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.
Big picture mode is great.
I’m glad this was mentioned here already. Big Picture mode in Steam is really something that I think might also contribute in increased popularity of controllers on PC. Back in the day it was really a struggle to get your already existing controller working on the PC (with Xbox it was easier after 360, PS needed extra stuff) but nowadays all one has to do is to pop into Big Picture mode and “it just works” given you’ve paired your controller with PC. This is with perspective over 15 years, I guess the support has been quite good multiple years already.
How much of that is console players switching to pc
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.
We are just getting old and our backs hurt too much, ok?
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 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.
Really depends on the games.
I have to wonder what percentage of folks are using handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. Personally I’ve found that I game much more now that I have a Steam Deck and can mindlessly play stuff like Dave the Diver while relaxing on the couch with my SO, versus setting aside specific “gaming time” to be at my desk.
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.
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All depends on the game. PC players have options.
Games like Palworld and GTA are better with a controller. Games like Cities: Skylines and any game requiring significant precision are better with a mouse and keyboard.
Usage triples <-> 15 % increase
Pick one. Triple is 300 % increase. Article says 15 % is the proportion using them, not the increase.
Yeah, this is just an issue with the Lemmy post’s title. The article is clear that 15% are using controllers now, up from 5% in 2018.
I think it’s most likely that more people are playing genres like platformers and fighting games that are designed for controllers on PC than before.
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.
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.
