All depends on the game. PC players have options.

Really depends on the games.

Well, yeah. Racing games, platformers, and action games are generally more comfortable with controller. Third person shooters, FPS, anything that requires aiming, or RTS games are still best done with mouse.

Steam Deck and the console users that pivoted to PC gaming during the scalpers riddled PS5/Xbox launch are probably the most likely causes for this.

for certain games controllers are so comfy, I've had a controller next to my desk for years for times I want to play something more casual that supports controllers.

I think it's most likely that more people are playing genres like platformers and fighting games that are designed for controllers on PC than before.

Usage triples <-> 15 % increase

Pick one. Triple is 300 % increase. Article says 15 % is the proportion using them, not the increase.

Nothing will ever be as accurate as a 1:1 pointing device. Using a thumbstick sucks ass for general mouse-work why would it be suddenly good for FPS games? Thumbsticks are best at racing, platforming, flight sims, maybe RPGs and scrollers.

Right tool for the job.

It's not that PC gamers were opposed to using controllers. PC gamers love our peripherals. The problem was support for it. Most of the controllers beforehand had proprietary connectors that would never work in the PC. And then even if you could connect the controller there was no guarantee it would work. But now with more standardization around USB and Bluetooth adding and better driver support for the controllers we can finally use them.

Steamdeck, platformers, racers, and fighters are all controller preferred games.

If I need precise aiming, then it's keyboard and mouse. If not, then I'll go with a controller just so I can lean back and enjoy things.

Games need to support it well with remapping and better UI and ways to control that make sense.

I have to wonder what percentage of folks are using handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. Personally I've found that I game much more now that I have a Steam Deck and can mindlessly play stuff like Dave the Diver while relaxing on the couch with my SO, versus setting aside specific "gaming time" to be at my desk.

I said this for years but PC is the biggest thread for the Xbox and Sony, not mobile.

Doesn’t help that plenty of games have stripped down controls that don’t allow you to change keybinds because they’re built for controllers. I don’t know if embracing is the right word.

Edit: I’ll also offer that devices like the Xim look like controllers, but still allow use of mouse and keyboard.

I don't understand controllers. I can never get to use them properly. I grew up playing on computers all my life. My brain simply can't grasp them and I always forget where all the buttons are.

That 15% is the Steam Deck users with Steam input always on and required.

It's maddening that I can't get PC glyphs to show on Doom Eternal.

Other than soulslikes I pretty much always prefer mouse+KB. Playing bg3 with a controller briefly during a co-op run was just way worse, for example.

I hate controllers. I use them only on games that suggest they are important. I don't tend to like those games.

I've been playing from the couch for a few years now.

I've got a DS4 and DualSense which I use via Bluetooth for games with support. Most times I'll have Xbox controller icons, but I don't care about that.

I have a Steam Controller that I use for most things that don't have support, especially strategy games. That right pad is a beautiful mouse replacement. It's also fantastic for couch flight simming since you can use the grip buttons to change action sets.

Of course I have a wireless keyboard and mouse, but I find myself using them for gaming very, very rarely.

As others have said, it really depends on the game. But I would say >90% of my PC gaming is done with a controller. I've just become so adapted to them, that the keyboard and mouse just feels foreign now. Even with FPS, most of the time I use a controller. I'm aware of the advantages of using a mouse obviously, but again I'm just conditioned to it now.

I must be going the opposite route. After playing console for so long I'm starting to notice I can't use a controller as well as I used to. Been debating on dusting off the keyboard and mouse and using it on my Playstation until I can get a new pc.

I'm not sure what it is... but I guarantee if I played online other people would wonder if I was a bot or something because I my hands feel weird on a controller all of a sudden.

How much of that is console players switching to pc

I've been using controllers on PC since the Sidewinder days, I'm glad to see support for most controllers be basically perfect on Linux and pretty decent on Windows. MacOS still has a way to go with anything that isn't made by Sony, but it's not exactly a gaming platform.

For me, it's linked with the amount of "local multiplayer" titles on Steam. There was fucking nothing! Ok, we could play nes or sega games, but it was strange to not have a lot of modern games. Thankfully, it's slowly changing

Big picture mode is great.