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Xbox One getting keyboard and mouse support

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Xbox One getting keyboard and mouse support

Microsoft is all about the Windows 10 ecosystem, and things are set to kick off in just under a week. Windows 10 will make its debut on PC next week, with the Xbox One hopefully getting it in the weeks to follow. Windows 10 is going to connect your console and PC in new ways, and that takes a lot of work to get feeling right. Work that includes new forms of input for your living room console.

Xbox’s own Phil Spencer has confirmed that the Xbox One will be getting keyboard and mouse support soon, as the console edges closer to the big Windows 10 update. Keyboards already worked with the console, but Spencer said the big challenge was mouse input. It’s unclear if this means games will natively work with alternate inputs on the console, but it’s a safe assumption to make given Windows 10 PC gaming.

What it does question is streaming. The Xbox One can already stream games to Windows 10 PCs, but what about the reverse? Spencer also acknowledges a question about the possibility of PC to Xbox One streaming, saying that the idea was an interesting one. But not an idea with a plan yet.

I do, however, think it’s a feature that will eventually arrive on the ecosystem, given the growing popularity of being able to stream games around your home. Valve is already prepped to ship the Steam Link at the end of this year – a $50 device that allows you to beam your PC games straight to your TV over the internet. Having that connection between a PC and Xbox One is a far more expensive setup, but one that existing owners of both would probably really appreciate (I know I would).

It would also bolster keyboard and mouse support, which is an exciting new prospect for gaming on Xbox One. Being given the choice of input for any game is a treat, so here’s to hoping it’s not limited in any way.

Last Updated: July 22, 2015

79 Comments

  1. Next step: cross-platform gaming.

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      July 22, 2015 at 10:37

      I thought the only cross-platform gaming you knew about was with the sharing of shoes… https://media3.giphy.com/media/bbq9d1cVI96W4/200_s.gif

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Fantasticus

        July 22, 2015 at 10:39

        Cross-platform gaming is only going to be cool until a guy with a controller beats a guy with a KB & Mouse at an FPS game. Then it’s going to be KAK. 😉

        Reply

        • RinceThis

          July 22, 2015 at 10:40

          HAHAHA! Man, the internet will explode if that happens. Along with every Masterbater Racer.

          Reply

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:45

            I’m bad enough at FPS games that someone playing only with a KB will probably beat me, so this doesn’t bother me much 😀

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        July 22, 2015 at 11:01

        Thoughts like that are why you should let others do your thinking for you!

        Reply

    • Ir0nseraph

      July 22, 2015 at 11:04

      I wouldn’t mind if they could get cross platform gaming to work, that would allow me to link up with some old friends again even if it means bieng pwned by by PC player in a FPS, luckily co-op is an option too.

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        July 22, 2015 at 11:20

        Yeah, doesn’t really matter what controller you’re using if you’re playing co-op.

        Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    July 22, 2015 at 10:13

    Consoles are turning into PC’s little by little…. Well the equivalent of an old PC anyways.

    Reply

    • Ottokie

      July 22, 2015 at 10:29

    • RinceThis

      July 22, 2015 at 10:40

      Agreed. People keep saying this isn’t the last generation of consoles. Yup, me thinks it is…

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Fantasticus

        July 22, 2015 at 10:46

        Strange how it’s not the other way around…
        Very strange indeed. ;P

        Reply

  3. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    July 22, 2015 at 10:19

    Wait wait. I thought of something crazy.
    Imagine the reverse of this….
    A pc that can use a controller!!

    Reply

    • Pariah

      July 22, 2015 at 10:19

      Lay off the mascara, it’s affecting your head.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Fantasticus

        July 22, 2015 at 10:20

        Oh sorry. I forgot it’s not 1999 anymore and the consoles are finally realising it. ;P

        Reply

        • Pariah

          July 22, 2015 at 10:21

          WAIT. IT’S NOT 1999?!?!!

          Reply

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:21

            Only when you party it is.

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:23

            And look like these guys? No thanks…

            https://oliviacannizzaro.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/1999.jpg?w=620

            Oh wait, is that you 2nd from the right? Oops, my bad.

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:24

            Those five combined probably had more sex than the average DOTA players mom

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:24

            And their kids are now teenagers. Coincidence? I think not.

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:26

            O_o tin foil hat please

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            July 22, 2015 at 10:27

            Probably should’ve used a latex hat. :/

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:28

            rofl

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:24

            My beard is longer!
            I can appreciate the brows though

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:25

            But it took 16 years to get there…

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:26

            Pah! I had a beard before I could walk.

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:26

            Those were your eyebrows. Babies don’t have beards.

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:27

            Every rule has an exception!

          • HvR

            July 22, 2015 at 10:48

            Woooohoooo

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:49

            😀

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:23

            I wish it was, then I’d get to see Fight Club for the first time.

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:24

            I’d love to have not wasted those 90 minutes of my life. Most over rated movie ever made. *Yawns*

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:24

            I am Jack’s colon

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:26

            I am Jacks penis

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:26

            Does that make Pariah Jill’s nipple?

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:28

            well he is coming off as a tit 😛

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:28

            Wait, just because I don’t like a movie I’m a tit? O_O

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:29

            No. Everyone on Lagz is a tit at some stage.

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:30

            Now this I’ll accept.

