Xbox controller for PC games?

Is a Xbox controller a must have for PC games? Mostly I play first person shooters. I assume for those that mouse and keyboard are best. But what other games, or game types, might a Xbox controller be better than a mouse and keyboard? Any one try it and hate it, love it, just ok, what's the verdict?

Thanks

 

For first person shooters I never use a controller, period. The accuracy with a controller is really bad, and I personally fail miserably in shooters with a controller because I am so used to a mouse for aiming.

However, for anything other than shooters, I play with a controller. I have used countless pc controllers and the Xbox 360 controller for windows is the best I have used, it is really just plug and play. For racing games I use a steering wheel, which would also be considered a controller lol. A controller isn't a must-have for pc, but there are games that control a lot better with one, and some games have really horrid pc controls. If you are going to play fighters or action games like Devil May Cry, Darksiders, Dark Souls, or really rpg's and platformers then I would recommend getting the Xbox 360 controller.

 

An Xbox controller is great for racing games and 3rd person "adventure" games (think Assassin's Creed, Batman series, Tomb Raider, etc). For first person shooters mouse and keyboard are still the best. I've used an Xbox controller for many years on my PC and it works great.

 

Fast paced Open World Action Games, Sport Sims, RPG's, Beat-Em-Ups and Platformers tend to work well with the XBOX Controller in my experience. Driving games are OK depending on the type (more Arcade than Simulation) but PC FPS' are keyboard and mouse territory for speed and accuracy.

I admit having played FPS’ using a controller but they were on consoles (PS3/X360) rather than the PC, personally I never used a controller for PC FPS games. I mean it doesn't necessarily stop you from trying but on multiplayer games you will be at a disadvantage against other PC players with high speed gaming mice for aiming.

But other than that if you like a bit of variety on your type of games then you can’t go wrong with the plug and play simplicity of the XBOX controller.

 

A controller isn't a must-have for any PC game, but in certain titles it may feel more comfortable to some people or fit the game better. It's really all personal preference, the best thing to do is to buy a controller you like and try it out for yourself. With that being said, my personal preferences are KB&M for FPS and TPS, RTS, MOBA, and aRPG. Controller for other RPG, platformers, sports, and racing.

Also the PS4 DualShock 4 is the best controller I've ever used. I urge you to go into a store and try out the two next-gen console controllers for yourself. It's worth enduring the pain of playing through those low-res "next-gen" game demos.

Not that any of this matters, because Steam Controller will pwn all.

 

For games like the current Batman series, Tomb Raider, Price of Persia, Resident Evil, etc I use a 3rd party wired controller. I'm not sure what I'll use this next generation. Do they make wired XB1 controllers? Will 360 controllers still be supported as a legacy device in games?

 

I imagine 360 controllers will continue to have support; no one knows for sure. The new xboner pad will have support as well, eventually.

I actually use a 360 controller quite a bit, even for shooters. I've played Borderlands 2 and metro 2033 with a controller. It really comes down to ergonomics. Quite simply, imho, the 360 style gamepad is the pinnacle of comfort. Our hands are not really designed for using a keyboard for gaming. So yes, i would recommend a 360 style controller as a must have.

With that being said, there is another solution. A gaming mouse with extra buttons and/or a dedicated gamepad (like the orbweaver) can provide the same ergonomic benefit, while retaining the precision you might otherwise lose with a controller.

I use an afterglow 360 style controller. They are about half the price of a microsoft 360 - you can pick them up at gamestop for $15-$20

If you decide to go with a gaming mouse/dedicated gamepad setup, i highly recommend making sure both the mouse and gamepad are from the same manufacturer (ie both logitech or both razer). This will enable you to handle all settings for both devices in one program.

Enjoy!

 

Seems most agree that first person shooters are best with the mouse and keyboard. And the other types of games can be played with a controller. It doesn't seem to be a must buy though as I don't see statements like, you don't know what you are missing, etc.

I do have a gaming mouse, the Logitech G602. And a gaming keypad, the Logitech G13.

Good point about the Steam contoller. Too bad no one knows when it might ship, and it won't ship until after a beta test. So they do a beta test, revise it per the feedback, test it more, then maybe ship it. That may take a year.

 

LOL @ Xboner. Haven't heard that one before...

