Why do people seem to think Gamepads are better than KB+M?

[Gankytim]

Being a PC and console user I can see the advantages of using both. But for the broader scale KB+M seems to win out, the control of your whole wrist greatly beats the control of your thumb for FPS games, having hotkeys RPG's readily available. For fighters Gamepad DEFINITELY beats KB+M by miles, but a fightstick wipes the floor with both.

Off the top of my head, the only time I've prefered to use a gamepad was when I HAD to resort to plugging in my 360 controller for Metal Gear Rising and both Dark Souls but those feel designed for gamepads.

As an anecdote, I've seen decenttohigh level FPS players from PC and Console go head to head in a LAN match, the console users who were using Gamepads got their cute little buttocks handed to them every time.

On a more personal scale, my performance on online FPS with a gamepad is just horrible compared to my performance with KB+M.

 

[Shadowstar38]

KB&M just feels terrible.

Something about the way you hold it and the how the buttons are arranged on gamepads make them more comfortable to use and give me quicker reactions in general. Even in FPSs. Keyboards are clunky in comparison.

 

[Exhuminator]

Because most people play console ports on their PCs, rather than play games actually designed for the platform.

 

[Rozalia1]

Well this is a totally original topic. Hell even has the usual story of "I totally saw some KB+M users beat gamepad users once" while giving no background.

Look its this simple. People have their preferences and not everyone can feel comfortable playing on a mouse and keyboard. That is not unique to such a controller type of course as there are people who find fight sticks awkward for example.

Personally the best controller type is the fight stick...just gives you such a good feeling when kicking arse with it. Unlike gamepads and KB+M which are controller types for jobbers.

 

[Mr Fixit]

Speaking specifically about shooters I always felt that KB+M made them too easy, it's just point & click death. It just feels like cheating to me. It's fine for other games, but I guess I'm comfortable with either setup for any game because I've never limited myself to either pc or console exclusively.

 

[shrekfan246]

Keyboard and mouse controls are far faster and more precise for shooters?

YOU DON'T SAY.

OP, whatever your intentions may be, we've had this thread a hundred times over and it always just devolves into pointless PC vs. Console bickering. Each control method has its uses, PCs are handy because they allow the use of either (or joysticks, flightsticks, fightsticks, wheels, and every other input method you could ever hope to never need to use), some genres play better on one than they do the other. Can we leave it at that?

 

[Smooth Operator]

Things people are most comfortable with will always seem like the best choice to them, and in that case you also can't discount that you may see KB&M as better on the same comfort basis.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I grew up using Gamepads. So overall I prefer them and find them more comfortable to use. I'm quite adept at using the Keyboard and Mouse though, I play Unreal Tournament 2004 fairly often and I couldn't even imagine how one could play that game with a Pad.

Given the choice though I'll always pick a Gamepad over the M/KB

 

[LaoJim]

As you suggest, it depends on the type of game, but in defence of gamepads.

1) It's a lot easier to flop back on a sofa and relax playing a game on a big screen TV
2) Gamepads fit into your hands a lot easier, everything it just there. I've always found WASD uncomfortable.
3) Rumble feedback is occasionally very useful, especially for things like driving games to let you know you're going off the road.
4) Many games don't need constant camera control (e.g. Tomb Raider), with a gamepad you can have your hands on the ABXY buttons most of the time and switch to the Right Analogue stick on the occasions where your visions is obscured
5) Many action games have movement that is not locked to the camera, with these games it a lot better to be able to have analogue movement being able to move, say, up and a little right. (Playing Prince of Persia or the Arkham games on a keyboard is quite painful for this reasons)

To be honest, even with FPSs I prefer a gamepad,there's something satisfying about having pulling trigger rather than a mouse button. (But I acknowledge that the performance is better with K+M)

 

[Cerebrawl]

KB&M is clearly superior for precision in most applications. The only time it really suffers is fighting games and games where variable moving speed and analogue movement separate from aiming(certain twin-stick shooters and such) matter.

