PC gamers are finally embracing the controller, as usage triples [increase to 15% from 5% over the last six years]

All depends on the game. PC players have options.
- Games like Palworld and GTA are better with a controller. Games like Cities: Skylines and any game requiring significant precision are better with a mouse and keyboard.
  
  I prefer over the shoulder games like GTA with keyboard mouse and controller.
  Controller for general navigation and when a firefight starts to go down, my right hand switches to the mouse and my left hand is still on the controller, resting on the desk. When the firefight starts getting hectic the controller gets dropped and it’s WASD from there on out.
  
  Only reason it may seem "better" is because Palworld has horrible building mechanics.
  But nothing about that game makes it easier with a controller.

Really depends on the games.
- Yeah, most 3rd person games I like to play with a controller, first person not so much.

Steam Deck and the console users that pivoted to PC gaming during the scalpers riddled PS5/Xbox launch are probably the most likely causes for this.
- Right, PC gamers aren’t embracing controllers, console gamers are embracing PC gaming.

Well, yeah. Racing games, platformers, and action games are generally more comfortable with controller. Third person shooters, FPS, anything that requires aiming, or RTS games are still best done with mouse.
- I don't really like playing platformers with a controller.
  I played through Celeste, Super Meat Boy and Rayman on PC only with keyboard and played Super Meat Boy, Rayman and N++ on the switch. I prefer the keyboard.
  For 3D games (even platformers) I prefer the controller though.
  
  I prefer games that can be played with a controller to be played with a controller just to mix up the ways I fuck up my wrists

for certain games controllers are so comfy, I've had a controller next to my desk for years for times I want to play something more casual that supports controllers.

Nothing will ever be as accurate as a 1:1 pointing device. Using a thumbstick sucks ass for general mouse-work why would it be suddenly good for FPS games? Thumbsticks are best at racing, platforming, flight sims, maybe RPGs and scrollers.
Right tool for the job.
- Yeah I'm pretty sure people are just starting to use controllers for the controllers' usecases. A lot of people (including me) played stuff like space simulators with mouse+keyboard, which are obviously not the right tool for the job.
- Absolutely. I started cyberpunk again and it's keyboard/mouse until I get in a vehicle, then it's controller
  
  I have no idea why Halo is the only game that uses mouse for direct on driving. So much better fine control, but the pc only people I knew got so confused by it when it was ported the first time. I always quit Half life 2 episode 2 at the Strider Battle.
- Trackball controller
  
  Wait, those are a thing?
- I just played through Portal again, using a DualShock 4... up until Test Chamber 18. It was simply not possible to look left/right without ever-so-slightly moving, enough to miss falling back into the portal. Mouse and keyboard- cleared it instantly.
  Edit: I may try again, using a controller that has 8-way detents on the analog sticks (i.e. GameCube gamepad)
- When playing through games with both shooting and driving (or horseback riding in RDR2) I keep my controller handy and swap between it and mkb. I find I generally prefer walking around with a controller until I need to shoot; I end up using the controller 75% of the time.
  
  Can't you use a controller + mouse combo?

Usage triples <-> 15 % increase
Pick one. Triple is 300 % increase. Article says 15 % is the proportion using them, not the increase.
- Yeah, this is just an issue with the Lemmy post’s title. The article is clear that 15% are using controllers now, up from 5% in 2018.
- Thanks for bring this up, now I've fixed from "15% increase to " increase to 15% from 5%". Should be more clear

I think it's most likely that more people are playing genres like platformers and fighting games that are designed for controllers on PC than before.
- I wouldn’t call those genres particularly popular atm

It's not that PC gamers were opposed to using controllers. PC gamers love our peripherals. The problem was support for it. Most of the controllers beforehand had proprietary connectors that would never work in the PC. And then even if you could connect the controller there was no guarantee it would work. But now with more standardization around USB and Bluetooth adding and better driver support for the controllers we can finally use them.
- Most of the controllers beforehand had proprietary connectors that would never work in the PC.
  That was in the 90s... 20 years ago I was gaming on PC with a PS1 dual shock using a cheap adapter, and then switched to the Xbox 360 controller which used a standard USB port.
  