Controllers are really about personal preference. The PS4 controller is the pinnacle of comfort and ergonomics for me. The new shape of the grips fit my hand better and I like their textured undersides. The triggers have much better tactile feedback and the hooks at the end catch my index fingers and give them support. And I've always liked having both thumbsticks on the same level. I feel that it's really a massive improvement from previous DualShock controllers, while the XBONE controller feels just like an Xbox 360 one, probably a little worse because of the longer thumbsticks and mushy triggers. Not to say it's a bad controller at all. The Xbox 360 controller used to be king, but I think Sony won this round.

If I were to pick a controller for PC gaming right now, I would go for the DualShock 4. But Steam Controller throws a wrench into things and I really need to get my hands on the final product before I can choose between the three. And by the looks of it, I highly doubt it will come cheap compared to the others.

 

If you do prefer the Playstation style controller setup, Logitech does make some versions of it that are for pc. I would caution, however, that the PS-style setup isn't as widely adapted for games on PC. What I mean by this is, most modern games out today have xbox 360 controller support baked in. You just have to plug in and everything is assigned, buttonwise. Not so much with the logitech ps-style controllers, which will require a bit of keybinding and fiddling to work.

I'm excited for the Steam controller as well, but it's at least a few months off, if not closer to the better part of a year. Given the sales this time of year, it's a pretty good time to be able to pick up a controller for $15-$30.

Also, xboner was a typo. Was going to edit it, but nah. xboner xboner xboner tee hee

 

Yes Logitech makes "Playstation-style" gamepads but they are nowhere close to DualShock 4 for me. I used to like Xbox 360 controllers more but the PS4 controller is my new favorite. I'm aware of the relative lack of support but I like it so much I'm willing to go through unofficial workarounds to make it work, and of course Sony may offer PC support for it at a later date.

 

Xbox 360 will continue to be made for arty least 3 more years so we have at least that much time to find a replacement.

Beamed from my G2 Tricorder

 

Wait, there is a Xbox controller for $15? It is not a cheap knock off is it?

The Playstation 4 controller seemed a little small in my hands. So maybe it fits some but not others? I do like the built in headphone jack and the touchpad. Not that I need them on my PC though.

 

Well, yea it is a 'cheap knockoff', but that's kind of the point. Check your local Gamestop - iirc that is where i got mine for $15-$20. You can also find them online; you may have to look a bit for a good deal. They are clear plastic and light up in a color (you can turn off completely or set to light up when it vibrates)

In the case of a lot of electronics, you have what i refer to as the 'store brand' situation. When you buy the store brand of canned peas vs say, the Delmonte brand canned peas, you're actually getting the same exact product. Same peas from the same farms, processed at the exact same plant; the only difference is the label. The same applies to a lot of electronics. I have an old 360 controller that no longer worked so I disassembled it. To my admittedly non-professional and completely untrained eye, the components look exactly the same.

There very well may be a difference but I haven't noticed any.

 

Ewww...

I'm sorry, all other factors aside, I just can't get over the look of that thing.

 

hahaha I understand, it is fairly garish. That being said, you can turn off the lighting completely and it will stay off. Then it just looks like this



I wasn't sure if I was going to like using a controller for laptop gaming. I originally picked up one of the PS style logitech controllers but couldn't get to play nice with the games I was playing at the time, so I returned it and got this instead. Wasn't sure about its quality, but I've been using it for about a year now and it has survived quite a few meter plus drops off my desk.

 

Same here, they're not too bad and their cheap.

 

Silly console peasant.

KB+M is the choice of champions.

 

In my experience, knockoffs, whether they're packaged as the real thing (like you see a lot here in China) or sold as knock-offs often have lower quality materials, which means you'll eventually get some button sticking and the ball joint on the joysticks will wear out so it doesn't snap back to center anymore (the latter issue was also true for N64 controllers). I had a fake 360 controller packaged as the real thing that had the joystick issue after one or two hundred hours of use. My Betop clone controller, on the other hand, is holding up well as they make quality controllers in my experience.

As far as gaming with a controller, I use a controller when the game's interface isn't well-designed for M+KB. The Dead Space series and Alan Wake are a couple recent ones for me, but I use the controller for Burnout Paradise as well. It's far from essential for PC gaming, but I like it.

 

Nothing beats the original Xbox 360 controller.

