This has reignited the discussion over input-based matchmaking, as players of Overwatch 2 have noticed that the game disables aim to help controller users during crossplay. Many first-person shooters don’t provide aim assistance to players who prefer to use a mouse and keyboard, although nearly all recent games with such a feature offer it to players who prefer to use a gamepad. Aim help is a standard feature in console shooters, with some notable exceptions like the intense World War II and FPS Hell Let Loose.
In competitive shooting, the rivalry between various input techniques is nothing new. The first-person shooter FPS genre originated on PCs before Halo made its way to consoles, and for years players agreed that playing with a mouse and keyboard was the preferable method.
However, as cross-platform play has become increasingly common in the gaming industry, that view has shifted. Streamers of Call of Duty often debate whether using a keyboard and mouse or a gamepad is better. This is although many players currently believe that controller users have a prominent edge due to configurable aim help. In certain games, players are limited in choosing a compatible partner based on the controls they use in another.
A Reddit user named KellySweetHeart has brought this to Kotaku’s attention, noting that Overwatch 2 similarly disables aim help when playing cross-platform. As a result, a controversial aspect of the original Overwatch’s cross-platform play, in which console players had to join the PC player pool to form a group and thus had their aim assist disabled, has been carried over into Overwatch 2.
KellySweetHeart complains that they can’t play as often with their console-using friends because of this and that some have experienced “a major fall in their aim consistency.” The post has reignited the conflict between controller gamers and mouse and keyboard players.
