Motion Controls Could Disrupt Pro Gaming — If Anyone’s Bold Enough to Try
‘Overwatch’ on Switch might literally change the game
In a few weeks, Blizzard will release its billion-dollar team-based shooter Overwatch on the Nintendo Switch. Unlike versions on other platforms, the Switch port will make use of motion controls to aim, allowing players to move their controllers to line up shots with much better accuracy. As esports grow into an ever larger industry, it’s an innovation that could have a huge impact on how competitive games are played.
There’s a long-running conflict between console and PC gamers over which platform is superior for playing competitive games, including first-person shooters like Overwatch. Analog sticks on a controller don’t offer quite as much fine control over aiming at targets as you get with a mouse and keyboard. While you have the space to move your arm across a desk to do a 180-degree turn, your control stick can only turn your character so quickly. It’s also harder to line up a distant target in your crosshairs with your thumb, versus your entire hand clutching a mouse. Console games typically offer extra features like aim assist, which helps you hit a target as long as you’re firing in the right direction, to compensate for these more cumbersome controls.
