Controller for PC help?

[SSJBlastoise]

Hey everyone, recently I've gotten into PC gaming a bit more and I would like some help in choosing a gamepad to use with my laptop. I'm just stuck in choosing how to go about it. I own a xbox so there is the option of buying a wireless receiver for it or buying a third party controller.

I play all of my games through steam so I would like to know what would be a better option. If I was to buy a new controller I would prefer a cheaper one because I want to save a bit of money. So, what would you suggest I do?

 

[piinyouri]

I have a 360 controller and a cheapo but very well made Logitech pad that take care of all my needs pretty well. (Logitech is better for games that require D-pad movement and 360 controller is better suited for analog stock movement)

Anyway if you don't have them already I'd suggest getting a gamepad mapping program, like Xpadder or Pinnacle.

 

[Strazdas]

The best gamepad to use with PC for gaming is keyboard & mouse. Therefore it is logical that i suggest you use that.

 

[SlaveNumber23]

I would buy an official Microsoft Xbox 360 Wired controller, they're quite cheap and very reliable, mine is yet to let me down.

The best gamepad to use with PC for gaming is keyboard & mouse.

True in most cases but there are still a large number of games for PC which honestly play better using a controller, Dark Souls for example.

 

[DoPo]

Xbox controllers are the easiest to use with a PC - just plug it in and it works. I'm not sure how easy adding a wireless receiver is, but I doubt it'd be different - Microsoft just has the drivers set up already so once a controller is added you can use it straight away. That's not to say a PS controller or [footnote]a generic one - I have something like this one [http://www.systo.co.uk/peripherals/gaming-controls/saitek-p380-dual-analog-pad-pp21.html][/footnote] is hard - it's just a matter of installing an extra piece of software [footnote]although, it could work straight away with some games - I didn't have a problem with Devil May Cry 3, for example - I plugged and played...well, and then returned to the keyboard because I was just more used to it[/footnote].

 

[Daystar Clarion]

If you had a PS3, you could just plug that in and use an emulation programme to mimic an Xbox controller, but really, your best best is to just buy a wired version of the Xbox controller.

 

[Boris Goodenough]

Corded Xbox controller is by far the easiest to use. Plug and play, literally.

The best gamepad to use with PC for gaming is keyboard & mouse. Therefore it is logical that i suggest you use that.

Come now, even a hardened PC user as myself know some games feel more natural on controller, as long as you don't have to do real aiming a controller is great for games like Darksiders/Dark souls/DMC series/The Lara Croft games/Legacy of Kain.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

Wired xbox controller. No installation required and any game supporting controller use will already have the buttons mapped.

 

[Strazdas]

Corded Xbox controller is by far the easiest to use. Plug and play, literally.

The best gamepad to use with PC for gaming is keyboard & mouse. Therefore it is logical that i suggest you use that.

Come now, even a hardened PC user as myself know some games feel more natural on controller, as long as you don't have to do real aiming a controller is great for games like Darksiders/Dark souls/DMC series/The Lara Croft games/Legacy of Kain.

There are no games that feel mroe natural on a controller, only games that are poorly ported to PC.

 

[Boris Goodenough]

There are no games that feel mroe natural on a controller, only games that are poorly ported to PC.

But they ARE poorly ported, so we deal with it from there which leaves controllers.

 

[Creator002]

360 wireless receiver or the wired 360 controller. Most games on Steam, if they support the controller, will use the same controls as if on an Xbox 360.
I bought a wireless 360 controller that comes with the receiver from EB Games for around $80 AUD, so I guess the receiver would be something like $50 by itself (and then you don't waste money getting another controller) and a wired controller should be something like $40 AUD.
On top of that, for games that don't support a controller, you can emulate keystrokes, mouse movements and mouse clicks on a controller with programs like XPadder or XMap. Not sure of the names, but just google "Xbox 360 controller mapping" and you'll find everything you need.

There are no games that feel mroe natural on a controller, only games that are poorly ported to PC.

