I’m not nice at video games. At least, not on PC. I’ve no aptitude for utilizing a mouse and keyboard.

That’s proper—I play the whole lot with a controller.

At least, I play all of my ordinary genres with a controller. And, up till a couple of 12 months in the past, the association labored. A non-zero variety of PC avid gamers could also be shrieking silently (or loudly) about how unideal it’s to play sure video games with analog sticks, however I by no means had an issue.

Then my pal group determined to play PvP video games. On PC. 

One day, I’m taking part in Sea of Thieves and drunkenly lurching off a ship into water (my character, not me), after which the subsequent, I’m making an attempt to line up headshots on a human opponent who most undoubtedly is aware of how to not get shot.

It didn’t take lengthy to understand I wanted plenty of assist, and that help needed to come both from my mates or divine intervention, as a result of I definitely didn’t appear able to serving to myself. So I did what everybody with wishful considering does. I purchased stuff to repair my drawback. Specifically, I purchased the weirdest, wildest, and arguably coolest gaming keypad obtainable.

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Enter the Azeron Cyborg gaming keypad

Alaina Yee / Foundry

My drawback with mouse and keyboard is the keyboard. For no matter motive, utilizing the WASD keys for navigation nonetheless has but to click on in my mind. Add within the surrounding keys for triggering skills and the communication between my hand and my mind goes out a window.

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Then again in April, I stumbled upon this r/buildapc thread on Reddit. Among all of the unbelievable PC accent suggestions was one for the Azeron Cyborg. It appeared completely insane (and straight out of a Terminator film), however what caught my consideration was its precise thumbstick.

During the primary few weeks of on-line slaughter (mine, not my opponents), I had wistfully thought how having a left thumbstick for navigation however a mouse for aiming would mix one of the best of each my worlds. But the Razer Tartarus and related gaming keypads solely had d-pads, not full 360 analog sticks.

I took this new discovery as as signal, particularly once I appeared on the Azeron website and noticed a gently used mannequin going for $140 USD. (A brand new one prices about $200 USD.) Impulse purchases are uncommon for me, however this appear fated. Desperation to not all the time be the weak hyperlink on my crew could have added incentive to purchase.

Twenty-five bucks in transport and a handful of days later, my bundle safely accomplished the journey from Latvia and landed on the PCWorld workplace’s doorstep. And that’s once I discovered some onerous truths about myself.

A brand new drawback emerges

Alaina Yee / Foundry

The Azeron Cyborg is available in two flavors: customary, which positions a set of buttons above your fingertips, and Compact, which locations these buttons on shorter posts. You may regulate the thumbstick positioning on the usual mannequin—a characteristic I fully underestimated once I bought my used Compact mannequin in sparkly galactic purple.

This keypad is dizzyingly programmable and adjustable. You get 29 mappable keys general, which incorporates the 5-way rocker swap and thumbstick. Key mapping is very simple—you simply obtain Azeron’s software program and begin assigning keys—and also you get two separate profiles which you can program. Key presses really feel good too, with satisfying clicky suggestions.

For the video games I performed (primarily Overwatch 2), I didn’t even use all 13 buttons inside my speedy attain. Part of this needed to do with match. Even weeks later, my pinky can’t faucet its close by keys simply. This is regardless of me shopping for the smaller of the keypad’s two sizes, and in addition fussing with the positions of every key tower. You can change the space and the spacing, however I by no means discovered the proper candy spot for my entire hand.

But I can’t blame match solely for my new wrestle, which is overcoming my very fastened muscle reminiscence on controller.

I’m my very own worst enemy, as ordinary

Alaina Yee / Foundry

During my adolescence, I performed platformers and action-adventure video games virtually to the exclusion of the whole lot else—and it appears to indicate. A significant problem of mine in PvP video games is motion. I stroll in straight strains, because the worst (greatest) noobs do. But platformers, my favourite style, rewards that form of regular monitoring. That’s what I spent numerous hours optimizing for, whereas additionally missing publicity to genres (and recreation modes) that reward the other.

So first drawback: I don’t suppose to strafe.

Second drawback: The movement for strafing on an analog stick feels unsuitable to me.

Unfortunately, proudly owning an Azeron gaming keypad does nothing to resolve these first two points, because it has a thumbstick. In truth, I didn’t even work out the second till I pressured myself to strive utilizing WASD in a low-stakes Overwatch match. You ought to have seen my face once I realized how easy strafing felt when tapping two distinctive keys, reasonably than wiggling a stick backwards and forwards.

Third drawback: I’m not used to utilizing fingers past my thumb and forefinger. 

As a regular controller person, all I ever use are two fingers per hand. On event I’d usher in my center fingers if I’ve to press each the bumper and the set off buttons on the similar time, nevertheless it’s uncommon. (A fancier controller just like the Xbox Elite has extra buttons and thus can require extra fingers, however I don’t use that kind.)

Fourth drawback: The controls are distributed in a different way than on controller.

The Azeron Cyborg doesn’t change the what number of features you carry out together with your left hand for a mouse and keyboard setup. It simply gives them in a special kind issue. And in comparison with controller, it’s concerning the reverse of what I’m used to. On a controller, I’m utilizing my proper hand for an analog stick (digicam angle/melee), the 4 face buttons (which often map to weapon selection, reload, soar, and crouch in a shooter), and a set of shoulder and set off buttons (skills). On mouse and keyboard, my proper hand will get left click on (main potential), proper click on (secondary potential or zoom), and the scroll wheel (weapon selection/melee). At least, it does on a primary mouse, which is all I’ve at the moment.

Long story quick, I’ve plenty of retraining to do and new muscle reminiscence to construct if I wish to get anyplace in PvP.

How it shook out

Alaina Yee / Foundry

While the Azeron has not been in a position to cowl for expertise I by no means developed, I’m not disillusioned. I knew it was most likely going to be a protracted shot. (I’ve been via this earlier than with images gear.) I feel it’s an excellent keypad, and I like how a lot you’ll be able to customise it. That contains the way it seems, too. If you purchase new, you’ll be able to decide shade (so many enjoyable shades!), palm relaxation type, thumbstick type, and which hand it’s designed for (proper or left).

And the Cyborg has completed greater than offering perception into my long-standing lack of ability to adapt to mouse and keyboard. My gameplay with hitscan characters in Overwatch is best—I don’t miss as many pictures with Ana when taking part in help, for instance. Don’t get me unsuitable, I nonetheless suck. But I can see glimpses of what life is like if you don’t fully suck. It’s a pleasant counter to getting older and stiffer, which have dulled my reflexes and made precision thumbstick actions tougher. I as soon as dreamed of getting even half pretty much as good as former colleagues on controller—they may go up towards PC gamers, a lot to the shock of builders throughout demos. But that’s past me now.

My solely actual grievance concerning the Cyborg is that I purchased the unsuitable mannequin. The Compact model’s thumbstick isn’t adjustable, and for my slender hand it’s positioned a little bit too low to really feel snug. Where the directional swap sits, that’s the place I need the thumbstick to be. I get an ache in my hand after taking part in for about 90 minutes or extra. If Azeron (or a group member) have been to launch a 3D printer file for a housing that reversed the positions of the thumbstick and rocker swap, I feel I might recreation for longer stretches.

Regardless, the Cyborg has made mouse and keyboard really feel much less like a sink or swim proposition. Maybe at some point I’ll get to primary WASD competency. But thus far, that day has but to return. In the in the meantime, I’ve now bought floaties to maintain me from drowning.