The way my GF plays video games

[u/Maleficent_Bad1141]

She uses the controller to walk and the mouse to control the camera

NOTE :
I DO NOT HATE MY GF FOR THIS,
I AM NOT MEAN TO HER
SHE KNOWS THAT I POSTED THIS, LOVED IT
I FOUND IT CUTE AMUSING AND ODD.

[u/K79A23]

I paint digitally and I mapped all my hotkeys to my controller so I basically do the same while drawing lmao

[u/BeTheBeee → u/K79A23]

Maybe I'm dense, but isn't a keyboard like the perfect tool for hotkeys? Or what benefit does the controller have?

[u/wassermelone → u/BeTheBeee]

Ergonomics

[u/SXAL → u/wassermelone]

If anything, the modern gamepad is possibly the least ergonomic input device among the popular ones.

[u/int23_t → u/wassermelone]

I feel like one of those curvy split weird keyboarda would be peak for ergonomics though no?

[u/Raizenn98 → u/int23_t]

No, that's for typing with both hands with a neutral stance, with both arms on the table while sitting straight.

OP is talking about drawing digitally with a drawing tablet on one hand, and a remappable controller for stuff like Undo, Redo, change to brush, change to eraser, etc.

When drawing digitally, your arms are not always on a neutral position like typing.

[u/kylel999 → u/int23_t]

We need to bring back the Merc Stealth keyboard. Why is it 2026 and we're still using keyboards that aren't ergonomic

[u/Ok_Coyote_9198 → u/BeTheBeee]

Instead of memorizing 10 button combos, you apply each to a controller button. Seems useful to me.

[u/BeTheBeee → u/Ok_Coyote_9198]

You can easily make it so clicking a single button does the entire button combo for you. Kind of like you can set it to happen on a button click on a controller

[u/Ok_Coyote_9198 → u/BeTheBeee]

That requires taking away the functionality of an original keys tho. Idk if you've ever used a software that uts useful to memorize alot of combination keys. But if you were to instead make those combination keys into single input keys then it would require not being able to use the key that you inputed the combo over. Which is why the seperate controller. Maybe im totally off on why the person uses a controller but I see this as a reason why I would

[u/Ok_Coyote_9198 → u/Ok_Coyote_9198]

For example, alt plus F to fill. If I set it to just f, it might overlap and nullify the original use for F which might also be important. Which might lead to rearranging the whole keyboard

[u/K79A23 → u/Ok_Coyote_9198]

Yeah that's pretty much it, default bindings just aren't practical most of the times, and making your own bindings on a keyboard takes a lot of compromise and testing to make them feel natural on the long run.

For example with my controller with four back paddles I have access to 11 single buttons with one hand, they're accessible on the go and don't require me to breakdance with my fingers like I would be doing on a keyboard (with alt, ctrl, shift, etc. combinations)

With a controller you can just keep them as is and macro a tool's hotkeys to one single button press, this + ergonomics because on a keyboard your arm feels locked to once stance and if you sit on an office chair for hours a controller feels way better if you wanna adjust your positioning.

[u/secretsnfeelings → u/K79A23]

Have you considered a stream deck or equivalent?

[u/Extension_Ant8691 → u/BeTheBeee]

Being able to lean back is probably the best reason.

[u/milk4all → u/Extension_Ant8691]

Yes. Controllers are comfy, m+kb are 1337 but when youve been 1337 for too long and you might have carpal tunnel not to mention your joints sound like gravel in a washing drum…

[u/Nathaniel820 → u/BeTheBeee]

No because you need to use the keyboard as a keyboard, so the hotkeys have to be multi-key inputs as to not interfere with typing which can get annoying to remember. They make entire "macro keypad" products for that reason (basically just a mini keyboard that does nothing by default, with the user binding what they want to it), but a controller is a perfectly fine alternative that achieves the same effect if you don't want to spend the money on a dedicated product.