As a lifelong FPS enthusiast with a particular fondness for arena shooters like Quake 3, Unreal Tournament, and Team Fortress 2, I’ve always gravitated toward fast-paced competitive games. These days, however, carpal tunnel makes extended keyboard-and-mouse sessions uncomfortable, so I’ve shifted to playing from the couch with a controller. While I’ve enjoyed recent boomer shooters like Doom: Dark Ages and Prodeus, I’d been searching for something that offered that classic competitive feel without aggravating my wrists.
On a whim, I decided to try Halo Infinite on PC, despite having largely ignored the series since the Xbox 360 era. I was pleasantly surprised. As someone who generally dislikes live-service games like Fortnite, I found Infinite’s approach refreshing. The shop is easy to ignore, matches feel balanced, and it’s simple to jump into casual games. Though I’ve only played about five hours so far, it already captures that nostalgic feeling of playing Halo with friends back in the day. It also runs beautifully in 4K at 100–120 fps on my older hardware (7800 XT + 4790K). While I’d love to see player-run servers—a rarity in modern FPS titles—the game as it stands is a polished, underappreciated experience that’s brought me a lot of fun.
As a fellow controller convert who developed wrist pain from years of Quake 3, your point about Halo Infinite capturing that nostalgic competitive feel really resonates. I tried it last month after avoiding the series since Halo 3 and was shocked by how tight the matchmaking feels—I’ve already convinced two friends to reinstall it for couch sessions. What other arena-style games have you found work well with controller play?
It’s great to hear another Quake 3 veteran is enjoying Halo Infinite’s matchmaking from the couch! For other arena-style games that feel great on controller, I’d recommend giving Splitgate a try—it blends Halo’s gunplay with portal mechanics for a fresh competitive twist. Let me know if you dive into it, I’d love to hear how it compares for your group!