And for the twin-stick style games... joystick+mouse would be more ideal. (Anchored analogue joystick). Razer orbweaver would've been a contender too, except its joystick is 8-directional instead of analogue.


I've actually taken interest in input method theory... I've got several designs floating around in my head for improved controllers, joysticks and ergonomic gaming mice, and even some one-handed multi-function devices for people who are missing an arm. If I thought I had any chance for it I'd go apply for a job at one of the major peripheral manufacturers, but I don't have a degree in this...

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Keyboard and mouse controls are far faster and more precise for shooters?

YOU DON'T SAY.

OP, whatever your intentions may be, we've had this thread a hundred times over and it always just devolves into pointless PC vs. Console bickering. Each control method has its uses, PCs are handy because they allow the use of either (or joysticks, flightsticks, fightsticks, wheels, and every other input method you could ever hope to never need to use), some genres play better on one than they do the other. Can we leave it at that?

yepp this. mostly comes down to preference (which you can break down by genre too easily) on why someone thinks "x" is better than "y". That's not to say that keyboard and mouse doesn't excel better in certain areas, it works different than the joysticks so the pinpoint accuracy gives it an edge. On the flipside, I can't imagine not using a controller on platformers and racers, fuck the keyboard and mouse at those.

 

[Gankytim]

Eugh, seems I've kicked up a shitstorm.

I'm not intendting to piss people off, I'm just spouting my own personal anecdote and experience being well versed in both.

 

[Gankytim]

Eugh, seems I've kicked up a shitstorm.

I'm not intendting to piss people off, I'm just spouting my own personal anecdote and experience being well versed in both.

The thread title comes across as a wee bit douchey (no offence, not trying to start my own shitstorm here either)

I don't know. The only time I find KB + M to be superior is with RTS games. Everything else just feels so much more natural to me with a controller (even RPG's and FPS) infact even though I can run Skyrim half decently on my PC I still got it for my PS3 instead.

Eh, this is the internet, everyone's a douch it's the land of "MY OPINION>YOUR OPINION"

 

[Cerebrawl]

What it really boils down to in most cases is comfort vs precision&options, personal preference, and what you're used to.

KB&M has better precision for one input method(mouse), and far greater number of possible keybinds(keyboard), that's just objectively true, though if you need two precision input methods, then PC has to replace the keyboard portion with a joystick or 3D mouse to stay superior, while controllers these days typically have twin analogue sticks built in.

Controllers are more comfortable to many people, and many are more used to them, but these are subjective qualities.

I must admit that they're generally better for certain genres, primarily fighters, platformers and jRPGs(since they're designed for controllers). If the mouse isn't a factor, controller beats keyboard.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Ah yes, these mysterious unidentifiable "people" that we crop up so much in a topic such as this.

Anyway, I don't think many believe that controllers are better, it's all down to their personal preference. I've grown up using controllers all my life, so naturally, I'm more accustomed to using various controllers than I am KB+M. I outright know that KB+M is better for some genres than others, but I don't care enough about it (plus I play the majority of my games on consoles anyway)

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Depends on the game for me. Generally I'll use keyboard and mouse (or just keyboard as the case may be), but I find 3rd person action games really awkward with KB+M. I don't play many though so using a gamepad on my computer happens rarely. It depends on the keyboard as well. I only have a laptop with nice flat/shallow keys but if we're talking your traditional desktop keyboard with the high keys I avoid those like the plague. I don't even like just typing with them. Although I assume the average PC gamer has something a bit more specialised anyway.

A lot of people harp on about gamepads pretty much being a requirement for 2D platformers. That always struck me as kind of weird. The only advantage a gamepad gives you is analogue control which you don't even need for most 2D platformers.

 

[Zhukov]

Eugh, seems I've kicked up a shitstorm.

I'm not intendting to piss people off, I'm just spouting my own personal anecdote and experience being well versed in both.

Don't worry, you're new, you weren't to know.

This topic always gets people pissed off. You'd be amazed how belligerent people get over their preferred method of video game input.