Xbox One will soon play nice with keyboards and mice

The Verge reports that Microsoft is working to bring support for mice and keyboards to its Xbox One consoles at last.

That builds upon Windows Central’s story from last week about Microsoft’s partnership with gaming accessories maker Razer. The idea was to support RGB lighting in Razer’s Chroma line of peripherals, which includes LED backlit gaming keyboards.

Windows Central shared some notes from leaked documents pertaining to a developer event. If those are anything to go by, it looks like Microsoft is stipulating a limit of one keyboard and mouse to be supported per console (while several gamepads can be used at once).

Next, developers will be able to detect the presence of a connected mouse and keyboard, and are encouraged to use that factor for matching up players in competitive titles so that those using gamepads aren’t at a disadvantage. Plus, all USB mice and keyboards that work on Windows should work on the Xbox – but wireless gear and those that use custom dongles may not.

Adding support for these peripherals would allow Xbox owners to try a wider range of games that require numerous key bindings, like strategy titles. This could also make it easier for PC gamers to transition smoothly to Microsoft’s console, and allow console veterans to try out new playing styles since they won’t be restricted to traditional controllers.

The company previously released a controller that supports peripherals to help players with disabilities get in on the action. Between that and keyboard-and-mouse support, Microsoft has a chance to gain an edge over Sony’s PS4, at least when it comes to flexibility and accessibility.

It isn’t yet clear when this functionality will arrive. We’ve contacted Microsoft to learn more and will update this post when there’s a response.