  Not here to comment on whether you are right (because you are) but more to report the whiplash of realising 20 years ago is still in the 2000s. Mentally, 20 years ago puts something early nineties to me.
- yeah, I'd have to solder a PS1 controller to printer port back then. even when controller moves to wireless(like dual shock 3) the protocol was proprietary until windows have a proper driver for them.

Steamdeck, platformers, racers, and fighters are all controller preferred games.

If I need precise aiming, then it's keyboard and mouse. If not, then I'll go with a controller just so I can lean back and enjoy things.

Games need to support it well with remapping and better UI and ways to control that make sense.
- Fr. I can't play Bayonetta cause they want me to dodge with one of the buttons on top (can't remember if it's r1 or r2) and holy shit I can't do it. It's either A or B otherwise I literally nvr get the timing right even once

I have to wonder what percentage of folks are using handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. Personally I've found that I game much more now that I have a Steam Deck and can mindlessly play stuff like Dave the Diver while relaxing on the couch with my SO, versus setting aside specific "gaming time" to be at my desk.

I said this for years but PC is the biggest thread for the Xbox and Sony, not mobile.

That 15% is the Steam Deck users with Steam input always on and required.
It's maddening that I can't get PC glyphs to show on Doom Eternal.
- Yeah, this sounds more like a win for handheld PCs than some sudden shift across gamers. The Steam Deck has done well enough to spawn a sea of copycats, it's not surprising that it's making a statistical impact now too.

Doesn’t help that plenty of games have stripped down controls that don’t allow you to change keybinds because they’re built for controllers. I don’t know if embracing is the right word.
Edit: I’ll also offer that devices like the Xim look like controllers, but still allow use of mouse and keyboard.
- It's interesting that using Xim-like devices (Cronus Zen/Cronus Max) is a bannable offence on some games. They have to draw the line somewhere... one could build a device using OpenCV to recognize enemy characters and auto-aim towards them, basically adding aim-assist to games that don't have it.
  
  Maybe controversial opinion:
  I’m very much against aim assist in crossplay and online multiplayer explicitly because of Xim and Chronos. Devices like the Xim are pretty much cheats and they exploit aim assist in online play to the detriment of the game. I play a popular online fps game and have thousands of hours of gameplay. I can immediately tell who is using a device that abuses aim assist. It’s blatant and often egregious, it’s essentially an aimbot, but just shy of not quite. It truly ruins gameplay.
  I understand the desire for a Xim’s legit capabilities, it offers some assistance to handicapped players, it allows direct use of a joystick in games that don’t allow them, etc… but I think those are the minority. The vast majority use it because “aimbot”. That counts for the console players that use them , but PC players seem to get the most benefit as they’re used to mouse/keyboard setups vs the consoles that may not be. There’s not much need for an actual aimbot/esp/etc. if you have a Xim. Yes, they’re that good.
  IMO there should not be aim assist in online gameplay, and yeah, *uck these clowns using chronos/xims. They really screw everything up.

I don't understand controllers. I can never get to use them properly. I grew up playing on computers all my life. My brain simply can't grasp them and I always forget where all the buttons are.

Other than soulslikes I pretty much always prefer mouse+KB. Playing bg3 with a controller briefly during a co-op run was just way worse, for example.
- Solasta actually plays pretty well with an old Steam Controller and the right controller mapping, but I can see where you're coming from on a controller without a touchpad input.
- BG3 has an entirely different interface when using controller. I'm not a fan of the radial menus, but it's not really an issue with the controller.

I hate controllers. I use them only on games that suggest they are important. I don't tend to like those games.

