What is better for shooters

Since first-person shooters have been played on consoles, there has been a debate about which type of control is better: controller or mouse (and keyboard).

For Reddit user Archmagos_Browning the matter is very clear. After ten years he switched from a controller to a mouse and keyboard and his precision when aiming and hitting is said to have improved by 50 percent practically overnight.

There has been a lot of excitement in the corresponding Reddit thread since the post was published. After 17 hours it has almost 8,500 upvotes and almost 500 replies. The opinions are surprisingly clear. If you want to read a cross-section of the answers directly, jump to the paragraph How do Reddit users feel about the controller or mouse debate?

What are the differences between a controller and a mouse?

Controllers

Anyone who plays a shooter with the controller, uses a thumbstick when looking around and aiming before firing the shot with a (shoulder) button. So primarily the thumb of one hand is used.

From our own experience we can say that overall it works rather moderately well. But of course that depends on the individual skill of each player.

To provide support and to make aiming with the controller easier, many games offer aim assists.

Mouse

When controlling with a mouse Not only one thumb is used, but the entire hand and sometimes even the arm and shoulder. Because it uses more joints (the wrist, arm, shoulder, and individual phalanges of the fingers), it can potentially be controlled more finely and precisely. However, that depends on a few factors:

The three types of grips

There are basically three different ways a player can move their mouse:

• Plam grip: The palm rests mostly on the mouse. The type of grip is considered particularly natural and gentle on tendons and joints. The arm and shoulder are particularly used. Depending on the size of your hand, appropriately sized mice are recommended. The palm grip is a report from only4gamers according to the most popular type of grip.
• Claw grip: The mouse is only touched in a few places. The hand forms a kind of claw, and control is primarily done using the wrist and fingers. Compared to the palm grip, the claw grip causes the hand to tire more quickly and the tendons are put under greater strain. For this reason, it is considered particularly precise.
• Fingertip grip: The fingertip grip is quite similar to the claw grip, where only the fingertips rest on the mouse. Control is primarily done with the fingers and wrist. This type of grip is considered particularly precise and suitable for quick flick shots. However, the prerequisite is a large hand and a small mouse.

Which of the three grip types is best depends on personal taste. They all have their advantages and disadvantages.

However, from our own experience we can say that controlling with a mouse is overall more precise and faster than with a controller.

The controller doesn't just have disadvantages

However, the controller may have a bit of an edge when it comes to general movement, since walking and sprinting only use the thumb instead of four fingers for WASD control. An additional advantage of thumbsticks is that they work analogue.

That is, the speed at which a character moves depends on the degree of movement of the thumbstick. This means it can be controlled more precisely compared to digital input on the keyboard. But there are also keyboards that work analogously:

How do Reddit users feel about the controller or mouse debate?

Dayglance it looks like this: I play FPS[First-Person-Shooter]-Games only with the mouse. Can't go back anymore [zum Controller].

XWasTheProblem emphasizes an important point: Absolutely, but if you've never used a mouse in games before, expect a bit of a learning curve and some time before it feels comfortable.

Unlikely_Subject_442 says it a little harder: FPS [First-Person-Shooter] with controller is a real pain.

Andyman1917 indicates a problem: Now go Apex [Legends] play and lose against controller players with literal aim bot.

The same seems to apply to games Call of Duty: Warzone, which allow so-called crossplay between PC and consoles. Other users therefore generally consider aim assistants to be proof that mouse control is superior to the controller.

You can find out how to set the mouse sensitivity correctly and become better players in the following article:

Adjust mouse dpi and sensitivity correctly – Aim better with the mouse

how do you see it? Do you belong to the group of people who consider the mouse and keyboard to be superior to the controller when it comes to first-person shooters? Or do you see it completely differently and prefer to play with a controller? Have you perhaps switched from one to the other? And if that is the case, what are your experiences with it? Feel free to write it to us in the comments!