Microsoft is upping their game after an announcement that they are adding mouse and keyboard support to the Xbox One.
Developers can implement mouse and keyboard support at their own discretion, and it will not be available for every title. In the press release, Director of Program Management for Xbox Platform Jason Ronald said:
Each development team knows their titles best and we support them in creating the right experience for their games as they see fit, to ensure an optimal and fair gaming experience.Gamers can expect to test out this new input soon, assuming you are part of the Xbox Insider program. Warframe will be among the first titles on Xbox One that can use mouse and keyboard, with more to follow.
The precision-aiming of a mouse and versatility of a keyboard brings certain advantages over players with controllers, but Microsoft is looking to assuage those fears. Ronald said:
We've been working closely with studios of all sizes to ensure mouse and keyboard experiences on console are fun, fair and correctly balanced, and look forward to introducing more games with support for mouse and keyboard input in the future.Mike Ybarra further elaborated a bit on Twitter, explaining that developers will have the option to split players into pools if they so desire based on input type
https://twitter.com/XboxQwik/status/1044693786008272896
Microsoft also announced a partnership with gaming hardware and peripheral manufacturer Razer. You can probably expect to see Xbox-specific Razer keyboards and mouse products on the shelves in the coming months. You can expect to hear more about the new update, the Razer partnership, and other titles with this support by tuning in to Inside Xbox on November 10.
Quick Take
First, we had the Xbox Adaptive Controller, and now we're getting keyboard and mouse support. I like that Microsoft is making the Xbox One more accessible, but I am becoming more concerned about the console becoming a just a fancy, lower-end PC. We've lost console exclusivity with Xbox-exclusive games now launching for Windows 10 as well. I feel a bit of buyers remorse because I could have just saved up the money I spent on an Xbox One for a PC upgrade or new rig.That said, I will remain cautiously optimistic. I look forward to games from the new studios Microsoft picked up, and maybe I can take advantage of crossplay with PC by hooking up a mouse and keyboard and being on the same ball field as other PC players.
Are you going to use a mouse and keyboard on your Xbox One? What do you hope to see from the Xbox and Razer partnership? Let us know in the comments blow!
