In an interview conducted at E3 2016, Microsoft's Xbox leader Phil Spencer says that the company is still working to bring full keyboard and mouse support to the Xbox One but it may be months before it is released.
Many Xbox One owners have been waiting for this addition for some time. in a Twitter chat with fans in February 2015, Spencer stated that mouse and keyboard support 'aren't far away'. In February 2016, he again said on Twitter "We will get this done."
In a chat with PCGamesN, Spencer was asked about this once again, and he stated:
I keep talking about it in the press and my platform team keeps shaking their head, because they… Truthfully in our dev kit modes now keyboard works, mouse support is a little bit further away. I say it because I know it's not years away, it's more like months away, but we don't have an exact date yet.
Some Xbox One gamers would like to have keyboard and mouse support in place to play Halo Wars 2, the sci-fi RTS game that's due in February 2017 for both the console and Windows 10.
Reader comments
Phil Spencer says full Xbox One keyboard and mouse support is still 'months' away
As it is CA ****** up the controller layout on hw2 & the controller app doesn't fix this
how hard can this be... nvm it just seems xbox doesn't have the bug tolerance that's expected from everyone else on w10, see how long it takes them to add EVERYTHING, they are required to make it completely flawless
I kinda understand why they say that... When the kernel for an OS build is finalized. It is converted to Binary form, which is locked... They then have to rebuild it in order to allow the support and it is probably a long chain of code blocks to change that. Preventing keystrokes is way different from blocking HID devices
Probably the same number of months away that Project Scorpio is.
Main reason why I didn't buy Xbox so far.
Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
Because you prefer a more complicated input method?
You don't necessarily buy a console so you can use a controller. You can use a controller on a pc. Most people buy a console for the convenience of having a platform that you don't have to upgrade, care about graphic drivers etc. You have your console and the games will definitely run on it. It's easier!
If you want keyboard and mouse support its called a PC you bought a console to use a controller and if you want keyboard and mouse then you buy PC
Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
I hate to be that guy, but in the future that is not how its going to work on Windows/MS UWP Store. There new console is Windows 10, hardware independent.
i think u wrong, but... most of console users like to play in their couch, with the controller.... u have a point , some ppl agree, some not... but it doesn't make u right neither wrong, microsoft never said that they will abandon the console, i think that maybe mix the things, but the console is not dying, the proof is that they just announced a new console this week... and its not a PC, its a device running windows 10 and xbox service but to use in ur room, ur tv, with controller, in ur couch... PC is another device running Windows 10 and Xbox Service for ur desk.... thats my point....
I'm not saying you should like it, so I'm not wrong. I am just telling you MS's strategy is, and this what they are doing. "abandon the console" actually the opposite... windows 10 will run your present Xbox software but going forward you are being converted to a Windows / MS UWP Store user... Xbox is essentially being consumed by Windows. Xbox going forward, if they even keep the name is SOFTWARE.... as long as Windows runs on the software that is where your console is. Xbox is no longer a hardware platform, its a SOFTWARE store and system. This is not me making up stuff, all the games will be playable on Windows 10 because Windows 10 is consuming Xbox. MS may or may not continue to release hardware but going forward at some point they will just be Windows machines i.e. PCs. They annoucned hardware in 18 months that will be running Windows software where you will be able to download Windows software like games.... XBox is no longer really tied to hardware... you'lll be able buy a Dell computer and run the same stuff. Xbox is no longer a hardware platform, its software. Good luck in convincing MS... they have already started merging the stores. Haha.
my point was that u don't know the MS strategy, but looks like u know, i am sorry, i didnt't noticed that u work for microsoft....
Its already in the public. Haha. What do you think they have been doing? Haha. UWP has been up for quite awhile now.... it might be new to you, but it's not new all. Welcome to 2015. One store, one OS, and UWP. Xbox 360 games and Xbox One games come forward and One OS in the future. I am not sure what there is to debate... .of course MS could continue to release hardware, probably like the Surface at a premium. They are converting Xbox users into UWP users, which hardware you use... they don't really care.... they would probably rather you just go buy a new PC.
