Am planning to switch to an xbox controller. I have some questions.
How does it fare with FPS games? I play single player point and shoot games FC new dawn, Sniper Elite and RDR2 are some recent titles I played. Couple of them are in progress.
Is it usually harder to aim and shoot precisely like a mouse or the game makes it easier?
How long does it take you to migrate from KB+Mouse to controller?
With a Xbox or a PS4 controller these are my thoughts when using them on my gaming PC:
For FPS (SP only as I don't play MP):
I don't use controllers for FPS titles, at all. This is the only genre perhaps which I exclusively stick to KB and Mouse. I'm not a WASD player and I use arrow keys for movement in games when I play with a KB. What primarily brings me back to KB + Mouse setup for FPS titles is the sheer ease of aiming at in-game enemies with the mouse and taking them down. Very hard to beat the precision of a mouse in FPS games. Also, movement with a KB and constant following of the weapon from the first perspective camera movement with a mouse for me feels much easier vis-a-vis a controller. Moving the dual sticks/ gears of a controller at tandem to move and control the camera and then having to press the trigger to shoot down in-game enemies just doesn't work out quite well for me. In slower stealth missions it still is ok but when it comes to a level riddled with enemies and you have to up the gameplay by being fast, precise while staying frosty the KB + Mouse is my best ally.
Migration from Mouse + KB to Controller:
From when I started using controllers it took me roughly 4-6 months to become savvy and for my brain and muscle to come to terms with the basic button layout of a controller. I was playing both on my PC and consoles at this point with controllers. Initially it was difficult for me and I even got frustrated at times because I ended up pressing wrong buttons in QTE segments in games which can be very annoying. Slowly however it got better and pressing the right button on a controller became second nature. In about a year's time with enough gameplay hours clocked using a controller you will be ready to wield it with ease without any problems. I remember initially drawing the button layouts of a controller on a blank piece of paper and then keeping it on the lower side of the monitor while playing. Seeing the layout and pressing the relevant buttons on the controller helped my brain to form a photo memory as well. In time a smooth cohesive amalgamation of your finger muscles and brain will happen resulting in a smooth gaming experience.
The above is based on my experience and mileage when using a controller. I think a thread on using a controller and migration for Mouse + KB players to controllers will be nice. We could all pool in our thoughts there and list the things that helped us to get better with controllers.