Do mouse-and-keyboard gamers on consoles have an advantage against controller players? Overwatch 2’s devs think so, and will permanently ban accounts that are ‘ximming.’
Overwatch 2 will permanently ban player accounts that use “unapproved peripherals” on consoles like Xbox or PlayStation, the game’s developers announced this week.
In a blog post, Overwatch Senior Game Producer Adam Massey and Lead Gameplay Engineer Daniel Razza detailed their objections to console players who don’t use controllers.
“Some players on console have been using devices that allow them to use a mouse and keyboard while tricking the console into thinking that the inputs are coming from a controller,” Massey and Razza explain. “While some use different peripherals for accessibility purposes, some players take advantage of aim assist while using peripherals that were never intended to benefit from this feature.”
The developers note that figuring out who actually uses what type of input device on consoles has been difficult, and some consoles even have what they call “anti-detection features.”
Playing a video game with a mouse and keyboard to take advantage of consoles’ aim assist features is also known among gamers as “ximming” because this can be achieved with a XIM device that allows consoles or PCs to support multiple input types. Other converters, like the ReaSnow S1 or Cronus Zen, also exist.
In a TikTok video uploaded in October, the Overwatch influencer known as “Flats,” who has achieved a Top 500-rank in the game, reviews one Overwatch 2 player’s aim and movement and ultimately accuses the unknown player of “ximming.
