I'm an outlier, as I prefer gamepad controller over K&M

Old Duck

Old Duck
I just read an article that basically stated what I've seen in forums for years, that K&M is superior to a controller like the Dualshock 4. I actually felt that way myself when I first switched to console, because I lacked the fine motor skills in my thumbs, but having used a Dualshock for years, I now find it superior to K&M, at least for me.

Why?

Analog movement control.

While the mouse in theory gives us finer control over aiming, the ASWD keys are rubbish for controlling movement IMO. I'm either standing still or sprinting, nothing in between. I've learned over the years to aim both with where I'm look and my position, which I believe gives me even finer control over where my crosshair lands. For example, if I sidestep slowly to the left or right while sniping, this gives a much finer control than panning my view. The herky-jerky movement we get with the K part of K&M does not provide the fine control needed for this technique.

Now I suppose if I was playing herky-jerky games like Call Of Duty, then K&M would be better, since those games you're just running around in permanent sprint shooting manically at 144 fps. I'm not a fan of that gameplay style regardless of input device, so that's not an issue for me. I can also see how aiming rail guns in Elite Dangerous might be easier with a mouse, but K&M is the least-immersive method of flying I can imagine. And in a game like ED, I've got K&C (keyboard and controller), which is the best of both worlds. Of course ED probably shines best with a fancy HOTAS, but that's a different debate.

So even though I'm on PC, I'm still playing games like Skyrim and Tomb Raider using my controller. I like to be able to control my gait, and I'm walking / jogging / running much more than I'm shooting or swinging a sword in games like this. It's kinda funny, because my gaming laptop has the ASWD keys "highlighted", but I doubt I'll ever use them as intended!
 

babelfisch

babelfisch
As you said, it depends on the game you are playing. I would never use a gamepad for CSS or a RTS. I did play Dark Souls with my gamepad though.
 

Chris Simon

Chris Simon
I've never seen it as a "superior vs. inferior" problem.
Firstly it's a matter of muscle memory. If you're used to the controller, you're going to be better at controlling the games with it and if somebody plays KB&M all life, they will be better at that.
And secondly KB&M and controllers are objectively good and bad at different things.

I am very much a keyboard and mouse guy, but I happily admit that when comes to movement controls and general ergonomics, the controller is far superior to keyboard. And of course, on the other hand, aiming, UI controls (menus, inventories, map,...) are much better with the mouse.
Strategies are better with mouse and lots of KB shortcuts, platformers are better with controller, 3rd person shooters are probable somewhere in the neutral zone...

Ultimately, I have never understood the "battle" between consolists and PC gamers. Play the game you like and control it however you find comfortable. :)
 

Old Duck

Old Duck
babelfisch said:
As you said, it depends on the game you are playing. I would never use a gamepad for CSS or a RTS. I did play Dark Souls with my gamepad though.
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We had no choice on console, but I definitely would use a mouse for a game like Command and Conquer or Homeworld. I probably should have clarified in my OP that I'm primarily talking about first / third person games, though this is kinda implied with the ASWD keys. The article I read focused on how the mouse is better for aiming than a controller, thus giving K&M players an edge. I tried using K&M for these kind of games when I first got this PC, but I just couldn't switch back. My mind and muscles have nicely adapted to the controller, and I've held my own in online FPS, so I can't be at that much of a disadvantage.

I do wish Skyrim would let me use both simultaneously, as navigating menus (especially in modded Skyrim) is definitely easier with a mouse. Kudos to Elite for allowing multiple input devices to work together!
 

babelfisch

babelfisch
Chris Simon said:
Ultimately, I have never understood the "battle" between consolists and PC gamers. Play the game you like and control it however you find comfortable. :)
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In the 90s consoles often featured silly games and many users were teenagers / kids. PC gaming often was more serious with a more mature audience, I believe that's where a lot of the arguments came from. Some people probably don't understand that someone who played on consoles in the 90s is at least 40 years old today. The days where mostly teenagers played on consoles are long gone.
 

KillaALF

K
The neat thing on PCs is that the user has the freedom to use different input devices for different games. I use my HOTAS for Elite/flight-sims, the X-BOX pad for Assassins Creed/Tomb Raider/Dark Souls and K&M for shooters/strategy games. If the game allows it, I even mix it up - on foot = K&M, vehicle = pad/HOTAS. I have never even tried to play Elite with K&M, nor would I want to, even it 100% of the player base told me it's the better way.
 

dm06

dm06
My son is able to play fps with gamepad on PC and PS4. He can't play with K&M. I think this is because he's grown up on PS4.
I did not manage to get use to it though passed GTA5, killzone, doom on PS4 using dualshock.
 