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:31

            Just like me below. TeeHee

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:30

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:32

            I have to watch this again.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            July 22, 2015 at 10:26

            I am Bob’s moobs.

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:27

            Yes you are.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            July 22, 2015 at 10:28

            Hug?

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:28

            Toss the doughnuts first and lick the fingers.

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:29

            *sniff*

          • Hammersteyn

            July 22, 2015 at 10:25

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:26

            Indeed, and one I’m not ashamed to have. 🙂

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:29

            The book is strangely not better, for once. The end in the book is wayy better, but the movie actually did a really decent job otherwise. Palanuik’s books tend to be really dark and strange, so the “lightened” movie version of fight club was a good call.

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:24

            Yes.
            Dude
            Yes

  4. Pariah

    July 22, 2015 at 10:19

    This. Now this is news.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 22, 2015 at 10:20

      Agreed!

      Reply

  5. Hammersteyn

    July 22, 2015 at 10:21

    If Sony can’t do the same COD may go back to XBOX sooner than later.

    Reply

    • Jonah Cash

      July 22, 2015 at 10:42

      • Hammersteyn

        July 22, 2015 at 11:06

        O_o

        Reply

        • Jonah Cash

          July 22, 2015 at 17:10

          Dit was my reaksie ook!!!

          Reply

    • Jonah Cash

      July 22, 2015 at 10:43

      I didn’t even know the below device existed. But I googled for a keyboard and mouse for PS4… Still don’t really see the point…

      Reply

  6. The Sten

    July 22, 2015 at 10:23

    Being able to play Gears of War and Halo…..and being able to aim with a mouse.

    YES

    Reply

  7. HairyEwok

    July 22, 2015 at 10:32

    So with Consoles getting mouse and keyboard support, doesn’t that blur the lines of exclusivity then. I mean the reason why you bought a console is because of a game that was exclusive to it and/or playable with only a controller… I’m looking at you Gears of War….

    Reply

    • Captain JJ Fantasticus

      July 22, 2015 at 10:35

      Even PC gamers are starting to split their opinions now with these things. The market’s gotten really interesting lately. Some people want the feel of a pc without the “hassle” of parts knowledge. Others want to build their own rigs, but they like controllers.
      Giving Diablo 3 controller support on pc was a great move, it opened up a whole new world for people. I personally now love playing ARPG’s with a controller on my pc, even when purists like Trevor will probably strangle me with a mouse cord for doing so 😉

      Reply

      • Pariah

        July 22, 2015 at 10:48

        Some games are just better with a controller. AC for example just works so much better with a controller than a kb/mouse. But then, strategy and fps titles generally feel better with the kb/m than a controller, so I think having both is really the only way to go.

        Reply

        • Captain JJ Fantasticus

          July 22, 2015 at 10:51

          Witcher 3 with a controller is pure awesomeness. So was Batman and Batman in Mordor.

          FPS and strategy is mouse only, seems silly otherwise. ARPGs is still the grey area where some prefer to click, click, click,click, click, click, click, click, over button mashing on a controller. 😀

          Reply

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:52

            ARPG + Controller is a match made in heaven. Seriously. All that mashing is just so much more comfy with a controller in your hands.

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 10:53

            Agreed. I saw that Sword Coast on Steam now. Looks brilliant. Saw there’s no controller support. Took it off my wishlist. Once you’ve played an ARPG with a controller everything changes. Sucks that Torchlight has no controller support, that would be awesome.

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 10:55

            Torchlight got so boring for me though. I love the game, but I wish there was more to it. I have several lvl 70+ chars, but each time I get one to 70 I need a few months’ break before I load it up again. I still prefer D3 (on console, it’s really brilliant)

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 11:06

            I must agree. I struggled to actually finish it.
            Sadly we don’t have much on pc in ARPG with controller support. Van Helsing is great though. Haven’t gotten D3 myself yet though.

          • Pariah

            July 22, 2015 at 11:12

            VH is a lot of fun, but suffers the same problem. Once you’ve finished it, there’s little reason to play again for a long while. I’m yet to buy 3, but I’m still burnt out from 2, so I’ll hold on for now.

          • Captain JJ Fantasticus

            July 22, 2015 at 11:29

            I feel the same. I’ve heard 3 is just more of the same, so not too interested in getting that myself now. I could barely finish 2. It’s just a whole lot of the same from 1.

  8. RinceThis

    July 22, 2015 at 10:37

    SO, why not just buy a PC?

    Reply

    • Captain JJ Fantasticus

      July 22, 2015 at 10:37

      I refer you to my previous comment ^

      Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      July 22, 2015 at 10:38

      Because common sense…

      Reply

  9. HvR

    July 22, 2015 at 10:55

    “The Xbox One can already stream games to Windows 10 PCs, but what about the reverse?”

    Never, then people will stop buying R1000 cross platform releases on Xbox and stick to R500 (or R50 on Steam Sale) PC versions.

    Reply

  10. Brady miaau

    July 22, 2015 at 12:18

    Yes, this is what it really, really needs. Or not. Never missed a mouse, keyboard sometimes, but not often.

    Is the mouse for browsing the internet easier on the console?

    Reply

  11. Allykhat

    July 23, 2015 at 08:29

    Hmmm… Keyboard and mouse support for games on Xbone…. Watch the imbalance in FPS games Mouse > Gamepad in FPS any day.

    Reply

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