Generally speaking,PC gamingis synonymous with a keyboard and mouse, and for good reason. Genres like first-person shooters and strategy benefit greatly from the improved accuracy provided by this control scheme, and it can be difficult to grow accustomed to using anything else for games that fall within these categories. Grand and real-time strategy projects spent decades ignoring consoles since the thought of adapting their controls for gamepads seemed futile; nowadays, this genre is no stranger to PlayStation and Xbox ports, although its representatives tend to be at their best on PC.
While most releases try to include proper support for keyboard and mouse setups, a fewPC Games are better with controllers. Titles that focus on reflex-based movement or high-octane melee action tend to be perfect fits for gamepads. Similar tokeyboard and mouse, a few genres are associated with controllers, especially if their main franchises started on consoles and eventually made their way to computers. What are thebest controller games on PC?
Please note that the games are not ranked in any order. Recent releases will also be listed first.
Updated July 25, 2025 by Mark Sammut:While perhaps not as staked with options as February and March, April and May have proven to be great months for gaming. The former saw plenty of major releases land on PC, quite a few of which can be played with either a K+M or a controller without too many issues. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 advises that it is best experienced with a gamepad, but the game works well with a keyboard and mouse. Honestly, dodging and blocking are generally easier with a K+M set-up. May’s headline act is Doom: The Dark Ages, which is (naturally) better with a mouse. Still, id Software’s latest entry is perfectly enjoyable with a gamepad, showing how far the gaming industry has come with adapting to that control style.
When it comes to Soulslikes, the consensus is that they are better with a controller than a keyboard and mouse. Now, that reputation largely stems from the genre’s earliest PC games doing a pretty bad job of adapting their controls to a K+M, and quite a few of them debuted on consoles before making their way to computers. Nowadays, most major Soulslike releases launch simultaneously on all platforms, so they should cater to all users equally. Consequently, these games have generally become far better at providing decent K+M support, at least to the point that they are usually usable.
That said, Soulslikes still arguably feel better with a controller.The First Berserker: Khazanis one of the genre’s hardest entries in a while, and its punishing battle system requires extremely quick input and reactions. The campaign focuses heavily on combat and bosses, with exploration being quite limited.Players have three weapon types to master, along with fairly extensive skill trees for each.The First Berserker: Khazanis hard-as-nails, and while a controller does not make the game easier, it makes it slightly more comfortable.
Like Hazelight’s other project,Split Fictioncan only be played in 2-player co-op, be it local or online.The game fully supports controllers and keyboard + mouse, and they are both honestly quite good. As the campaign constantly throws out new gameplay ideas and mechanics, certain levels suit a gamepad while others are slightly better with a K+M, so everything kind of balances out at the end.
Now, the above mostly holds true for online co-op, since both players can just pick whichever control scheme they prefer. However, PC players who will be usingSplit Fiction’s local co-op will likely have to implement one controller at the bare minimum, and the experience might be smoother if both users opt for the same input device.
Split Fictionallows a K+M and controller to be used simultaneously, so players can just go with their preferred option.
Yakuza/Like a Dragongameshave a long and storied history of promoting gamepads. The PC ports include prompts recommending that players use a controller, to the point that the “Real Yakuza Use a Gamepad” message is kind of infamous by this point. While modern releases debut simultaneously on PC, the franchise was console-exclusive for a very long time and still embraces that legacy.
Now, to be honest, the games implement keyboard and mouse support well, and most of them are perfectly playable. It is mainlyYakuza 0and theKiwamigames that can feel awkward at times with a K+M, and they are easily workable with a bit of practice. Ever since the mainline entries switched to turn-based combat, the player’s chosen peripheral has become unimportant.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiis a throwback to the franchise’s real-time beat ‘em up days, a combat system that is tailor-made for a controller. The ship-based action is also a good fit for a gamepad, although everything works well with a keyboard and mouse. Still, as this is an open-world game with a pretty laid-back rhythm, a controller can feel like a better fit, especially for players who have their PC attached to a TV and want to just sit back on a couch.
Cygames’Granblue Fantasyhas been around since 2014, but the original game was a mobile Japanese exclusive. The IP made its Western gaming debut viaGranblue Fantasy Versusand its sequel, which are fighting game spin-offs that are (naturally) very different from the core titles. Consequently,Granblue Fantasy: Relinkwill likely serve as the entry point for many people, and the 2024 action RPG leaves a pretty positive impression. Telling a story that can be completed in roughly 20 hours, the game’s selling point is its wide variety of playable characters, all of whom are surprisingly unique. The endgame consists of doing increasingly harder missions while gradually leveling up these characters and unlocking their Masteries, a process that can take a very, very long time.