 

Who's a silly console peasant? I'm pretty sure most if not all of us here are die-hard PC gamers. And what "champions" are you referring to? I think you're gonna get a call from ASUS RoG about trademark infringement real soon.

I only own an original Playstation that hasn't been touched in over a decade. I have almost no history on consoles yet I prefer to play some PC games with a gamepad or joystick because KB&M don't make sense. It's about picking the right tool for the job, not about clinging to some foolish prejudices.

PS4 DualShock 4 does, and so will Steam Controller.

 

When I said cheap, I meant cheap as in low quality, not low cost. Sometimes an off brand is actually better than the orginal. But in this case I have heard bad things about even the Logitech version, not to mention the others.

 

While I usually refrain from their products, I snatched a Razer Sabertooth a few weeks ago and I couldn't be happier about a controller. Everything is customizable and remappable in a snap, the two bottom rockers, which I customized to the D-Pad buttons, the 2 added buttons next to the triggers, which I mapped to LMB and RMB clicking, the ability to change sensitivity in a snap, the amazing D-Pad which is similar to the PS D-Pad (4 completely separate arrow keys) and the satisfyingly clickable ABXY buttons (they have the same clicking mechanism of mouse buttons), two different profiles which can be switched on the fly, everything is just what I wanted.

The drawbacks are the somewhat pathetic rumble of this controller (it's OK, but feels more like vibration than actual rumble), and the fact that this controller makes my hands kinda sweaty after relatively short period of time, but I got used to it by now and I hardly notice.

When also adding Pinnacle Game Profiler that I recently grabbed for $9.99 to the mix, which allows for sticky and/or rapid-fire in games and prevents me from spamming keys again and again, I feel like I have the perfect control setup.

 

Amen. It is indeed possible to enjoy playing games on both computers and consoles. It absolutely baffles me how some (mostly the PC gaming master race) believe the two are mutually exclusive.

I hope Sony releases some sort of driver for it because I don't want to resort to workarounds/3rd-party software to get it working properly. I keep 3 different gamepads around: a 360 controller for my Boot Camp Windows partition; a Logitech F310 for games on OS X; and an OG MS Sidewinder Gamepad USB primarily for Carmageddon 2.

 

I have actually the xbox 360 controller for PC, and Ive had two great years with it, but its not very comfy tbh. I mainly play FIFA and sport games with the gamepad. I've always loved the dualshock controller, and I dont like to mess around with 3rd party apps to get a controller working, a reason why I havent got the DS3.

I've preordered the DS4 controller, as it seems its only plug and play, but for now it needs official drivers to fully support it. I'm not going to get the steam controller, and it will be surely more expensive, perhaps not even as comfy as the DS4.

 

I use a 360 pad for most games except competitive FPS shooters/death matches which I'm kind of over and seldom play anyway. If its a co-op FPS ill even use a pad. It simply makes sense for great deal of games I play, especially since I'm normally hooking things up to a HDtv . Plus there's no way I'm playing F1 2013 on a keyboard!!
I do agree that K/M is far more satisfying with FPS though. You can't exactly trail a headshot with a pad but life goes on.

I'm looking forward to see if the Steam controller improves the inherit lack of fidelity sticks have with FPS's. I'm hoping its something revolutionary..we'll see.

 

I spent a few hours with the Xbox One and PS4 controllers today while play testing the next-gen consoles at a mall. DualShock 4 remains my clear favorite, but I realized just how much I dislike the new Xbox controller. It's worse than the Xbox 360 one for me. It's smaller (too small for my hands), the triggers are looser, and it doesn't solve the biggest ergonomic problem I had with the previous Xbox pad: The shoulder buttons. They are still in the same uncomfortable position where I have to scrunch up my index fingers to reach them from the triggers. The PS4 trigger and shoulder buttons line up perfectly on the vertical axis and it's effortless to switch between them. Previous DualShocks were always just a little too small for my hands but the increased size and improved shape of the new one allows it to fit me like a glove. It's ironic how the PlayStation controller is actually physically larger than the Xbox controller this generation. Never thought I would say that.

TL;DR Xbox One controller sucks and I love the PS4 controller. If you're gonna get a controller for PC gaming, skip the Xbox One.

 

Yeah a lot of people are saying the new X1 controller is a step back. Also a lot of people are liking the new PS4 pad. I'm probably going to wait till the steam contoller comes out, then make a decision on a newie.

