Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 – Should you play with controller or mouse and keyboard?

What makes you a more lethal weapon for the Emperor?

Warhammer 40000 Space Marine 2 promotional screenshot with three varieties of marine builds
Image via Saber Interactive

When optimizing the way you play Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2, knowing how you should be playing the game can be challenging. Many PC users will default to using their mouse and keyboard, but some have been saying that using a controller could be better.

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The choice does come down to preference. While many players might enjoy the experience of charging through a horde of Tyranids using their mouse and keyboards, others find it easier to maintain control of their Space Marine using a controller. Here’s what you need to know about whether you should play Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2 with a mouse and keyboard or with a controller.

Is Space Marine 2 better with a mouse and keyboard or a controller?

Controller settings in Space Marine 2
The optimized controller settings for Space Marine 2. Screenshot by Dot Esports

If you were to ask me the best way to play Space Marine 2, I would answer by using a controller. I believe this is the better way to play this game, even if you have a mouse and keyboard available to you. The mouse can make it easier to track down targets using accurate weapons. Still, the aim assist with controller works exceptionally well, so you shouldn’t feel like you’re constantly losing against someone who uses one in online matches, even if you have the precreating shaders error.

What makes the controller a better experience is how it optimizes the input and controls while playing Space Marine 2. Playing both makes it much quicker to reload, melee, and parry against other opponents in combat. If you’re using the mouse and keyboard setup, the default controls can be a bit confusing. Jumping into the game using a controller is a much better, immediate feel experience.

For example, you use the space key to dodge, the E key to perform a finisher, switch to a heavy stance on your middle mouse button and switch weapons using the V key. Several Space Marine 2 players might spend roughly 10 minutes before they get into a game trying to figure out the best way to optimize these default settings. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do anything about the FOV slider.

With the controller, there are several prebuilt settings that you can play around with when you start the Space Marine 2. You might still want to optimize specific controls, but the controller has a crisp feel throughout the game, and I preferred it far more than I did initially jumping in with a mouse and keyboard. Although this is my opinion, the choice is entirely up to you. When selecting between the two options, there are no wrong answers, so long as you’re having a good time, carving through the legions beset to oppose the Emperor.

Author
Image of Zack Palm
Zack Palm
Zack Palm has been writing about video games for the past five years. He spends his free time trying to learn about a new board, reading high-fantasy series, or working on his latest DnD character.