A Matter Of Control

When I'm gaming on my PC I almost exclusively use the trusty keyboard and mouse. What it lacks in ergonomics it more than makes up for in the sheer level of control you can achieve with so many buttons and the precision of a good quality laser mouse.

That said, there are some games that simply feel wrong on a keyboard and mouse. I played through the whole of Batman: Arkham Asylum on the Xbox360 and later the PC, and while both were equally usable, Arkham isn't a game that requires much in the way of precise aim and a gamepad just fits it so much better.

I initially tried to play it using my regular PC gamepad, but unfortunately Arkham Asylum will only work with an Xbox360 controller. It seems like a ridiculous limitation, but developers are increasingly using Microsoft's new Xbox360 Xinput controller standard instead of the classic DirectInput for their PC ports.

Many other modern PC games, particularly those distributed through Microsoft's own Games for Windows also require you to use an Xbox360 controller. It's annoying, but it wouldn't be quite so bad if it weren't for the 360 controller's frankly horrible directional pad. One of my main uses for a PC controller is on 2D platformers that require super-precise input and the idea of playing Super Meat Boy or Braid on the 360's flakey, unresponsive pad is really not nice. There is also the problem of Xinput-based controllers not being 100% compatible with DirectInput, which could potentially cause it's own set of issues with some older PC titles and emulators.

The solution? Well, so far I've only found one that seems to address all of the problems. Logitech recently released a new line of controllers that support both Xinput AND DirectInput for PC gaming. The most basic of the three, the F310 will set you back about as much as a wired 360 controller and while it lacks rumble, it does look to have a much better d-pad. The F510 has built in rumble for compatible games and the F710 has both rumble and wireless.

Please don't read this as an endorsement or review of these products as I haven't use any of them. That said, Logitech is a good brand who usually make quality gear, so if you're in the market for a new pad you may want to consider one.

I'll probably drop some cash on the F310 or F510 in the new year and let you guys know what I think of it. Also, if you have any suggestions of your own, please let me know!