Fishy

Fishy
Meh, I use either or even both depending on the game. I enjoy the comfort of the controller, but it's objectively worse for quick and precise aiming. There's a reason why console games come with aiming assist. Witcher 3 for example, I can play on the controller as I never need to aim anything. Warframe on the other hand is so fast paced that without the speed and precision of the mouse, you're performing far far worse. And for the weird ones, Just Cause 3, Dragon Dogma, or AC Odyssey, I play with a controller but throw my hand to the mouse if/when I need to quick land precise shots.

That said, I find gyro aiming to be a very decent alternative to the mouse. The Steam controller is a fantastic hybrid device in that regards.
 

Mole HD

Mole HD
When I came back to PC after 10 years or so playing on the Xbox...I was like a cow with a machinegun using KB/M for anything...I had to keep looking down at the keyboard for multiple keypress combos which takes away the speed and precision advantage of using it in the first place.

Most FPS, driving or action games I use the Xbox elite controller...muscle memory wins out ever time. Flight sims, ED and SC etc...HOTAS wins out but I use M/KB in menus for most games...GR Breakpoint has the option in the menu to use multiple input devices...most other PC titles you can anyway.

I also use a Logitech G13 game controller for FPS games, ARMA in particular...the precision of mouse aiming with an analogue thumbstick for fluidity of character movement...plus 22 programmable macro buttons on your left hand without taking your thumb off the analogue stick helps a great deal.
 
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cpbtrading

cpbtrading
I use a gaming keypad and mouse.. Only use the keyboard for typing really.

I must admit I'm so used to that after all these years, a controller was pretty alien to me when I played RDR2, but I got used to it.
But mouse for steering, flying, etc is the only thing I would want above everything else.

However, it's what your used too, if you like a controller of some type, then great, why not.
 

Caramel Clown

Caramel Clown
I used gamepad for Dark Souls, and I hated it. Granted I hated it less than mouse and keyboard in those games. Implementation of those is utterly abysmal in DS games, laziest ports I've ever seen in my life. Now, I use gamepad for Forza, and I love it there. I would never consider it for any precision movement/aiming games though. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Having analog movement controls in a shooter is just irrelevant if you ask me.
 

Old Duck

Old Duck
Reading above, I'm reminded there are games that I really struggle with on my controller because they use non-traditional button and stick assignments with no ability to customize. To me this is a fault in the game, not the device. Elite is still my "gold standard" when it comes to fully utilizing and allowing the customization of a controller like the DS4, at least on PS4. My only gripe now is that Elite's support of DS4 is lacking on PC compared to PS4, which I really don't understand, but I make it work.
 

Deleted member 110222

D
As already said, what's "better" depends on a number of factors, with the two most important being the game in question and the user's own experience.

When I do serious raids in ESO, I currently play with my Xbox controller. I am now starting to get better with mouse and keyboard, and hope to move full time to that medium eventually, but right now, my raid party is better off with me using a gamepad as I pull higher DPS with it.

With that said, I tank just fine with mouse. To be fair I do have a Naga Trinity now which is a really versatile mouse with an MMO edge.
 

Fishy

Fishy
Old Duck said:
Reading above, I'm reminded there are games that I really struggle with on my controller because they use non-traditional button and stick assignments with no ability to customize.
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If that's on pc, the controller configuration built in the Steam client is fantastic and will allow you to remap absolutely everything. It supports your dualshock 4 controller amongst others. That works for any non-Steam game too, as long as you add it as a third party game to the library.
 

Deleted member 110222

D
OP I really would recommend the Steam Controller. It is a fantastic bit of kit that in my opinion is the best value gamepad for PC gaming. Last I looked it costs a little less than the console pads, and has a lot more features with crazy customisation options.
 

babelfisch

babelfisch
Old Duck said:
Reading above, I'm reminded there are games that I really struggle with on my controller because they use non-traditional button and stick assignments with no ability to customize. To me this is a fault in the game, not the device. Elite is still my "gold standard" when it comes to fully utilizing and allowing the customization of a controller like the DS4, at least on PS4. My only gripe now is that Elite's support of DS4 is lacking on PC compared to PS4, which I really don't understand, but I make it work.
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IIRC PC and console controls are exactly the same if you are using the correct preset.

PS
At least for Xbox...
 
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Old Duck

Old Duck
babelfisch said:
IIRC PC and console controls are exactly the same if you are using the correct preset.

PS
At least for Xbox...
Click to expand...
ED on PC doesn't support the gyroscope (headlook) or the trackpad on DS4, nor does it differentiate between short and long press for button modifiers. It also doesn't show me the PS4 symbols, but rather the generic [Joy 14 Button] descriptors, unless I enable the extra Steam support, which makes ED think my DS4 is an XBox controller, thus displaying all sorts of strange glyphs not on my DS4.
 
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