- I'd say it has to do with increased support of controllers. It used to be really hit or miss whether a controller would even work on the computer, much less with games.
- I was 95% k+m until the Steam Deck (the 5% being my old Saitek Flightstick).
  Since the Steam Deck I'm probably 90% controller.
  I will say that k+m offers superior speed and precision, especially in FPSes, but the biggest improvement that I noticed was that I was getting a sore shoulder from repetitive strain sitting too much time in front of computers. Controllers are more ergonomic.

As others have said, it really depends on the game. But I would say >90% of my PC gaming is done with a controller. I've just become so adapted to them, that the keyboard and mouse just feels foreign now. Even with FPS, most of the time I use a controller. I'm aware of the advantages of using a mouse obviously, but again I'm just conditioned to it now.
- If you can aim assist snap as fast as someone can flick, it's fine. A lot of games account for this and it pisses off the "m+kb is the only good peripheral" crowd every time despite their constant insistance that controller is worse for everything. Even OG overwatch had competitive controller pros (e.g. Malik); map knowledge, good awareness and positioning, control of resource locations (or power weapon spawns in older fps) have always been skills that contribute to wins as much as aiming well, regardless of peripheral. The best peripheral is the one you're most comfortable competing with.
  
  Or if you only play single player FPS games so you don't have to care what anyone thinks
  
  Wow, I'm surprised at the downvotes! You're not wrong.

I must be going the opposite route. After playing console for so long I'm starting to notice I can't use a controller as well as I used to. Been debating on dusting off the keyboard and mouse and using it on my Playstation until I can get a new pc.
I'm not sure what it is... but I guarantee if I played online other people would wonder if I was a bot or something because I my hands feel weird on a controller all of a sudden.

I've been playing from the couch for a few years now.
I've got a DS4 and DualSense which I use via Bluetooth for games with support. Most times I'll have Xbox controller icons, but I don't care about that.
I have a Steam Controller that I use for most things that don't have support, especially strategy games. That right pad is a beautiful mouse replacement. It's also fantastic for couch flight simming since you can use the grip buttons to change action sets.
Of course I have a wireless keyboard and mouse, but I find myself using them for gaming very, very rarely.

For me, it's linked with the amount of "local multiplayer" titles on Steam. There was fucking nothing! Ok, we could play nes or sega games, but it was strange to not have a lot of modern games. Thankfully, it's slowly changing

I've been using controllers on PC since the Sidewinder days, I'm glad to see support for most controllers be basically perfect on Linux and pretty decent on Windows. MacOS still has a way to go with anything that isn't made by Sony, but it's not exactly a gaming platform.

Big picture mode is great.
- I'm glad this was mentioned here already. Big Picture mode in Steam is really something that I think might also contribute in increased popularity of controllers on PC. Back in the day it was really a struggle to get your already existing controller working on the PC (with Xbox it was easier after 360, PS needed extra stuff) but nowadays all one has to do is to pop into Big Picture mode and "it just works" given you've paired your controller with PC. This is with perspective over 15 years, I guess the support has been quite good multiple years already.

How much of that is console players switching to pc

The truth is, for me at least, my wrists aren't getting any younger and the controller is easier for me to use.
I do still use M+KB for games and activities that need it, but if there's a reasonable controller option I'm going to go that route.

We are just getting old and our backs hurt too much, ok?

I love gaming with controller on single player games, aiming with guns kinda suck but otherwise it's much better experience. and driving is so neat. but yeah steam controller support plays a major role in my controller usage

what I find funny is is a few years ago MnK was considered the optimal setup and controller players would complain about a disadvantage, but recently I've noticed this has switched and keyboard players are complaining about controllers being advantageous.
always been a controller player but never really cared either way about which one is better. but its sure more comfortable and easier to turn my brain off

Thank God, this changes everything
/s
Edit; I attached a link to the best selling Bluetooth controller in the description.

I believe many users are going controller over mnk is because these game devs are making it extremely easy to aim using controller, which does not make it a fair fight against mnk players.
- There are also a thousand video game genres that don't require shooting.