Keyb + M or Controller for FPS Games?

Perhaps Bungie's Halo was the first game that did FPS right on a controller. But ever since then, most multiplat FPS developers adopted similar controller assists (auto aim, variable x/y sensitivity ratios, etc..) to make FPS more accessible to console gamers.

That continuous effort to enhance FPS accessibility on consoles over the years seems to somehow tip the preference of many gamers towards enjoying FPS more on a controller than a Keyb + Mouse.

Although my preference still old school keyb+m for both SP and MP FPS, I'm wondering what's the majority's preference on this.

P.S. Anyone else facing difficulty creating polls on GS forums?

I acknowledge that kb/m is the best way to play fps games but i've been using a controller so long that i prefer that. its a more comfortable way to play.

As a console gamer, I'm fine with controller in SP, and in MP it's fine as everyone is playing with the same controller (it's a great equalizer), only advantage gamers bring to MP is their raw skill and a dash of luck.

@Blabadon said:

haha.. love this! gonna send it to my console peasant friends :P

KB/M all day every day.

Mouse and Keyboard, it's not even close. You can prefer a controller because it's more natural for you as you don't want to learn the mouse and keyboard, but anyone pretending the gamepad isn't objectively inferior as an interface for a FPS is an idiot.

Gamepad. It would be the best way to ever play a shooter on a console. No need for aim assist when you got the awesome aiming with the gamepad.

K/M is complety superior for anything first person, period.

- You don't need quick button combo presses

- You strafe left and right, and backpedal, instead of the "360 circle run" you do in 3rd person, so the gamepad sticks are has usefull has WASD

- Your entire position tracking (aiming, turning, etc) is dependant on your camera/head, in which a mouse is simply better.

FPS was create for k/m on pc, so it's only natural to be superior. But i still like playing other genres with gamepads.

Controller. I feel like a bigger nerd using a kb/m.

Agreed when I use controller hot tan babes hit on me.

always Kb+M

While devs have been making controllers work better and better for FPSs as time goes on, they still are nothing compared to the speed and accuracy of a mouse and keyboard, and they never will. Analog sticks are not as precise as mouse. They were never intended to be. They have other properties that the mouse does not (the notion of a "center" and auto-centering) which translate better to other control input schemes than a mouse does (driving with a mouse = horrible), but they do not move a crosshair on a 2D plane as quickly or efficiently as a mouse can.

As for character movement and game interaction, keyboards provide more buttons within reach. When switching between strafing directions, the keyboard is far faster and accurate than an analog stick. Downside to WASD is you've got 8 directions and one speed. Two or three if you've got separate key modifiers but that requires a toggleable state and multiple button presses or holds. An analog stick has 360 degrees (actually more) and modifies the speed based on the offset of the stick relative to the center. This provides with far more flexible movement in a 3D space if at a slight cost of speed.

Controllers do good enough. Anybody who tells you they aren't good enough is an ignorant PC fanboy, it's that simple. You can map the basics of all shooters to a controller and play the game. It's not as fast nor as accurate as a mouse and keyboard, but it does a good enough job. Devs have made it far better than it was 10 years ago as well. You can thank Halo and CoD for that.

That said, the mouse and keyboard for shooters is a far superior option in every single situations. The few pros about a controller are drowned out by the advantages of a mouse and keyboard.

my sexy Ducky Legend KB+Func mouse>any controllers.

WiiMote/Nunchuck > Keyboard/Mouse > Controller

Keyboard and Mouse duh. Some sticks will never match the precision of a proper pointing device.

Keyboard and mouse, nuff said, I like having full control of where i'm aiming as opposed to having the autoaim do it for me, often messing up where I was actually aiming at

A mouse is faster and more accurate and all that, but a keyboard for games is trash. You can say well it gives you more input for games... but weapon wheels exist for fps and I don't play MMO (bleh) or RTS games anyway. And even the accuracy aside, it's far more relaxing to use a controller. I'll take ergonomics and comfort over accuracy in a genre I don't play competitively.

But yeah, you can't deny the mouse is the best input as far as reaction time and accuracy. The best console players would get shit on by the best K&M players.

The Wii mote is the best if all you're doing is aiming, and not moving the camera. Sin and punishment 2 is an amazing experience.

But in FPS problems arise because you don't control the camera and cursor at the same time, like with M&K or a gamepad. Camera gets out of wack a lot and if you want to move the camera (fast) you've got to point at the edge of the screen, and while you're doing that somebody can easily get you.

I know you've played a lot of FPS with the Wii mote though so you're probably better than I am :P and even with all the options like dead zones and sensitivity I could never get it to feel right.

kb/m will always be better.

I won't bring up accuracy but the controller lends itself to more variance in control from game to game.

Controller gets the short end of the stick. It is a different experience, plain and simple.

Dead Zone and Sensitivity adjustment solves that if necessary. I've only had to adjust them on The Conduit (I hate the rubber screen re-centering that the Conduit had), Red Steel 2 and Call of Duty World At War. Other than that, they are usually pretty well set.

