Game news Who Has the Favorite Controller for PC, Xbox, or PlayStation Gamers? This Gaming Giant Answers the Question, Stats in Hand
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For years, the keyboard and mouse combo was considered a must-have for PC gaming. However, things are changing and more and more PC gamers are opting for a controller. Valve reveals that the number of players using a pad has tripled since 2018, even though the majority of PC gamers continue to use a keyboard and mouse.
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On PC and Steam, controllers are all the rage
How do you play on PC? Valve asked itself the question and decided to use its tools to establish statistical data. PC gaming is on the rise, more and more players are taking advantage of their machine to run games, generally purchased less expensively. On the industry side, we publish a lot of multiplatform titles, even bringing to genres historically linked to the PC such as 4X (which includes Civilization, to name just one), joystick controls. Also remember Diablo, whose player base expanded significantly with the introduction of stick controls and rolling in the third episode.
Faced with this paradigm, controller manufacturers, whether Nintendo, Sony or third parties, have integrated native support for their peripherals on PCThe consequences of these choices are now being felt, since, according to Valve (Steam), 15% of PC gamers use a controller daily. This doesn't seem like much, but it's triple the percentage recorded in 2018! The opportunity for Valve to ask itself which is the public's favorite controller, and the result is unsurprising: 59% of controller users on Steam have switched to Xbox controllers.
Increasingly important support
Although no specific generation is mentioned, the report highlights The enduring popularity of the Xbox 360 controller, which is more than 15 years old, praising its affordable price, ease of use on Windows and “timeless” design. This domination is further reinforced by theValve's efforts to improve controller compatibilityincluding a dedicated Windows driver for Xbox One and Series controllers, which unlocks a number of features including the use of the controllers' rear paddles Elite.
Sony PlayStation, for its part, is far from being a mere extra, DualShock and other DualSense finding favor with 26% of users controllers on Steam. Valve also highlights the joint work with Sony to make controllers even more compatible, particularly with regard to the DualSense Edge. More surprisingly, theThe controller integrated into the Steam Deck corresponds to 10% of the total usagethus demonstrating the interest of the medium for the public. The rest is made up of the many third-party controllers, Hori in the lead. The statistical report recalls that Steam supports over 300 controllersand that number continues to increase.