Do pro gamers use mouse or controller?

Pro gamers typically use mice (and keyboards) for PC gaming, while controllers are used by professional players in games on consoles. The choice of device depends on the type of game and the platform they’re playing on.

1. Pro Gamers in PC Games:

• Mouse and Keyboard are the standard for competitive gaming on PC. Professional gamers, particularly in first-person shooters (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, prefer using a mouse and keyboard due to the precision, speed, and customizability they offer.

• Why mouse and keyboard?:

  • Precision: A mouse provides pixel-perfect aiming, which is crucial for competitive FPS games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Valorant, Call of Duty, and Overwatch.
  • Speed: The keyboard allows quick access to a wide range of commands, hotkeys, and abilities, while the mouse allows precise control for fast movements and reactions.
  • Customization: Gaming mice often come with adjustable DPI (dots per inch) settings, additional programmable buttons, and high polling rates, allowing pro gamers to fine-tune their control settings for optimal performance.

• Examples:

  • CS:GO, Valorant, Apex Legends, Overwatch: Pro players in these games usually use high-DPI gaming mice with fast response times and customized key bindings on the keyboard.
  • MOBA Games: Games like League of Legends and Dota 2 also require precise control and fast reaction times, making the mouse and keyboard combo ideal for pro players.

2. Pro Gamers in Console Games:

• On consoles (e.g., PlayStation, Xbox), pro gamers almost always use controllers. This is because console games are specifically designed for controllers, and most esports tournaments for console games require players to use them.
• Why controllers?:
  • Game Design: Many console games (especially third-person shooters, action games, fighting games, and racing games) are optimized for controllers, which provide the right balance of precision, comfort, and accessibility for those types of games.
  • Comfort and Familiarity: Controllers are comfortable for long gaming sessions, especially for games like FIFA, Fortnite, Call of Duty, Madden, and Rocket League, which are commonly played in esports competitions.
  • Game Optimization: Console games and esports tournaments are designed with controllers in mind. For example, games like FIFA, Call of Duty, and Street Fighter are primarily designed around the use of controllers.
• Examples:
  • FIFA, Madden, NBA 2K: These sports games are typically played with a controller in console esports tournaments.
  • Fighting Games: Street Fighter, Tekken, and other fighting games are often played using arcade sticks or controllers.
  • Battle Royale and FPS Games: In Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Warzone, both controllers and mice are used by professional players, depending on whether they’re playing on a console or a PC.

3. Hybrid Platforms and Crossplay:

• Crossplay games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone allow players on both PC and consoles to play together. In these games, players using mouse and keyboard on PC often have an advantage due to the precision of the mouse, but console players can still compete using controllers.
• Many competitive tournaments for these games offer controller support in the rules, and in console-exclusive tournaments, players are required to use controllers. However, many esports organizations set rules to ensure fairness, such as disabling aim assist for controller users in crossplay tournaments.

4. Exceptions – Hybrid Devices (for Cross-Platform Play):

• Some pro gamers may use controller-like devices or mouse and keyboard adapters on consoles to get the precision of a mouse while using the controller setup. However, this is not widely accepted in most professional competitions.

• Example: XIM Apex allows players to use a mouse and keyboard on a console and simulate the experience of playing on a PC, but it’s often controversial in competitive tournaments due to the advantages it provides.

Conclusion:

• Pro PC Gamers: They almost exclusively use mice and keyboards because of the precision and speed these devices offer, which are essential for competitive FPS, RTS, and MOBA games.
• Pro Console Gamers: They use game controllers, as they are specifically designed for console gaming and are optimized for the games played on those platforms.
• Cross-Platform Play: In games that allow both PC and console players, mice and keyboards on PC have an advantage in terms of precision, but controllers are still widely used on consoles and even in cross-platform tournaments where players on both systems compete.