Honestly I don't think WiiMote/Nunchuck is that much better than Keyboard/Mouse though as I think Keyboard/Mouse is pretty accurate and precise. The main draw that WiiMote/Nunchuck has over Keyboard/Mouse is the ability to move the reticle/crosshair around the screen without moving the camera rather than having the reticle/crosshair locked to the middle. Makes it much simpler to hit multiple targets without losing sight due to camera movement.

It does take some time to set your dead zone and sensitivity the way you want them though like you stated as it took me a while to get them how I liked them but I can configure them easily now if the game allows.

KB&M, FPS aiming is so much easier with it, however, I do like controllers better for TPS games

Weapon wheels are a patchwork way of deeling with the lacking level of control provided by gamepads for fps. Weapon wheels will never match quickly swapping weapons with the number keys and the mouse wheel.

I've been playing on a controller since I was like six. Even if keyboard and mouse are more accurate, it's just not the way I enjoy playing games. I'd rather sit on the couch or something with a controller and play, rather than sit hunched over my computer, despite some disadvantages. Even now when I do more PC gaming than I ever have, I play everything possible with a controller, and not having built-in gamepad options has turned me off of playing certain games, especially older ones.

Controller feels more like shooting a real gun than a keyboard and mouse, so that.

Personally, I use Kb+M for competitive shooters and most FPS games in general. Sometimes I use a controller for FPS games like Fallout 3 since its not competitive, when I'm sitting on the couch.

@Blabadon said:

Haha, damn man. That's the best picture I've ever seen!... today.

Controller.

I don't use office equipment to play video games.

Wasdie's post explains how it is perfectly.

I'd never play an FPS with a controller, given the option to use M/KB, personally.

Lol, maybe slightly. Not a reason to play FPS game with a controller though, imo.

I don't like to use KB and M from my bed, so I choose a controller.

kb+m

I'm just not very good at using a controller.

Mouse and keyboard is far superior. I think I'm like 10 times better than controllers.

But I have think lately that keyboard could get analog keys for moving because on that point, I think controller are better. But I'm not sure if it would work correctly. I'm still very accurate with 100 ms push.

The fact that I'm better with keyboard and mouse is also universal I think and I never understood those who sacrifice performance for I don't know the reason.

@Chozofication: Complete BS.

Keyboard's multiple keys allows for a multiple amount of elements liek leaning, goign prone/crowuching, hotkeys for quick gameplay (**** wheels), etc

Just compare Crysis 1 on pc to the butchered crap the console port was.

@Blabadon said:

good picture... but a bit hypocritical, considering Skyrim for the PC uses E for "activate/hold/use and manipulate objects". Pretty sure most games use the same key for pickup and use bud

FPS is easier, more precise. But since when did easier mean better? I find the analog sticks to be just way better in every fucking way than kb/m, perhaps this is why I stay away from FPS games in general. I do use kb/m for FPS, but I rarely play fps anyways.

As to why controlers are better? Very simple. Fucking 8 directions? WASD is shit. Pure shit. Analogs are just much better for movement. The mouse is fine, it doesn't have the same problem, but **** using keys for movement.

Honestly, it depends on the game. Most FPS games today are built around the controller and have a focus on movement instead of pinpoint accuracy. I don't see a huge advantage of playing most modern FPS with a mouse and keyboard. I plug a controller in and play multiplayer and do just fine.

Keyboard and mouse for me. I'm terrible with dual analog. I'll take the Wii pointer control over either, though.

You can move in 8 direction with WADS.

And 360 movement is 100% worthless in first person. You direction and view depends on your camera, so the mouse/right stick is actually the most important part.

While keys are less precise than an analog, more buttons make keyboard simply better than a gamepad

@Blabadon said:

Brilliant pic Blab! lol

Great post.

I like using a pad vs other people doing the same, but its a massive disadvantage if you're playing vs people using a m/kb so I'll use that most of the time on PC.

Yes, I said you can move in 8 directions right there where you quoted. That's why they're bad.

Again you're all mistaking competitive advantage for superiority. I don't think competitive superiority is actual superiority, comfort is what matters to me. Using a controller feels better. Again, this is why I stay away from FPS.

The KB+M combo is objectively superior. No gamepad has yet to match its precision. Not really up for debate.

@parkurtommo: Feeling better is up to the user.

To me, the horrible lack of precision from analogs makes k/m better. In 3rd person, you expend most of the time with your fingers on the left analog and the right buttons. Cameras onyl require a slight adjutsment here and there (though, tps shooting is obviously better with mouse).

In first person, since your camera position dictates everything, havign the speed and precision of a mouse lets me do 180s, look in any direction and simpyl have perfect control. For reference, the pitcure above shows my point.

Keyboard, atleast in good, well made fps, lets me hotkey stuff without needing bullshit stop wheels.

Hell, it's the opossite of action slahsers, where 360 character movement and quick button presses are far more important than camera, which always pulls back for prefect overhead view.

When I play an FPS on console, I have to make it Easy Mode. Using analog sticks to control gunplay is very frustrating to me. KB/M I go hard mode or above.

For PC I use kb/m.

No way is a wiimote as accurate as a mouse.

Lol I knew that statement would ruffle a few people's feathers but it actually is more accurate than a mouse. Not saying that Mouse is not accurate because I actually enjoy using the Mouse/Keyboard setup as well but WiiMote is more accurate, even if it's by a small margin.