 

Huh. I was actually looking forward to the Xbox one controller to replace my 360 controller. Looks like Sony wins this round in every single aspect.

Poor MS.

 

Agreed.......

 

MS is rich not poor

 

Microsoft have been making very poor decisions these past years, Windows 8, 8.1, Surface RT, Xbox one (360°) luckily they didn't follow through and made a last minute turn around, even buying Nokia's smartphone division is questionably a bad decision, so even if they are rich, poor defines them pretty well these days (software aside) .
I think I might be getting a DS4 this time around, my Logitech F710 died on me, is it me or are the triggers on those things really weak, cannot say I abused them much, one day they just no longer worked properly, they actually worked without me pressing them ugh, got to say the battery life on them was amazing though, keeping an eye on the Steam controller, but not really convinced I like it, the layout just looks off .

 

I was one of the few people who it seems did not buy an 360 controller for PC. I Used a Logitech RumblePad Pro and I thought it was pretty great. Now I am waiting out to see how the new drivers are on the X-Box One / PS4 controllers, but I think I will be going with the new One controller sometime in early 2014.

 

At this pace, they'll be getting a lot less rich quite soon.

 

When I started playing shooters back when Wolfenstein and Doom then Quake appeared all I used was a mouse and keyboard. Now I have become so used to playing with a controller, a mouse/keybd combo seems foreign to me.

I built a Steam box and the first I did was hookup a Xbox 360 wireless controller for all of my games.

 

Hmm, I look at that picture and imagine they are taking away the old Coke machine, since they just replaced it with a Pepsi machine. For proof, look at the direction of the hand truck and remember they are usually pulled. If they were unloading it would be turned around.

Any way, I decided to put a wireless xbox 360 controller on my Christmas list. I had to explain it to my wife. So it is up to fate now...

 

It's a smart move. So many games are just more comfortable to play with a 360 controller (or similar). I don't play competitively so it fits my style. I was a mouse+kbd snob since doom as well, it's somewhat the last few years or so I've enjoyed kicking back with my laptop on my lap desk with a controller.

 

if fate works out for you, you'll need one of these too. they're are all the same, i.e. there is no official microsoft receiver. i just linked the cheapest one on amazon. you'll simply need to install the generic controller driver included in windows. it might even be called "xbox 360 controller" in the wizard's driver list.

 

Are you sure of that? I could swear that MS used to sell a package with a wireless controller and a receiver bundled together, though I don't know if they still do.

And 'grats on reaching 999 - one more and you're in the four-digit club.

 

when i did my research before buying mine i think i remember reading that they used to sell an official one but don't any longer. plus, $10 versus whatever exorbitant amount was charged for the official one...? and that's coming from somebody who insists on having the official controller itself.

and thanks! i just made my (unremarkable) 1,000th post in another thread without even realizing it, haha.

 

The one I found on Amazon says it comes with the reciever, it is a Windows version. But thanks for the heads up.

 

I got a cheap Chinese knock-off of eBay for $1. I wasn't expecting it to work but it sure works a treat.

 

please link me. i'd be interested in one for myself. the charge-and-play kit is not the same thing, FYI, nor will it work as a USB receiver on PC.

this might be an official receiver for anybody keeping track. the comments seem mixed.

 

This one says it has the transceiver, for up to four players... http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbo...r=8-2&keywords=xbox360+controller+windows

 

That last controller link listed looks like the official package. Microsoft did release and last I saw was still selling the Windows version with the wireless USB receiver included. I've had mine for years, still working great. My only complaint with laptop use is the cord is VERY long, but supposedly the antenna is in the cord as well. Regardless, works great, never had a single problem.

 

I was able to snag a genuine MSFT receiver for my 360 controller on eBay, and it was worth every penny. Makes controlling games like AC, the Batman: Arkham series, and Need for Speed so much smoother.

 

ah, yes--of course it comes packaged with the "PC version" of the genuine controller. it's still silly that they don't retail the genuine "transceiver" separately anymore though. just ebay apparently.

 

I got the amazon one and it works fine for any games I play.

 

I've been using the xbox 360 controller for several years now for some of my PC games, it works very well. Right now i'm using it to play devil may cry and it is flawless--beats playing the game on a crap console w/low res. Running the game at 1440p, 8xSSAA, 16xAF and damn does it look and play good.