Can you play Overwatch 2 with a controller on PC?

One of the most important aspects of multiplayer gaming to take into consideration is your input choice. Will you play with a mouse and keyboard, the traditional choice of PC gamers, or will you stick with a controller, the tried-and-true option for console players? Most players pick their input after they choose their platform—most console players are going to stick with controllers and vice versa—but there are ways to switch things up depending on what works best for you.

If you prefer using a wired or wireless controller while playing on PC, you may be wondering which games allow you to do so. Thankfully, many of today’s biggest PC titles offer multiple input methods not only in the name of customization but increased accessibility. In this article, we’re looking specifically at Overwatch 2’s controller settings on PC and which input methods it supports.

Here’s everything you need to know about controller support on PC in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 controller support details

If you’re looking to play Overwatch 2 with a controller, you’re in luck: the game does support controllers, generally speaking. In the game’s options menu, there are controller-specific settings that enable you to adjust your layout exactly the way you want to. But not every controller out there will work with Blizzard’s FPS. We tested several wired controllers on a Windows 11 PC running Overwatch 2 to gauge how easily each one connects and how the game responds.

If you want to play the game with a controller, your best bet is to use an official Xbox Series X|S controller. Because Xbox and Windows work within the same ecosystem, pairing the controller with your PC is as easy as plugging it in (for wired controllers) or connecting via Bluetooth (for wireless controllers). As soon as your PC detects the controller and you press a button or move a joystick on it, Overwatch 2’s interface will automatically swap to button prompts rather than keyboard icons. It’s unclear whether the game officially supports XInput, an application that works with Windows to detect Xbox controllers automatically, but either way, we had success with the controller.

Overwatch 2 also works with modern PlayStation controllers and third-party PC controllers, but there’s a bit of adjustment involved. After plugging in a wired PlayStation 4 DualShock controller, the game automatically recognized it, but it didn’t display PS-specific button inputs. Instead, it displayed Xbox buttons. You can still use a PS4 DualShock with the game, but you’ll have to figure out which button does what by yourself or re-map them to your liking. The same thing happened when plugging in an 8BitDo Pro 2 wired controller: both controllers worked out of the box, but you’ll have to get used to seeing incorrect button prompts. We were unable to test a PlayStation 5 DualSense.

Unfortunately, Nintendo Switch controllers don’t work with Overwatch 2 on PC. While our USB Switch Pro controller was recognized by Windows, the game didn’t recognize it out of the box and did not respond to our inputs. If you really want to play Overwatch 2 with a Switch controller, you’ll need to download and play the game on the Switch itself. There may be third-party workarounds or drivers that allow it to work, but Blizzard does not appear to officially support Nintendo’s controller on PC.