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How do I get used to using a mouse and keyboard instead of a controller?

Is there some sort of secret? No matter what sensitivity my mouse is set to I seem to get stuck when turning. On a controller I can turn completely in a circle, but not with a mouse unless i'm missing something. I'm willing to accept that I might be an idiot. But seriously how to people do it? It just feels so unatural. Sorry if this is a dumb question, because I think it's a dumb question too.

63 comments
  • For the most part, it's just like how you learned to be good with a controller: experience. The more you use the mouse the better you get. You brain just learns that this amount of movements equals roughly this distance moved on the screen.

    For a lot of people, disabling mouse acceleration helps with precision. By default there's an acceleration curve, so you move the mouse faster and the cursor goes even faster, disabling it makes it so the cursor tracks the mouse precisely. It can make it harder to do a 360 though, as acceleration can help get the speed needed. Dial in your sensitivity settings to where it feels comfortable for aiming, because if you make the sensitivity too much for the 360 it'll be really hard to aim with any sort of accuracy.

    There's a rhythm game called Osu! if you want to stress test your mouse accuracy.

  • There are 3 way you can be better at aiming with a mouse:

    Disable acceleration (enhanced pointer precision)

    Lower your sensitivity

    Use a lighter mouse

    Past that, it's practice, practice and more practice. If you only recently moved over to M+KB, you haven't developed the muscle memory. Start with games that just require you to click on things, like Civ games or Stardew Valley, and games that don't require rapid movements, like Portal.

  • I can understand where you're coming from. As a lifelong PC gamer, it took me ages to adapt to controller usage (I use a controller on PC for some game types now) and I still can't play any sort of shooter with a controller.

    It'll inevitably take time. You're shifting from existing muscle memory, to an attempt to develop an entirely different kind of muscle memory. I'd suggest trying to use a PC for as many tasks as possible, even for stuff you usually use your phone for. Even general PC usage will help your muscle memory to develop.

    Don't give up, you'll get there eventually!

    • I use a controller on PC for some game types now

      I'll use a controller if I'm emulating a console game(obviously.) The only PC games I use a controller for is strictly driving a vehicle in GTA5 and Cyberpunk, or racing games. WASD isn't pressure sensitive, and it does my head in trying to feather the throttle to take a corner, or creep past an enemy so my companion can shoot them from the window. Just makes more sense to use a controller for that. Also too broke to buy a decent wheel and pedal setup.

      • I can definitely relate, similar experiences were my initial reason for getting a controller for myself. I ended up becoming a controller geek, though. Right now, I have a PS3 DualShock clone, a Logitech controller with DualShock ergonomics but Xbox face buttons, and then I have retro controllers for Sega Genesis and the SNES. Looking to expand beyond that eventually but virtually any game type works flawlessly with that setup haha

    • I use a mouse and keyboard for everything except gaming. I hate using my phone. I use to play basic keyboard and mouse games when I was a kid but it's been a very long time. I actually started my game tonight and after adjusting my mouse sensitivity it's easier than I thought. Hitting left shift with my pinkey to run kind of sucks but oh well. Still slightly cumbersome but I think I can get used to it. I'd still rather use a controller if given the option but I think I can manage. Thanks!

  • No matter what sensitivity my mouse is set to I seem to get stuck when turning. On a controller I can turn completely in a circle, but not with a mouse unless i’m missing something.

    are you using running in circles as a benchmark? as a one continuous loop that is not going to happen with a mouse unless you have infinite desk and arm lengh. Generally mouse users do circles in segments: turn a bit, move mouse back to center and repeat as nescessary.

    If you've mostly used controlles, yea, m+kb is going to feel unnatural. Same applies in reverse too. Different worlds - it can take quite some time to get familiar with the other.

  • There's aim trainer games to practice mouse speed and accuracy.

    edit: aimlabs on steam.

  • A lot of comments missing this part: you have to lift your mouse to relocate it back to center. A low sensitivity mouse results in so called "rowing".
    There are a lot of different preferred styles, as an example: eSports tends to higher DPI (dots per ich) since every millisecond counts but the precision falls behind which can be trained.

    After all I would recommend trying a mainstream shooter game like Counter-Strike and leave the settings vanilla.
    Start a match or training or what else and pick yourself 3-4 points of the environment like a corner of a wall, a bench and so on.
    Now aim at one point, close your eyes and try to move your cross hair onto another point, open your eyes and you will notice that you are either too far beyond the aimed point or didn't reach it. This offset can be adjusted inside the most in-game setting by decreasing or increasing the mouse sensitivity.
    If you always have to crank up or down your sensitivity in every game to the same direction you probably should change your mouse DPI. Most mice come with software where you can adjust this. Also when playing on windows disable mouse acceleration.

63 comments