Reports say that Microsoft and Razer are drawing closer to bringing official mouse and keyboard support to the Xbox One, but gameplay issues remain.
Ever since Microsoft launched the Xbox One, it’s been making noises about bringing the console and PC closer together—including adding mouse and keyboard support to supplement the Xbox One controller. Now, through a partnership with Razer, that evolution appears closer to reality.
Windows Central reports that Microsoft and Razer jointly presented a partnership on the Razer Turret earlier this year, touted as the “ultimate keyboard and mouse solution for Xbox One.” Notably, the USB mouse support uses the same APIs as those used within Windows, so you’d be able to unplug a mouse used with your PC and attach it to the Xbox.
As simple as that sounds, however, you might wonder why it’s taken so long for “true” mouse and keyboard support to arrive on the Xbox. After all, Microsoft began talking about it as far back as two years ago. Both Windows and the Xbox have gone through multiple updates to their operating systems since then.
Simply remapping controller functions to different forms of input may be taking a backseat to competitive issues. According to Windows Central, Microsoft also published advisories on how mouse and keyboard support—considered to be a more precise form of input than a controller—could affect game play.
Microsoft also said that because the presence of a mouse and keyboard could be detected, gamers could be restricted to special modes or queues segregated by input mode. It would be up to the developers to decide whether and how to implement it.
