Should You Play Elden Ring Nightreign on Controller or Keyboard and Mouse?

Many users are still unsure whether to play Elden Ring Nightreign with a controller or keyboard and mouse, and we will help you decide.

Explore whether to play Elden Ring Nightreign with a controller or keyboard and mouse (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

If you have recently moved to PC from a console, then it’s natural to be unsure whether you should play Elden Ring Nightreign with a controller or keyboard and mouse. You are probably quite used to a controller, but since a majority of PC gamers play with a mouse and keyboard, you might think the grass is greener on the other side.

Elden Ring Nightreign: All Events Explained

However, the truth is that Elden Ring can be played with both a controller and a keyboard and mouse, and there’s no significant advantage to one over the other. But there’s more to it than you might think. In this article, we will look at both sides and help you decide which one to choose.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinions.

Elden Ring Nightreign: Mouse and Keyboard vs Controller

Revenant in Elden Ring Nightreign (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

FromSoftware’s older games, such as the Dark Souls series, didn’t have good PC ports, so the experience wasn’t great on mouse and keyboard, and many preferred using a controller. One would actually have had an advantage playing those games with a controller, but the same is not true here. However, Elden Ring Nightreign, like the original Elden Ring, was built from the ground up for all platforms, including PCs. Therefore, the mouse and keyboard controls are just as good as a controller, so the earlier advantage has vanished.

With that said, there are still some subtle differences you should know. Here are the pros and cons of each:

Playing With Mouse and Keyboard

Playing Elden Ring Nightreign with a mouse and keyboard is as smooth as with a controller. In fact, it could feel even smoother on a mouse and keyboard, especially when panning the game world with a high-DPI gaming mouse. However, Elden Ring requires a lot of combos within a matter of seconds, which could be a bit troubling on a keyboard, especially if you are not habituated to it.

Elden Ring Nightreign: All Events Explained

That’s not the case with a controller, thanks to the D-pad. Also, you are probably going to die a lot in Nightreign and require frequent respawns, which can make your hands feel more fatigued when playing with a controller.

Playing With Controller

Playing Elden Ring Nightreign with a controller has no significant advantage. However, due to the ergonomic design of controllers, you will feel more comfortable using one. The controller also has built-in vibrations. It will vibrate whenever you fail to dodge successfully, which may help increase your skills over time. Also, the D-pad on the controller will come in handy when executing combos on the nightlords. You will quickly find that playing with a controller feels right at home.

Elden Ring Nightreign: All Events Explained

However, panning the camera while fighting can be a bit difficult for beginners using a controller, and you may get stuck with a bad camera angle during combat, so keep that in mind. Nonetheless, this will be a non-issue once you gain more skills. Also, if you were a console gamer before getting a PC, then using a controller will simply feel better.