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Microsoft and Razer reportedly adding mouse and keyboard support for Xbox One
Gamers may soon be able to use a mouse and keyboard with their Xbox One console.
That’s according to a report from Windows Central, which detailed leaked documents that reveal Microsoft and gaming hardware giant Razer meeting with developers earlier this year about official keyboard and mouse support on the Xbox One.
The presentation shows different features developers can implement, including potential ways to separate users playing with a keyboard and mouse for multiplayer games, and those using the traditional gamepad controller.
The mouse and keyboard support may arrive as soon as this fall. The Verge also confirmed that launch date. We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment and we’ll update when we hear back.
Microsoft previously said in 2015 it was working on mouse and keyboard compatibility. The additional input options are a big deal, giving gamers more flexibility and allowing for new titles on the Xbox console that are too difficult to play with an Xbox controller. There are clunky ways to hack together keyboard and mouse support, but games aren’t built with this capability.
At the E3 conference earlier this month, Microsoft confirmed that it is working on new generations of the Xbox console. Microsoft released the latest iteration of its Xbox, the Xbox One X, this past September.
For years, gamers and industry pundits have speculated that each console generation from Microsoft and Sony could be the last, as mobile gaming has surged and Microsoft has increasingly bridged its Windows PC and console gaming initiatives. But the company continues to put more resources into the Xbox consoles and its gaming business overall.
At E3, Microsoft announced four gaming studio acquisitions, and the creation of its own new studio called The Initiative, as it plans to create more first-party titles. The company said it is also building a “game streaming network to unlock console-quality gaming on any device.”