‘First Xbox games with keyboard and mouse support coming soon’

According to Xbox CEO Mike Ybarra, the first Xbox games with keyboard and mouse support will be released soon. He states that Microsoft will help developers make the right choices when it comes to the input method for multiplayer games.

The CEO does not yet want to announce which games keyboard and mouse will support. Ybarra says during Q&A session that players in competitive multiplayer games are likely to want a choice. He outlines an example where gamers can choose from controllers only, keyboard and mouse only, or all input. Microsoft will coach developers in adding such options. So it doesn’t seem to be an obligation.

In competitive online games, mouse and keyboard input can provide an advantage over using a controller. In shooting games in particular, players can aim more accurately with a mouse. Allowing Xbox players to play with a keyboard and mouse would also help them compete better against PC gamers using the same input method.

At the end of August, experimental mouse control support was already added to a beta version of the Xbox One software. That was about control for Minecraft, which as an uwp app is available on the console as well as for Windows.