Larian’s latest RPG may play best with a good ‘ol keyboard and mouse, but many players understandably want to play this game with a controller on PC. Whether you’re itching to pick up an Xbox controller or a DualSense, this guide contains everything you need to know about Baldur’s Gate 3 controller support.
Can You Use a Controller to Play Baldur’s Gate 3?
While the early access version could only be played with keyboard and mouse controls, the full release of Baldur’s Gate 3 has complete controller support on PC.
With Baldur’s Gate 3 arriving on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series at a later date, controller support for PC makes perfect sense. The Steam page for BG3 also lists it as Steam Deck compatible, so you can explore the Forgotten Realms from the comfort of your bed or during those D&D sessions that go on for far too long.
Is Mouse and Keyboard or Controller Better for BG3?
The peripherals you use to enjoy games are entirely down to your personal preference and comfort. However, Larian considers a mouse and keyboard the best control scheme to use when playing Baldur’s Gate 3 — and we’re inclined to agree.
With fewer buttons than a keyboard and less precision than a mouse, controllers can feel restrictive when playing RPGs as in-depth as this one. Baldur’s Gate 3 is built with keyboard and mouse in mind, as you can probably tell from the sheer number of clickable buttons in the screenshot above.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Creation Guide: Best Classes, Skills, and Abilities
Being directly based on Dungeons and Dragons (5th edition), the game features a lot of items, spells, and monsters. Hovering over their icons with your mouse to display tooltips to learn about them (or refresh your memory) is invaluable, especially during a heated battle.
That being said, the game can absolutely be played from start to finish with a controller of your choice. Thanks to the game’s cross-progression, you can even switch between keyboard and mouse or controller to your heart’s content. Or you can just unplug your controller from your PC whenever you like. That works too.
- This article was updated on August 1st, 2023
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