 entire campaigns on my deck and it was fine. The radials can be kind of annoying but you can customize them so it’s not so bad. You can tell Larian put a lot of work into making a good controller experience, while Solasta: Crown of the Magister (for example) promised controller support but it plays like ass with one.
Solasta actually plays pretty well with an old Steam Controller and the right controller mapping, but I can see where you’re coming from on a controller without a touchpad input.
Really depends on the games.
Yeah, most 3rd person games I like to play with a controller, first person not so much.
For me, it’s linked with the amount of “local multiplayer” titles on Steam. There was fucking nothing! Ok, we could play nes or sega games, but it was strange to not have a lot of modern games. Thankfully, it’s slowly changing
I remember in the 90s almost everyone I knew with a pc had a gamepad or joystick of some sort.
I must be going the opposite route. After playing console for so long I’m starting to notice I can’t use a controller as well as I used to. Been debating on dusting off the keyboard and mouse and using it on my Playstation until I can get a new pc.
I’m not sure what it is… but I guarantee if I played online other people would wonder if I was a bot or something because I my hands feel weird on a controller all of a sudden.
Games need to support it well with remapping and better UI and ways to control that make sense.
Fr. I can’t play Bayonetta cause they want me to dodge with one of the buttons on top (can’t remember if it’s r1 or r2) and holy shit I can’t do it. It’s either A or B otherwise I literally nvr get the timing right even once
I wonder if this has to do with an increase in console players moving to PC, or at least adding a PC to their gaming lineup at home. That and the Steam Deck which we saw also increase Linux’s market share.
It may not necessarily be PC gamers moving to controllers as much as its console players who have been most comfortable with a controller.
That’s how I am. I’ve been a PC gamer for a little over 10 years now (played PC growing up with Roller Coaster Tycoon, Sims, etc. but not counting that until I got an actual gaming PC) but I was mostly into consoles before this. But controllers have been a huge part of my playing experience and I’ve always preferred it for most games except the top downs like Sims and Roller Coaster Tycoon which I did play on console with controller but the PC’s ports doing have the same schemes available for those games.
I was 95% k+m until the Steam Deck (the 5% being my old Saitek Flightstick).
Since the Steam Deck I’m probably 90% controller.
I will say that k+m offers superior speed and precision, especially in FPSes, but the biggest improvement that I noticed was that I was getting a sore shoulder from repetitive strain sitting too much time in front of computers. Controllers are more ergonomic.
I’d say it has to do with increased support of controllers. It used to be really hit or miss whether a controller would even work on the computer, much less with games.
