Is Hades 2 Better on Controller or Keyboard and Mouse?

Hades 2 plays a lot like the first game — no surprises there. But you don’t need to have played the original to enjoy its sequel. Far from it. The new experience is worth having whether you’re new or returning. The first question you might have, however, is whether you should play Hades 2 with a controller or on a mouse and keyboard.

Controller or Mouse and Keyboard for Hades 2: Which is Best?

Hades 2 is perfectly playable on both mouse and keyboard and with a controller, so which you choose is ultimately up to your personal preference. That said because the game is likely coming to every other platform once early access is over, a majority of the players who’ll experience only the full release will be playing on the sticks. Should you even move your mouse a little bit, a message will pop up on the main menu screen that says the game is best played with controller.

I played most of my hours in the original Hades with a mouse and keyboard, but when I loaded into Hades 2 with the same control scheme in mind, I found it clunky and poorly responsive. Some of that was likely years of rust and plenty of time with a controller in Elden Ring, Tears of the Kingdom, and other third-person action games. As a result, Hades 2 felt far more natural on the sticks.

If you’re an old-school Diablo player or are already plenty familiar with using your mouse to aim in other isometric titles, there’s nothing stopping you from doing so in Hades 2. In fact, I’d wager some of the best players who’ll touch the game will be using a mouse. You have far more precise control over where your attacks go and can generally react faster and more efficiently with a mouse than with any set of sticks.

I’d recommend starting a playthrough of Hades 2 with your usually preferred control setup, whichever of the two it is. Play the introductory section where you’re expected to fail on one scheme, then try your first real one on the other. You can make your decision from there. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll know very quickly which works better for you.

I’ll end by saying that, should you have no other choice (you don’t own a controller or are opposed to them for any reason), you can certainly play the entire Hades 2 experience without changing input types once. Again, the game is more than beatable either way. Do what works best for you because Hades 2 is only going to get better and better as Early Access continues.

Check out our Hades 2 guide hub for more coverage of this exciting game.