What Makes PC Controls so Great?

[Wolvaroo]

Well PC has more buttons and while playing IL2-Sturmovik I use them all. That's it.

IL2 is awesome. I use every keyboard button (save a few obvious buttons and combos) AND all the joystick buttons!

 

[AWAR]

4000 Dots per Inch baby! WOOOOOHOOO

 

[AndyRock]

It is simply a matter of preference, mouse gives precision, controller gives easily accessible buttons. But as both a PC gamer and console gamer, I find i'm plugging in my 360 controller way too often for TPS's and racing games (FPS's and RTS's were made for the mouse + keyboard)

 

[Dys]

Not trying to start anything, but I just can't for the life of me figure out a way how PC controls are better than console controls (as I've been told by PC gamers.) So how is it better?

It gives unrestricted options. For a start, I prefer the accuracy of a mouse and freedom of binds on a keyboard to any controller for First person type games, however if I want to play a racing game I can connect my logictech G25 wheel (compatible only with PS3 and PC), or my wingman gamepad for platformers [footnote]of course I could also connect one of my xbox 360/wii controllers if I feel like using those (obviously you can't use a wiimote on an xbox 360). Last time I checked there wasn't a mod to allow PS3 controllers to be effectively used on PCs, however it was a long while ago that I checked (Despite my PS3 getting far more use than my xbox or wii, I actually hate the controllers so I don't have much motivation to use them on my PC). At any rate, my point here is current gen console controllers work with computers[/footnote], a joystick for flight sims etc. That level of freedom simply isn't offered in consoles, and what relatively little choice there is for alternate controls are usually expensive or of lower quality than comparable PC options.

I imagine that sums up the be all and end all of why PC controls are better, because you can't really argue that mechanism A is better than mechanism A+mechanism B,C,D....etc.

They aren't, I can actually play an FPS better on a console than I can on a PC. It's just that people are used to the PC more than the varied controllers of a console, since it's been around much longer.

An analog stick is much more precise than a mouse is to some and vice versa, depends on what you're used to.

Aside from the above point of that being irrelivent since PCs give you the choice, your point actually is actually wrong. People may be better at using analogue sticks than mice (which I wholeheartedly agree with), but the actual input of a mouse is far more precise than that of an analogue stick, which is what people refer to when they say "it's more accurate". My understanding is that all current console FPS games use a 'sticky aim' function to compensate for the lessened accuracy, I'm not planning on commenting as to whether that's more or less effective/skilful/whatever than controlling it yourself, just that it's most certainly less accurate (again, while I've made clear that my opinion is I prefer total control, I'm not trying to claim on input method is always superior, it's down to preference).

 

[Vrex360]

I don't really get it either, I mean no offence to PC gamers intended but I really don't think it takes a level of superiority to play on the PC and I personally much prefer console controls. Largely because that's what I was raised with.

I guess it just comes down to preferance.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

Some games are better on consoles. Consider mario. It doesn't make sense to play it with WASD and a mouse.

Until a few days ago, I would've said that's true of all platformers, because it was for all that I'd tried playing with a keyboard (generally in emulators). Then I tried playing Braid with the keyboard just to see how it ran on my laptop, and I was too lazy to swap the controller over from my desktop...and it worked surprisingly well. Go figure.

More importantly, you win at least half a dozen Internets for having a StarCon2 avatar.

 

[ugle43]

I see that all the "it's a matter of preference"-guys consistently ignore the fact that in all high end competitive gamings, people use almost exclusively the same control-setup. How do you explain this? Random chance?

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Customisability and the mouse.

 

[DazBurger]

Apparently the mouse is better for more precision aiming.

Which is funny, Since I'm infinitely better at aiming on a console than my PC.

A mixture of you being use to the controller... And autoaim

 

[Baggie]

It's all in the mouse. Snap aiming, quick turns, everything is better.
However, movement is better on a controller, that's something I wish I could get a different device for.

 

[Baggie]

A mixture of you being use to the controller... And autoaim

Ah, don't forget the auto aim. If consoles didn't have it, aiming would be a LOT harder.

 

[MattRooney06]

RTS games are shit on consoles....in my oppinion

its so hard to select a group of units using a controller

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Control pads work better for fine movements once you're used to them.
Mice can do fine and large, and are a direct WYSIWIG device.
For FPS/RTS, the mouse beats the pad every time.
For RPG - a pad reduces it down to menu ordering system.
For Platform/Fighting games, the pad rules.

 

[Deadlock Radium]

A mouse is a much faster, more accurate aiming tool than the knobs on a controller.

Other than that, they really aren't any better. At least with a controller, you know for certain where all the God-damn buttons are.

That. But I still like both "controls" though.

 

[robobengt]

I used to believe that m/k was far superior, but I've seen videos of people using controllers with speed and precision that looks like it reaches that of the m/k.

On the other hand, m/k might be better, but a controller is far more comfortable and immersive.