Keyboard and mouse support concerns.

BrandonBartel · Feb 8, 2019

Hello,

First off, I'm WELL-AWARE that there's a bunch of threads about this highly debated topic. I don't really care, I just haven't been able to find a way to communicate directly with Microsoft to voice my concerns. I need more information to determine my future
purchases.

I would like to know what steps are being taken to keep K/M users separate from Controller users? People can already mod a keyboard so they can use it on their Xbox, so it feels like this is only going to make the issue on consoles worse. Running into a
P.C. user on the game "Sea Of Thieves" leads to a fight that's so one sided that it lead me to quit playing the game altogether. Is there going to be a way to disable playing with any other keyboard users or is it 100% on the developer? With some of these
releases lately, I can say with some degree of certainty, that's not going to work. Almost none of these games work correctly upon release or at all for that matter. It feels like it's only a matter of time before K/M users start to end up in my favorite skilled
shooting games like "Red Dead Redemption 2" or "Call Of Duty: Black ops 4" or "Battlefield 5". It's safe for me to say that I want NOTHING to do with any of that. There's already tons of "high skilled" players that make the games less enjoyable. If everyone
starts to play like them it's definitely not going to be fun anymore.

I understand wanting to merge the gaming communities, that's great more people should make things more fun. But a K/M user has a tremendous advantage over anyone using a controller. I'm not going to keep using an Xbox if I can't even enjoy a video game because
a K/M user is winning the game every time I play. I like to win sometimes too.

If I wanted to use a K/M, I would log onto my computer and play games there, it's plain and simple. The controller is one thing I love about playing Xbox and essentially what makes a console exactly that. The playing field is the same, and no one can hack.
Where as to on a P.C. There's TONS of different hardware/software to maximize your advantages. The only thing people can do with Xbox is raise their sensitivity and buy a pro controller.

I bought the first Xbox the day it came out and haven't looked at any other console since. I've went through 2 of every single one or their consoles. But this has my gaming future deeply concerned and I'm not totally sure if Xbox is the route I'm going to
take in the future.

Thank you for your time.

:)

choppyseize

You would have to contact the game devs about that. A lot of people like the keyboard and mouse and it doesn't always give the advantage. I've seen a lot of terrible keyboard and mouse users. Especially in shooters. There is wayyyy more hacking on a PC
then there is a console. Have you ever tried CSGO for example? I think because of the demand, And how gaming has evolved that they will continue to make gaming more accessible to everyone.

RandyAU93

Much of that is up to the game's developer. Rare, for example, has said it will provide support to limit what setups players encounter in "Sea of Thieves". The Coalition and Turn 10 Studios have enabled console only or crossplay toggles in the Gears of
War and Forza franchises, respectively. Epic Games enabled a aiming assist in "Fortnite" to give a boost to console/controller players that is not available to KB/M users. Again, it's all up to the developer to decide how they want to proceed.

{Parity}

I think a lot of us feel your concern. I think the only thing we can do is wait and see how it plays out. As they say, "only time will tell".

Happy Gaming.

BrandonBartel

Koods - I really hope so. But I also think there's more to worry about. Not all keyboard users are going to be 10 years old. And to be honest, to me it doesn't matter. They can STILL manage an inventory and organize MUCH easier than a person with a controller.
Any recent game is a great example of that as most games have adopted a radial style menu which leaves you vulnerable briefly as you either can't look or move while switching items. A keyboard user can just bind their favorite things to keys and quickly switch
between whatever they need while able to keep aiming/moving. A lot of games have been steering away from the single-player experience it feels like it's going to shrink my gaming pool and force me into something.

I REALLY don't think Microsoft should leave any of the hardware decisions up to the developer, that just sounds completely stupid to me. Especially given the state of some of these developers' releases and their unreliability. They don't get to make decisions
about any of the other hardware. I already feel like I have a greater advantage after upgrading to an Xbox 1X as opposed to a regular Xbox 1. I understand using a keyboard for like "Halo Wars" or something, but it's still not something I would do on a console.

I also highly doubt (hope) the other "traditional" console is going to add this type of support in the near future, perhaps the next-gen consoles but certainly not on this one. They're completely non-progressive and stuck in their own ways in that regard.
Which I'm starting to see as a positive. I just hope there aren't more idiot developers out there like Rare who think that this is a good idea now that this is an option.

Choppyseize - I understand what you're saying, and that's what bums me out. I used to play the original counter-strike when it was popular and that's pretty much what made me quit playing P.C. games, the hacking and cheating is completely unbearable. Consoles
just feel more reliable. A highly skilled player with a mouse and a keyboard in a "COD" lobby will have a tremendous advantage over a highly skilled player with a controller in the same lobby.

RandyAU93 - Hopefully more games start to follow in their footsteps. Rare completely ruined their game by trying to be more inclusive (IMHO). Not only that but I don't get how they can ensure there's no cheating with any P.C. users. I wasn't aware that there
was an aim-assist in fortnite for balancing. But to be honest it doesn't change anything for me. I would just rather play with other controller users altogether. Cross platform would be fine if they made everyone use controllers. I think it would be super
easy for them to do now too, because the new Xbox controllers support windows if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks everyone. If Microsoft doesn't take control of their console, I will probably be breaking my tradition.

Koods

It's not up to Microsoft in a number of cases to decide this, it's up to the developers of individual titles - so yes in some cases (such as SoT) it will be a Microsoft issue, but for the vast majority it will be up to those who make the game.

It is of course highly dependent on several factors though as to the advantage one would receive on M/K over a controller, for example if you run into a 10 year old on Fortnite chances are they're not going to be as effective with the M/K as say someone
who's played PC games for years. I don't think there's much to worry about as so far it seems to be the case that most developers are going forward with the mindset of keeping M/K players apart from those of us who're using a controller - namely to avoid
situations where people get overly frustrated. For what it's worth, the "other side" face this very same issue nowadays, it's something that will happen going forward on both the "traditional" consoles (the third option being a very different idea all together!).

Keyboard and mouse support concerns.