Granblue Fantasy: Relinkmostly seems like it was indeed for a controller, but Cygames did a good job adapting the RPG to a keyboard and mouse. That said, the camera does feel a bit off with the latter, so players who would rather stick to a K+M might want to change the settings. Still, the game is a more natural fit with a controller, especially for the characters who are melee-based.Relinkhas quite a good lock-on feature, too, so the ranged fighters are generally fine with a gamepad as well.
WhileDragon Ballgames are relatively common,Sparking! Zerois different. The 2024 release is set within theBudokai Tenkaichiseries, which produced three PS2 titles that are still highly regarded among fans of the franchise. There have been quite a few greatDBgames since 2007, but none quite managed to scratch the same itch asBT3.Sparking! Zeroreached that promised land, presenting a modern evolution that very much preserves the classic trilogy’s appeal.
Sparking! Zerohad a very successful Steam launch, so a lot of PC players have added the project to their libraries. While statistics are not available, there have to be thousands of people who are sticking to a keyboard and have to overcome a learning curve since 3D arena fighters are pretty much always designed with controllers in mind. However, if someone has decades of keyboard experience behind them, they still might feel more comfortable taking on the game’s challenges without a gamepad, even if it might put them at a disadvantage in both the multiplayer and some of the harder AI fights. Also, make no mistake,Sparking! Zerocan be quite difficult as it throws a lot of mechanics at players.
Generally speaking, shooters are better with a keyboard and mouse; however, like with everything, exceptions exist. Now, to be fair,Space Marine 2is not purely a third-person shooter. During the campaign, players are likely to spend more time engaging in melee combat over ranged warfare, and the latter comes with a pretty generous aim assist that reduces the requirement for pinpoint accuracy.
Beyond that,Space Marine 2’s default K+M setup is fairly awkward and requires some adjusting (either through practice or rebinding keys). The controller is more straightforward and accessible right out of the box, provided it works.
At launch,Space Marine 2on Steam had some issues recognizing gamepads.Anyone experiencing these issues should try disabling Steam Input.
Most racing games generally play better with a controller than a keyboard or mouse. For racing sims, a quality wheel is the way to go, but the same doesn’t always hold true for arcade racers. When driving the fastest cars inForza Horizon 5, players might find themselves most comfortable with a controller as the vehicles tend to be easier to direct.
Forza Horizon 5is a relaxing game with quite a bit of downtime as players will spend a significant amount of time driving through Mexico while admiring the vistas. A controller fits the tone and pacing of the game well since it allows users to sit back and chill more readily.
Black Myth: Wukong’s Steam page contains a message from the developer recommending the use of a controller, and it is difficult to argue against this point of view. The 2024 RPG implements ideas from Soulslikes and character action games, two genres that are typically associated with gamepads; that said,Black Myth: Wukongis mostly fine with a keyboard and mouse. That’s not to say they are equal or superior to a controller, but they are usable and (naturally) provide more wiggle room for customization. Therefore, people who tend to prefer K+M should try that control scheme rather than automatically default to a controller.
Still,Black Myth: Wukongwas very obviously created with a gamepad in mind, and the combat feels particularly at home when bound to that peripheral. The game nearly follows aboss rush format, guiding players from one epic fight to the next; consequently, the campaign maintains a fairly high level of difficulty that presents little room for error. As such, the controller should minimize the learning curve.
The best way to play a beat ‘em up that is a clear throwback to the ’90s arcade scene is to get a fight stick, andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengeis no exception. However, it is not worth buying a new peripheral for just one game, so most players will likely make do with either a controller or keyboard. The latter’s bindings can be remapped, but there is a reason keyboards are not typically associated with beat ‘em ups – they don’t quite feel right.
Shredder’s Revengeis at home on a controller, especially if the game’s local co-op feature is utilized. The game really comes alive when more than one player is participating, and this process will almost certainly require a few people to pick up gamepads.
Psychonauts 2can be seen as a stand-in for platformers in general, particularly 3D ones. For the most part, these games benefit from the more precise movement provided by an analog stick, while they are usually designed to utilize a controller’s buttons as intuitively as possible.
Psychonauts 2goes one step further by including a combat system that requires quick reflexes and the incorporation of aPsi-Powers wheel, both things that feel better through a controller.