I'd much rather play GTA or Saints Row with a controller, since driving and walking with analogue controls gives you much more finesse when turning corners. You don't need to jam the wheels all the way left or right.

 

[Teoes]

There are no games that feel mroe natural on a controller, only games that are poorly ported to PC.

Uhm surely analogue steering >>> WASD steering any day of the week?

Also: Yeah, well.. you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man. How about for once we don't turn this into a KB&M vs. controllers debate and simply answer the OP's question?

OT: I don't own a controller for PC gaming as yet but want to get one when I'm feeling more flush. I've got my eye on this [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hori-Officially-Licensed-Assault-Xbox/dp/B008XHCLG8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pdT1_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=77I2GMHA21MP&coliid=I1PKMUQVHT6KS4], but may just go with an official wired X-Box controller. I hear people complaining about the D-pad on that though, any comments folks?

 

[SSJBlastoise]

The best gamepad to use with PC for gaming is keyboard & mouse. Therefore it is logical that i suggest you use that.

I wondered how long it would take for an elitist to come in here. In case you didn't read it properly I said I have a laptop and I don't want to sit hunched over it to play games like saints row 3 or other single player games when I can lay in my bed and play them with a controller.

Anyway, thanks to everyone else for the serious answers. I was kind of hoping to avoid buying another controller (that would make 5 which is a bit pointless haha) but It would help save money on batteries and one of my controllers is stuffed I think.

 

[Zac Jovanovic]

I have the wired 360 controller, I have no complaints about it but I rarely ever use it.
I think it's the best choice for the money though.

I don't really like the genres for which controller is better suited than M/K (sports games, fighters etc),
so I only really used it for a couple spectacle fighters and a certain abysmally poorly ported RPG.

 

[SSJBlastoise]

I hear people complaining about the D-pad on that though, any comments folks?

I've never really had any problems with the D-pad but that's mainly because I'm not a big fan of fighting games and playing Mortal Kombat 9 it does feel a bit awkward but it really depends what kind of games you play.

 

[josemlopes]

Corded Xbox controller is by far the easiest to use. Plug and play, literally.

The best gamepad to use with PC for gaming is keyboard & mouse. Therefore it is logical that i suggest you use that.

Come now, even a hardened PC user as myself know some games feel more natural on controller, as long as you don't have to do real aiming a controller is great for games like Darksiders/Dark souls/DMC series/The Lara Croft games/Legacy of Kain.

There are no games that feel mroe natural on a controller, only games that are poorly ported to PC.

Im really curious on how you would bind the keys on Dark Souls to make it a confortable game to play on the PC, its not about the fact that it was poorly ported.

OT: The wired Xbox controller is probably your best option like many already said.

 

[ron1n]

Get a Razer Onza. It's roughly the same price as the Xbox default and has some nice extra features and superior build quality.

Actually one of the few razer products I'd recommend.

 

[SnowyGamester]

I'm gonna mimic everyone else and say a 360 controller, wired or wireless, since they are simply bound to have the most support. Really any controller will work with any game, the only problem being that in many cases you will have to use a third party program to map your controller to keyboard and mouse buttons. 360 controllers will obviously still have this issue with games that don't have native controller support but with ones that do they are much more likely to work without any real configuration. That being said, when I really need a controller I use GlovePIE and a Bluetooth dongle in conjunction with my Wiimote and Nunchuck or classic controller since that's what I've got and it allows for very heavy controller customization (works with PS3 controllers too).

 

[SirDeadly]

I bought a wired 360 controller on eBay for about $20, it works perfectly for me, I don't see why it should give you any problems.

 

[Jhooud]

Yeah, at this point it's probably pretty moot, but the wired 360 controller gets another vote. Just finished playing through DmC with one, and it's my go to set up for Skyrim. Works like a charm, no muss no fuss.

Go get one! [http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wired-Controller-Black/dp/B003ZSN600/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1363866613&sr=1-1&keywords=wired+xbox+360+controller]