Weekend Reading: No Controller Support for PC Games Is a Bad Thing

Earlier this week we heard that Mass Effect 3 on the PC platform won’t have support for controllers or gamepads, meaning those who get the role-playing shooter on the PC will only be able to play it with a mouse and keyboard.

According to BioWare, its developer, this was due to the team not having enough time to implement the feature in the game. This is peculiar, as Mass Effect 3 is also going to appear on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, so controller support is definitely present in its code.

That’s not the point of this column, however, as this seemingly minor issue brings into question the whole versatility aspect of a PC game in front of a console one.

Because of my profession, I play games both on the PC and on consoles like the PS3 or Xbox 360. When given a choice, however, I go for the PC edition of a game, which usually means higher quality visuals and more options to tinker around with.

In the case of titles like Shank 2 or Reckoning, I also have the opportunity to play them with a gamepad instead of a mouse or keyboard, largely because they were developed with a console controller in mind.

Besides giving you the chance to play a game as it was meant to (like in the aforementioned cases), a controller option for a PC game also allows people to connect their gaming rigs to a TV screen (or a larger monitor) and just play it like on a regular home console.

I even know quite a few people that are avid PC gamers but prefer to play in their living rooms, while laying back on a couch. They could solve their issues by buying a console, but most prefer the versatility of a PC, plus the fact that they can experience a lot more games on a computer instead of a closed platform like a PS3 or Xbox 360.

In the end, I’m not saying that controller support for PC games should be something mandatory but it's much nicer to know that you can always swap between a gamepad or a mouse and keyboard.

What do PC gamers you think? Are you loyal to the mouse and keyboard or do you prefer a controller when it makes sense?