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Xbox One adds mouse and keyboard support, levels playing field with PC

Gabe Gurwin
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The introduction of cross-platform play this generation has allowed Xbox One and PC players to enjoy their favorite games together, but this doesn’t always lead to the fairest matches. Those on PC have a noticeable advantage in shooters because of their mouse and keyboard controls, but the latest Xbox One update has leveled the playing field by adding support for the peripherals.

The content update hitting Xbox One systems on Wednesday, November 14, gives players the option to plug in a mouse and keyboard in order to play some of their favorite games. Thus far, you can use it for Fortnite and Warframe. Later this month, support will be added for Bomber Crew, Deep Rock Galactic, Strange Brigade, Vermintide 2, War Thunder, and X-Morph Defense. In December, Children of Morta, DayZ, Minion Master, Moonlighter, Vigor, Warface, and Wargroove will also be added.

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Fortnite is obviously the big pickup here, as it should help Xbox One players to compete on a more even playing field with PC players, but the game list won’t stpo expanding anytime soon. Microsoft said it is now giving developers the choice to include mouse and keyboard controls on games moving forward, and the company also partnered with Razer to create a “Designed for Xbox” mouse and keyboard. It even comes with a special Xbox key and is fully functional with Windows 10, as well.

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We have heard that keyboard support would be coming to the Xbox One for some time, though we didn’t expect it to be to this extent. In 2017, Microsoft’s Andrew Parson said that the Xbox Live Creators Program would enable developers to use more Windows features on the Xbox One. Given the Xbox Play Anywhere program’s success, this could make the experience of going from console to PC and back again less jarring.

The inclusion of mouse and keyboard support puts the Xbox One more in line with the PlayStation 4, which already had the feature. That system pairs those using the setup with PC players rather than other console players, ensuring those using a gamepad aren’t completely overwhelmed. If you’re on a mobile device, however, you can probably still expect to get destroyed.

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Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
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