First person shooters on a console

crispy_chris

Hey there.

I decided to treat myself to a PlayStation 4 in the Xmas sales. Historically I've always been a PC gamer, but with a family I can no longer find the space to put a PC, so decided on the PlayStation.

However, I'm so used to a keyboard and mouse for gaming that a First person shooter on a console just feels horrible. Factor in the fact that I'm left handed, so normally aim with the left hand, whereas on a console that's not really feasible as you need to use the left stick for moving in order to use the other buttons on that pad.

So, has anyone made the transition from PC to console successfully? How long did it take to get comfortable to the controls? I have the feeling that going from left hand mouse aiming to right stick aiming is going to be like trying to teach myself to write with my right hand; a long and torturous process!

Or I'm going to end up only playing non-fps games, but even the last of us is currently outfoxing me as as soon as any fighting starts I end up looking at the sky or something while the AI beat on me

Cheers!

bluenoseam

If you're a PC gamer the chances are you'll never truly be comfortable with FPS gaming on a console - you'll adapt over time, but it's never really the same. Is there some way you can switch the sticks around for FPS, the reality is that you're rarely going to use the "buttons" to compensate for your left handedness?

Over the years I have grown accustomed to playing CoD's on consoles, but even adjusting the sensitivity on thumbsticks it's a LOT easier on mouse & keyboard!

ifstar

You should be able to switch the sticks round of a lot of games. I went from pc to console gaming and it does take a little while but you'll manage it fine after a little while.

crispy_chris

bluenoseam wrote: »

If you're a PC gamer the chances are you'll never truly be comfortable with FPS gaming on a console - you'll adapt over time, but it's never really the same. Is there some way you can switch the sticks around for FPS, the reality is that you're rarely going to use the "buttons" to compensate for your left handedness?

I considered this, but I did wonder if I'm not making a rod for my own back, as I hear of games that don't offer the reversal of the control sticks, so I'd be totally stuffed there, so figured I might as well learn the 'correct' way of doing it.

Also in The Last of Us, you need to hold the move stick and press X, which is a royal pain to do with the same hand!

AlecEiffel

I'm a righty so can't help there other than many games have a southpaw control option.

But I moved from pc fps (fear, far cry, stalker) to console (PS3 - resistance, battlefield, etc) with no issue. I like the controller and feel 'at one' with it more than my keyboard and mouse to be honest. Yeah it's a little less precise but you get used to it. I started on fallout 3 which is more forgiving than fast paced fps like cod.

chippy2u

I am a console player (xbox360/ps4) and I am left handed and have no problems playing games like Far Cry 4 and the like. Left hand for moving/aiming, right hand for shooting/ changing weapons etc. Simples!
I have tried playing PC games but just cannot get my head round pushing all those different buttons plus I do not enjoy sitting at my PC for hours when I can sit in my armchair with my feet up. ( In the case of the PS4, you need two controllers as the wireless controller has a very short playing time, about 5/6 hours before you have to plug it in and it becomes a wired controller!)
So basically it's personal choice and which method of playing you feel most comfortable using.
P.S. I treated myself to a PS4 for xmas and find it pretty awesome after the Xbox360

jl_tail

I have the opposite problem, switching from console to pc, it took me like 2 days to get used. I do not miss the controller at all, though I play more hours in total now, probably not a good thing.

PenguinJim

chippy2u wrote: »

I have tried playing PC games but just cannot get my head round pushing all those different buttons plus I do not enjoy sitting at my PC for hours when I can sit in my armchair with my feet up.

You can plug an HDMI cable into your PC to connect it to your TV, and you can use pads on there too (360/One/DS3/DS4 pads and a few hundred other choices). Some games are better with pads and some games are mindless, bombastic popcorn games that are more suited to TV gaming - don't let crazy PC fanboys try to convince you that keyboard and mouse are always best!

Sadly, it doesn't work the other way around - cerebral games rarely show up on console and there's no keyboard/mouse option for those games that benefit from it. And while you can plug a console into a monitor, you're capped at 16:9 and up to a rather low 1080P output.

Johnmcl7

I find it takes two or three days to get used to a controller for FPS games on a console although I've been going between the console and PC for many years now. I can't switch back and forth though, if I play a PC first person shooter it mucks me up on the console shooters.

I've a friend who can't get comfortable with a controller so he's bought an adapter that allows him to use a keyboard and mouse with an Xbox One, it may also work with a PS4. It emulates a controller so the console thinks it's running as normal allowing to you use the keyboard/mouse with any game although some can be a bit fiddly getting a suitable mapping. The unit was fairly pricey as well but may be an option to look into.

John

Johnmcl7

chippy2u wrote: »

I am a console player (xbox360/ps4) and I am left handed and have no problems playing games like Far Cry 4 and the like. Left hand for moving/aiming, right hand for shooting/ changing weapons etc. Simples!
I have tried playing PC games but just cannot get my head round pushing all those different buttons plus I do not enjoy sitting at my PC for hours when I can sit in my armchair with my feet up. ( In the case of the PS4, you need two controllers as the wireless controller has a very short playing time, about 5/6 hours before you have to plug it in and it becomes a wired controller!)
So basically it's personal choice and which method of playing you feel most comfortable using.
P.S. I treated myself to a PS4 for xmas and find it pretty awesome after the Xbox360

This is an area where PC gaming has improved considerably over the last few years, most PC games that suit a controller natively support the Xbox 360 controller - by natively I mean they offer default button mappings and they have in game graphics to refer to the controls the same as on a console rather than manually having to assign the controls and having references like Joy15 instead of the 'a' button as it was originally. The 360 controller is decent and both the wired and wireless versions can be used.

Steam has a big picture mode which is accessed by simply holding the guide button on the 360 controller, this launches the client into a version suitable for use with a controller on a TV. Games are generally much better at auto detecting specification and setting the quality appropriately and hardware requirements are nowhere near as tough as they used to be, some of AMD's integrated graphics cards can already manage 1080p in most games while top end cards are pushing for 4K.

John

ineed

I do both console and PC gaming, I'm also left handed . I actually find playing with a controller much easier though so I brought an extra Xbox controller and I use that on my PC. I have played a few shooter games but I don't often use first person if it's optional, I'd agree with the above posters who said look into getting a adaptor keyboard for the console.

Unrelated but I have a real problem playing certain games like Skyrim on PC because the FPS gives me awful motion sickness and it isn't always easy to fix.