The internet has once again erupted in debate over which is better: controllers or mouse and keyboard. This age old, heated debate was sparked largely by tweets from the streaming powerhouses, DrDisrespect and Myth. DrDisrespect’s tweet clearly implied that console players with aim assist are not as skilled as mouse and keyboard players. Myth only continued to fuel the fire by stating he would “never put a controller player in my top 10 greatest fps players of all time.”
Naturally, the debate spiraled from this point. FPS players on both sides have engaged in the heated conversation. If one thing has been made clear throughout this ongoing saga, it is that this debate does not really matter. The topic has been exacerbated ever since the dawn of gaming. PC and console players have always clashed over the topic but there will never be a clear resolution. Both sides have made their case repeatedly with little new information entering the arena, and this point the topic is simply a dead horse.
The facts of the case are clear. Key board and mouse provides more accurate aim given you have your whole arm and hand to control your crosshairs. When compared to just using a thumb on an analog stick, in a pure aim test PC will win out. Aim assist is a crutch that helps console players keep up, but this test is contingent on a few factors. The first variable is that in this scenario of a direct comparison is that the players are of equal skill.
It is entirely possible that given the tools to have better aim, a PC player may be worse than the console player. Just because one option is veritably better than the other does not mean that all players will meet on equal grounds. The individual skill level of any given player still plays a massive role in the debate and in the result of a cross-platform match.
The second major consideration in this debate is comfort. Plenty of gamers started on analog sticks and are far more comfortable on controllers than the key board and mouse. Though better for aiming, the learning curve for PC gaming is notably higher as key boards are simply less intuitive than controllers. Key board and mouse may have a higher skill ceiling, but players comfortable with controllers may ultimately play better with controllers.
There are countless other mitigating factors that render this discussion useless. Players will not switch from what they are accustom to from a debate that is arbitrarily brought up every few months. While it is interesting to see how streamers, pros, and influencers land on the topic, the available information has made this debate incredibly played out. Ultimately, you should use whatever is comfortable for you and what allows you to play your best. This debate will inevitably arise again, but similarly it will have no conclusion and everyone will only go back to what they were using before the debate began again.
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