Console vs. PC

Hi,
I'd be interested to know how well PoE on console compares to PC with mouse and KB. In terms of playability.

I would assume that it's a bit better on PC? For example, more buttons and loot filters?

On the other hand, what I've seen seems to have worked well on the console. Has anyone some good experience and e.g. played both intensively?

"

In terms of playability.

It feels amazing. I really can't play on a keyboard after using a gamepad. But of course, it's all a matter of habit. The first time I tried a gamepad, it felt strange and somewhat uncomfortable.

"

For example, more buttons and loot filters?

It may be problem if you build actively(every second or so) use more than 4 buttons. And we can use custom filterblades filters on console.

The only problem with a gamepad is if you're someone who actively likes to type in chat.

Controller play is an issue for multi skill builds since you have to use bumpers to access new skills its limited to 4 actives at a time. Also, the use of potions being on the D-Pad makes moving and using potions an issue. Another issue is targeting on PC you put mouse over and can cast from standing location, in controller play the cast while standing is active and you have no mouse to move your skill it fires at a set distance for spells or traps as well targeting the monster for melee skills you have to use the movement thumbpad. Also, environment interaction button can't be turned off so if you bind a skill to that button in default you will try to pick up items or cast when trying to pick up items. Last big issues I find for Controllers is that if you have detail loot on if something like a skill gem drops and you are standing at right range it opens all the info in PC you just move the pointer, and it stops with controller you have to move your character which could be bad.

The upside though is controller feels more fluid with movements than point and click.

Keybaord and Mouse you can see by watching streams that auto activated keybind(s) are still being used by keyboard and mouse for multi skill builds to have unlimited uptime on those skills with minimal interactions. Though keyboard and mouse does require you to bind a walk only to your left click so you don't interact with stuff while trying to move during fights.

All and all I think controller feels more fluid but, you can do way more with keyboard and mouse and even play the game as not intended with it.

Controller’s main problem is targeting if a chest or interactable is near, the skill tries to target that but only sometimes. (the most annoying thing is when a divine shrine appears, it doesn’t like to click the shrine, for this purpose I keep X/A unbound or instant skill only)
The biggest issue with console is no third party tools (no price checking) and the trade is easier but the economy is scuffed.

To add onto/extrapolate the list of issues above -

*X being near-unusable due to it interacting with everything is an issue, but if you enjoy strongboxes so is triangle. If you have a travel skill or attack bound to triangle in a strongbox map you will constantly be bringing up the inventory to use currency on strongboxes. Its preposterous.
So that's 2/4 of the baseline mappable buttons that shouldn't be used.

*Targeting isn't just a nightmare, it's a maliciously designed fever-dream. If you made the human-hating ai [named] "AM" from the short story 'I have no mouth and must screen' design a targeting system for the express purpose of torturing humanity it would design something fairly similar to what we have on console. I have had moments where I couldn't interact with something because I was being forced to target a monster that was separated from me by an entire screen, 3 hallways, and two areas of un-traversable black map space between us.

*Alongside the indefensible targeting issue, highlighting priority is horrific.
There's just no words to describe how aggressively stupid it is to prioritize a vase over a fossil node. And yet any time there's menagerie of breakable vases near a Fundamental fossil node I have to smash every single one before I can loot the actual prize. GGG may likely say this is remedied by re-targeting with the right thumbstick, GGG would easily prove they do not play nor test console if they stated this, because...

*Using the right thumbstick to re-target is a suggestion, and works exactly like one. It's like trying to guide a blindfolded friend to the correct object on a table of two dozen objects. You might get lucky, and your friend immediately picks the correct one. You likely will not, and will suffer for untold ammounts of time before you get to the outcome you desire.

So how does it compare to mouse and keyboard?

It doesn't. It's vile, and I would say it was overlooked if GGG even stared in our direction, which they don't. It's utterly ignored.