While a gamepad provides an ideal level of comfort, a keyboard and mouse offer superior performance. Particular genres are better suited for a mouse because of its DPI (dots per square inch). This gives better precision for first-person shooters or any other game that has to target in an isometric view.

While the following games can be played with either a keyboard and mouse or controller, a keyboard and mouse setup is invariably better. Here are some great PC games that are worse with a controller.

Updated on November 4, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Most people love the idea of playing games with a controller instead of having to worry about a ton of button maps that they can forget at any given moment.

However, there are times when the added benefit of a mouse and keyboard is simply unmatched, no matter how relaxing it might be to use a controller instead. Here are some great examples of PC games that simply work way better with a mouse and keyboard.

15 Wildermyth

Wildermyth Bear Transformation

Wildermyth is one of the most unique turn-based strategy games around. The game uses procedural storytelling to set up narrative blocks that come together in a pretty seamless manner.

While Wildermyth has received controller support, using a gamepad to play this game is nowhere near as intuitive as a mouse and keyboard. There's a reason why this game constantly needs updates to make the controller more viable to play while the mouse and keyboard controls have remained fairly intact and preferred by many.

14 Cyberpunk 2077

Johnny Silverhand

Cyberpunk 2077 is experiencing a comeback that is pretty deserved indeed. The game is blast to play through in its current state and employs many different playstyles to cater to most players.

Given the first-person viewpoint of this game, it's easy to see why using a keyboard and mouse is optimal for players who employ guns. Of course, melee players don't really need to do the same since they can just swing wildly in the vicinity of most enemies.

13 Fallout: New Vegas

fallout-new-vegas-2-1

Fallout: New Vegas is held in high regard by many as one of the best games in the entire series. It combines the role-playing aspects of past Fallout games with the technical achievements of later 3D titles to make for an experience that is genuinely the best of both worlds.

Given the complex systems in Fallout: New Vegas, it's easy to see why the added benefit of a keyboard and mouse is so important here. Of course, another reason to use this control scheme is that most mods don't really support controllers either, which is a bummer.

12 Dishonored

Dishonored

Dishonored is one of the greatest immersive sims ever made. It's easy to see why this stealth-action title played a huge part in turning Arkane Studios into a mainstream company.

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There's no denying that Dishonored can be played from start to end with a controller. However, the keyboard and mouse is simply more accurate and lets players carry out actions quickly and more efficiently.

11 Superhot

superhot player punching an enemy

At a glance, Superhot seems like a game tailor-made for controllers. Aiming in first person is challenging, and Superhot makes things slightly easier by slowing down time to a crawl as players try and nail the best shot possible.

However, this wouldn't been applicable if time completely stopped in Superhot. Instead, time moves at an extremely slow pace when players are standing, meaning that a bullet coming towards them can still hit them if they take too much time to aim — something that won't happen if players use a mouse and keyboard instead.

10 The Elder Scrolls Series

Although many players prefer a controller for The Elder Scrolls, the keyboard and mouse combination is more intuitive. As a game with a variety of spells to switch between, the keyboard and mouse are incomparable.

Most people would even go as far as to say that The Elder Scrolls is a great keyboard and mouse learning game. If players have never tried the keyboard and mouse, and they're itching to play a role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls is appealing. It doesn't have too many key bindings to make it needlessly complicated.

9 BioShock Trilogy

Switch Bioshock Collection Big Daddy Attack

Players are divided over whether the keyboard and mouse or the controller is the better peripheral for the BioShock series. The first reason to use the keyboard and mouse combination for BioShock is that it is a first-person shooter.

However, BioShock simplifies controls when using a controller. Players can't go wrong with either, but keyboard and mouse win for being easier at higher difficulties.

8 Half-Life 1 & 2

The Half-Life series is recognized as one of the greatest game series of all time. The latest entry, Half-Life: Alyx, is a virtual reality exclusive and is incompatible with a keyboard and mouse setup. This is a series that is continually pushing innovation with gameplay way ahead of its time.

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Both Half-Life and Half-Life 2 play better with a keyboard and mouse. While the controller is more comfortable, a mouse can have different DPI settings and extra buttons. A mouse can pinpoint locations easier, making it the best match for Half-Life.

7 Portal Series

ATLAS and P-body looking at portals

The decision to add the Portal series is potentially a divisive opinion. Whether someone prefers a keyboard and mouse or a controller is mostly a personal preference.

Portal can be used for either peripheral. Since Portal is a first-person game, the intuitive decision would be a keyboard and mouse. However, since the game doesn't place players under a time limit and lets them complete it at a relaxing pace, a controller isn't a bad option either.

6 Minecraft

It's hard to ignore the apparent advantages of playing Minecraft on PC versus a console. With more customizable textures, versions that are several ahead, and an endless wave of mods to integrate into the vanilla game, PC is the definitive platform.

This raises the question, what is the better peripheral for Minecraft? It can definitively be said that a keyboard and mouse combination is far superior. It makes Minecraft's controls more complicated, but the changes are well worth it.

5 Borderlands Series

borderlands 3 golden keys

This looter shooter series concluded the trilogy with a divisive entry. Borderlands 3 may not have lived up to the hype of the previous Borderlands, yet all of the games have immense replay value.

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Borderlands is best played with a keyboard and mouse. It is a first-person shooter that provides stellar accuracy with the keyboard and mouse combination. If it were a fighting or racing game, this discussion wouldn't be happening in the first place.

4 Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2 likely served as inspiration for Overwatch and many other squad-based games. Each character is unique, creating the perfect atmosphere for competitive matches.

Developer Valve Corporation's video games are highly optimized for the keyboard and mouse setup. With many of their games being PC exclusives, it's no wonder why using a keyboard, and a mouse is intuitive for Team Fortress 2. The game offers controller support, yet the keyboard and mouse duo is easier to use.

3 Diablo 3

Diablo

Hack and slash game Diablo 3 is yet another loot-based game on this list benefiting from a keyboard and mouse setup. Picking up an abundance of items on the floor is easier with a keyboard and mouse. Moreover, the key binding customization options in Diablo 3 makes the controller the inferior peripheral.

Players can customize their gaming mouse buttons to intuitively use Mana moves. Most players can get through most of Diablo 3 using only a gaming mouse. The console version of Diablo 3 is playable, but the mouse and keyboard setup is way easier.

2 Overwatch

Blizzard's Overwatch is one of the most streamed games on Twitch. It's competitive, vibrant team-based matches set a new standard for gaming.

As a first-person shooter, Overwatch is best played with a keyboard and mouse. The game can also be played with a controller, but a player will undoubtedly have an advantage with a keyboard and mouse.

1 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most competitive first-person shooters on the planet. It takes a steady hand and as much precision as players can muster.

A controller won't give anyone the upper hand. Ditch the controller! The lethargic movements of thumbsticks won't provide the surefire accuracy to win matches. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the quintessential example of a game that works well with a keyboard and mouse.

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