So here is my confession. I’ve been around computer s since Sinclar spectrum zx48. And never have I been interested in gaming
I’ve been with Linux since 2006 still no interest in gaming . My friend uses windows only so he is not sure what advice to give me
While back with his suggestion I got Steam account and bought whole big bunch of Half life because thats what he like for occasional gaming. Never got around to play but am willing and ready to give it a try. Should I go with gaming controller and which one works well on Garuda Steam combo ? Or should I learn gaming with keyboard and would you have any guides for dummies? I am in mid fifties so very much out of the gaming loop to be honest with you . Help me become half decent so I can have fun with my friend once in while. I assume we can play Tru Steam while I am at my home and he is at his …am I understanding even this right ?
Thanks a bunch for any help you may offer.
With Steam, it has really good controller support for most games and controller types. Even though most games only have native support for xbox controllers, Steam Input can provide support to translating most controllers to xbox commands the game can recognize. Even if the game doesn’t have controller support natively at all, you might be able to find a profile for the game that somebody has made (either by the community and even sometimes by the developer) that will map controls to output keyboard keys and mouse movements.
Also… sometimes you might have to go into options for some games to prioritize using a controller over a keyboard/mouse setup.
As far as RSI and related injuries go, finding what controller causes less pain is extremely important; even more so as you age. If I haven’t stuck with a controller for the past 35 or so years I’ve been gaming, my wrists would probably be much worse off.
If you do however want to explore the keyboard and mouse route, maybe look into a split keyboard or something like that. I’ve heard good things about them for the people that do use them for gaming.
edit:
I currently use this controller with mechanical buttons / dpad ( BIGBIG WON Wireless Switch Controller) : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BYJVQHDM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?th=1
while it only has Nintendo Switch (red LED) and Playstation (blue) modes, it works great for most games on Steam. Either modes are also picked up in Game Controller settings in KDE while using a USB C wire to connect. It also has a few other options to set its extra buttons to duplicates of others (great for things like R3 and the like when you have to press the stick in; as with using the analog stick and trying to do that doesn’t feel great to say the least )
If you are looking for a wireless gamepad for steam, the GuliKit KK3 MAX Nintendo Switch controller works great for Steam. The wireless dongle it uses seems to work fine on most PCs too (far better than trying to rely on bluetooth for connectivity like most controllers).
Whoa friend that is lots of info to consume
I will definitely look into all those options . And that controller on Amazon looks very fancy to me. Thank you very much.
While I have your attention ,what is your opinion on should I try to learn keyboard gaming or will I have to to be any good or controller way may be sufficient. Also I do have Razer Cynosa 2 keyboard because it has cool lights and feels good to type. Would that be considered decent keyboard for casual gaming ,?
What works/feels best for gaming for each gamer is highly subjective as you can imagine. All I can really say to that, is to try what feels best for you at the time and change things up if it no longer works the way you want it to (either with comfort or ease of use). If you are fine with a more full sized keyboard like that and the spacing between that and the mouse/trackball, more power to you
if you wanna go controller, i’d invest in a gulitkit king kong 2 pro controller with the replacement buttons for xbox layout. The joysticks will never have drift related issues due to the tech used in the joysticks, the controller itself is easy to open up and perform repairs on if needed, i.e., replace the Li-Ion battery pack in it, and i’ve tested its compatibility in Steam and in emulators and it works very well, I usually use it hardwired for latency reasons, but the bluetooth it has is not bad at all. Dont get the king kong 3/pro as it is harder to to do repairs and the face buttons had a massive quality downgrade. Oh yeah, the gulikit controllers allow you to switch its profile between Xbox, Mobile, and Nintendo layouts respectively as well.
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