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4 reasons why I use a controller more than a keyboard and mouse for gaming
- Racing games require precise control, and a controller provides analog input for throttle and steering adjustments.
- Relaxing gameplay sessions are better suited for a controller on a comfortable sofa, while intense shooters are more enjoyable with a keyboard and mouse.
- Co-op games like FIFA are best played with controllers to avoid disadvantages, and some gamers prefer collecting and using controllers over keyboards and mice.
Before the hardcore PC fans chop my head off and toss it out for the crows to feed, hear me out. I know it's controversial to prefer a controller over a mechanical gaming keyboard and mouse when playing PC games, but both input devices have their own merits. However, for my needs, a gaming controller setup always tops a mouse and keyboard.
I play a lot of racing games
No, not Mario Kart; actual racing sims
Almost everybody can agree that racing games are not meant to be played with a keyboard and mouse. A mouse isn't required in most racing games, and the keys on a mechanical keyboard are digital, which means they either send an on-state or an off-state. There's nothing in between.
A controller, on the other hand, is specifically crafted to give analog input. This means that if you partially press down on the trigger or lightly push the analog stick, the game will receive that exact amount of input you put in. In a racing game, you can alter your car's throttle by changing how hard you press the trigger or steer more or less by pushing the analog stick fully or partially. But on a keyboard, once you press the accelerate key, the car will go into complete throttle and will likely spin out when taking corners.
This level of precise control is necessary in games like Forza Motorsport and Assetto Corsa. If you don't own a racing wheel, the next best thing is a great controller like the Xbox Wireless Controller or Sony DualSense. New keyboards are coming out with analog switches that work similarly to how the triggers function on a controller, but how effective they'll be in racing games is yet to be seen.
I prefer to relax when gaming
Laid back and comfortable
After a full day of work at my hospital, I barely have enough energy to stay awake, let alone play competitive shooters with my keyboard and mouse at my desk with a gaming chair. But when the gaming bug kicks in, and I put in some effort to stay awake, I'd much rather kick back on the sofa with one of my three wireless controllers. My gaming chair isn't uncomfortable, but it doesn't hold a candle to my snug armchair.
: How To Choose A Gaming Mouse (Tom's Guide)
Granted, shooters like Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and even offline titles like Doom Eternal are more enjoyable on a keyboard and mouse. I hate using controllers for these games since it's so difficult to aim properly with an analog stick, similar to how it's impossible to play a racing sim with a keyboard.
But since I mostly game after work, with the little energy I have left, I can only afford to play relaxing indie titles or single-player story games. Some indie games I'm currently playing with a controller are Cult of the Lamb, Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy, and Hollow Knight. On weekends, when I dabble in shooters or games that require precise aiming, I return to my keyboard and mouse.
I play couch co-op games
No controllers were broken during this
I play a lot of FIFA with my younger brother. Sports games are usually better played with a controller than a keyboard and mouse. While it's possible to have one player use the keyboard and mouse and the other use a controller when playing FIFA, it puts the 2nd player at a serious disadvantage, which is why I always have at least two controllers lying around.
Other co-op titles like It Takes Two and A Way Out are also much more enjoyable when both players sit back together on the couch, similar to how it is on consoles.
I love controllers
More than I love keyboards and mice
I'm originally a PC gamer. I spent most of my childhood gaming on a puny Pentium 3 pre-built desktop. Years later, I got an Xbox 360, and even though I had owned a PS2 before, my Xbox made me fall in love with controllers. To this day, the Xbox 360 controller is one of the best controllers ever released. It's comfortable, stylish, and innovative.
However, it was expensive in my country, so I had to find a workaround if it broke. I hated the right and left bumpers, which are the first buttons to break down on every controller I've owned. But if it wasn't for the broken bumpers and analog sticks, I probably never would've opened my two unusable controllers and merged the working parts into one fully functioning controller. Since the two original controllers were of different colors (black and white) the final controller had a unique color scheme that was nothing short of beautiful. I still wish I had that controller with me.
So, I've started to collect controllers. My journey has just begun, and I've snagged a DualSense, an Xbox Series S/X controller, and a Google Stadia controller. For my next entry, I think I'll go with the limited edition Starfield Xbox controller, which looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. And when I get a new controller, I'll naturally pick that as my preferred input device when gaming for at least a month or until that novelty effect lasts. Sadly, I'm not much of a keyboard/mouse collector, and the situation might've been different.
In the end its just an input device
Whether its a controller or a keyboard, it doesn't matter as long as it helps you do what you're supposed to do. Having a keyboard is mandatory for a PC user since a computer is basically useless otherwise, but a controller is a very niche item that only the users who game on a PC might own, and even from that group, only a select number of PC gamers would fall in that category. So objectively speaking, having a keyboard hobby with all its complicated nuances like switches, metal plates, and form factors, makes more sense for a PC user than a controller hobby, but to each their own
