I get it – console gamers who swear by their controllers hate on guys like me. They think that using a keyboard and mouse in console gaming is cheating, and that everyone should use controllers.
However, these same individuals often agree that the mouse and keyboard are the more competitive choice for FPS games. “Precision aim with a mouse is easy; controllers,” they say, “take skill to master.” Why they choose to hold onto their controllers with sweaty palms when it’s so easy (and affordable!) to upgrade to the more competitive option is beyond my comprehension.
I like that consoles feature standardized hardware for a more consistent experience, and the wealth of options for modifying controllers is astounding. It’s all done with an eye toward making a better experience for the end user. Console developers should go all the way by offering native support for mice and keyboards. I mean true 1:1 support across all titles.
Consider this: consoles already offer native support for driving wheels, like the Logitech G920 for Xbox One (MSRP $399.99, Amazon.com) and the Logitech G29 (MSRP $399.99, Amazon.com) for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
Such a move could benefit console manufacturers and game developers alike by swinging PC gamers over to console gaming, driving up sales of titles and hardware.
It would also increase the skill gap in competitive games.
Gamers with accessibility needs might fare better, too.
Finally, it would provide an environment for competitive gaming where it would be technically infeasible for the real cheaters to cheat.
The best part? Console manufacturers have been signaling that native mouse support is in the pipeline.
Microsoft has been making moves to open up the Xbox to do just this. In an interview with PCGamesN at E3 2016, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer had this to say:
When we enable PC and mouse on console it’ll be interesting to see how many of those creators think about running their PC and mouse-only game on console, and then this idea of Play Anywhere might get even more interesting for those guys
Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 also support mouse and keyboard as evidenced by Final Fantasy XIV. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any first-person shooters on the PlayStation that offer native support for mouse.
It’s only a matter of time, but mastery waits for no one. If you game on a console, you can start using a keyboard + mouse setup today.
Need more convincing?
Check out my article: why mouse and keyboard?