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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99View Essential Hardware PC Gaming Show Dune: Awakening Recommended reading Rematch blew away my expectations—trailers don't do Sloclap's 5v5 football game justice Ball hogs and 'wannabe Messis' are already the heels of the Rematch community: 'Coach should run out onto the field and beat them with a stick' Rematch: All the key details on the 5v5 football game from the masterminds behind Sifu Rematch passes 100K Steam concurrents in open beta as 'Rocket League but with feet' turns out to be a winning idea Controllers Best PC controllers in 2025: the pads I recommend for PC gamers Having spent time testing the Switch 2 mouse controls I no longer think it's a gimmick, but it just cannot compare to a gaming mouse Soccer fans should be paying attention to Rematch, the 5v5 game coming this summer from the developer of martial arts hit Sifu Should you play Rematch with a mouse or a controller? It's a harder decision than you might think Justin Wagner 20 June 2025 A controller might seem like the obvious choice, but there is one reason to try the mouse and keyboard controls, too. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Sloclap) When you launch Rematch for the first time, a little pop-up will warn you that the game is "best experienced with a controller." After ignoring that to see how it felt with my beloved mouse and keyboard, I'm not sure I agree; while the mouse controls take some getting used to, they may be preferable depending on your comfort level with thumbstick aiming. A controller gives you more freedom of movement and more intuitive passing The reasons to use a gamepad for Rematch are the usual ones. With an analog stick, you can easily move around and aim passes in 360 degrees instead of combining mouse movements with WASD's 8 possible directions, and the button setup is a little more intuitive. For instance, on a gamepad you can use the buttons to tap, light tap, and push the ball in combination with the right bumper to do lob versions of those same moves. On a keyboard, all of those commands and their lobbed versions are different buttons by default, so it requires a bit more memorization unless you're willing to tinker with the keybinds yourself. Related Articles Rematch blew away my expectations—trailers don't do Sloclap's 5v5 football game justice Ball hogs and 'wannabe Messis' are already the heels of the Rematch community: 'Coach should run out onto the field and beat them with a stick' Rematch: All the key details on the 5v5 football game from the masterminds behind Sifu Passing is also significantly easier if you're using a thumbstick. When passing in Rematch, you hold down the appropriate button for your setup and have a split second to aim it. On a controller, you're doing that with the left stick, the same input you move with, and on a keyboard, you're dragging the mouse in the direction you want to pass while moving with WASD. On a thumbstick, I feel like I know exactly where the ball is headed; it's going the exact direction my character is, and any adjustments are easily made with the stick by flicking at the exact angle I want. Movement on the mouse is far twitchier, and there's currently no option to choose a direction for your pass with WASD; even if you're strafing left and right, the ball will always head the direction your camera is facing unless you adjust with the mouse. ...But precise shooting is far easier with a mouse The reason to consider playing Rematch with a keyboard and mouse is down to the shooting. You shoot by aiming a center-of-camera crosshair at your target and holding down either the right trigger or the left mouse button; as you approach the ball, you have a brief moment to shape your shot. Tricky shots that mislead enemy goalies are essential to scoring, and a mouse is simply far nimbler at swerving the camera to just the right spot. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You might find lining up a shot with the right stick easier if you've used a gamepad all your life, but I find it easier to use a mouse for the same reason I do in the vast majority of FPSes or for pitching in Super Mega Baseball. A stick is great for 3D movement, but shooting is just about clean and simple crosshair movement: that thing mouses are built to do. There are a number of keybind presets that take advantage of extra mouse buttons, so don't be afraid to bust out the old MMO mouse and fiddle around with the settings. I'll be sticking with the default mouse and keyboard setup myself, but freeplay has been immensely helpful for tuning my preferred sensitivities and trying different binds. If you haven't hit the pitch yet, Rematch is available to buy on Steam. Justin Wagner Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's probably birdwatching or daydreaming about a glorious comeback for real-time with pause combat. Any day now... You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Rematch blew away my expectations—trailers don't do Sloclap's 5v5 football game justice Ball hogs and 'wannabe Messis' are already the heels of the Rematch community: 'Coach should run out onto the field and beat them with a stick' Rematch: All the key details on the 5v5 football game from the masterminds behind Sifu Rematch passes 100K Steam concurrents in open beta as 'Rocket League but with feet' turns out to be a winning idea Best PC controllers in 2025: the pads I recommend for PC gamers Having spent time testing the Switch 2 mouse controls I no longer think it's a gimmick, but it just cannot compare to a gaming mouse Latest in Sports Rematch surpasses 1 million players in its first day of full release Rematch launched without crossplay because of 'unforeseen technical complexities' and Sloclap is sorry, but it's a hit on Steam anyway 10 years later, no one has replicated Rocket League's mojo How ranks work in Rematch: What you need to rank up in each league and division Ball hogs and 'wannabe Messis' are already the heels of the Rematch community: 'Coach should run out onto the field and beat them with a stick' 'The soundtrack to skate parks was punk rock music': Tony Hawk on the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtracks, and how they shaped a generation of videogame skate kids Latest in Features Baldur's Gate 3 Karlach actor Samantha Béart was initially turned down for roles like 'Goblin 49,' but 2 years later they were hired 'within a day' of their audition as 'the muscle mummy we know and love' I've already found the best fishing game in Steam's Fishing Fest, Scale the Depths, which lets you feed fish to Nessie in Loch Ness and hunt for the mythic Beithir Design your perfect battle car block by block, then watch a legion of alien robots blow it up because you suck at 3 point turns, in this explosive Vampire Survivors-like These 7 games need a remaster, and they need it now 10 years later, no one has replicated Rocket League's mojo Sword of the Sea fuses Journey with Tony Hawk to make a pro skater game that feels as good as it looks HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I've held in these hands Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I've tested SanDisk Extreme Pro 2 TB external SSD review Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) review Gamakay TK75HE V2 review Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army review Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 review PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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