No its not in the public, they didn't said that they will kill the console, they announced two new consoles.... Windows 10 is an OS. Xbox Console, Mobile Phones and PCs are three examples of devices that run Windows 10 but they are devices (its not the same thing that OS). Xbox is a Service that run in Windows 10 devices (a service is not an OS neither a device). Device, OS and Service are three different things... Saying that the console are getting the Windows 10 OS doesn't mean that the device will not exist anymore
I never said they will kill the console, actually the opposite... they brought Xbox into Windows 10. Xbox is no longer a hardware dependant platform. Of course it exists, it'll exist on every Windows 10 device.... Xbox has been convert into a software platform i.e. MS store. What hardware you run is irrelevant in the future as you will have Xbox if you have Windows 10 device or running Windows 10. They may or may not decide to keep releasing hardware branded as Xbox, but all that is going forward will be a Windows 10 device. There will be one OS (virtually one), one Store, and UWP.... all the xbox stuff will be going into the MS Store. As far as hardware, doubt they care if they sell anymore hardware as long as they get everyone to buy into the Store going forward. You'll be able to play your existing Xbox stuff, generally, and going forward there won't be an separation.... Xbox is now MS store. I have to admit I have no idea what you getting at.... I think you are confusing a console as a hardware with the software under the hood.... you'll be able to play all Xbox games (whatever that may mean) on Windows 10... there really is no need to have a separate OS in their world... and you can use MS hardward or Dell or Lenovo... or build your own. Your idea of a console is hardware.... MS's concept of a console is software.... your confusion lies there. If I can run gears of war on a toaster is a toaster a console? MS doesn't care if you can get windows running on a toaster.... their only goal right now is to get people into the eco-system i.e. MS UWP Store.... you can call it anything you like a toaster, a pc, or a console..
Yes, it will be a Windows 10 device, but we have mobile phones and pcs that are windows 10 but they are not the same thing, same OS, but different devices.... i wanted that it was true, but they never said that every game on xbox store will be available on pc, they never said that u will run X360 on ur PC, never said that u will run the Halo 5 for example on PC, u will run on ur PC the games that allow it, the play anywhere feature, i doubt that a thirdy party developer will release their games as Play Aniwhere game, since they sell their games on Steam or their own services on PC like origin... most of play anywhere games will be from first party studios.. UWP seems that u can release something on every windows 10 devices, but it doesn't seem that u have to... i can publish a UWP app for PC excluding consoles and mobile, its the developer choice..
I am not saying there is not trouble but that is where they are going... whether everyone buys in I am not going to comment because I don't like the strategy and I'm not buying in at all. LOL Their goal is convert everyone into the MS store system.... they don't care about Xbox per se.. .but if they can convert the existing users... in their mind, Great! The Xbox division has been given marching orders.... Windows will consume Xbox and try and try leverage the existing users.... I am not saying its an easy road.... matter of fact, its a horrible road. There is some postives for this working as well.... I am not trying to tell you what to do but that is the strategy.... whether they are successful or not time will tell... in the mean time... most exclusives will be released on Windows 10 as well as XBox... because they only see one platform.... windows 10.
Seems to me m/k play on XBox would be more of a nuisance than help. If I'm playing XBox I'm on my couch in front of a TV. The controller is handy and doesn't require a solid surface to hold a k/m combo.
Xbox is gone and replaced by Windows/MS UWP Store within time. Eventually any input device that works with Win10 with work on the "console", as they will be the same device in different form... as the console is now or soon will be Windows 10. People play with kb/m all the time, matter of fact its probably 99%+ in the PC world... there is no PC world and console world in MS's future... .there is only Windows 10. One person can play with a kb/m and another can play with a controller or VR or a driving wheel. The platform is now Windows/Store its not really a traditional console in the future.
I realize most people on a PC use k/m, but they also usually sit down in front of a monitor(s) at some type of desk/workstation setup. Most console players have them in a livingroom/den/bedroom hooked up to a TV. Not a real conducive environment for k/m (I've tried). As far as the rest of your post it all remains to be seen. Last time MS tried to convince console gamers the XBox one had more uses than just gaming we got the roll out debacle. So we shall see.
Posted from Windows Central for Windows 10
Of course it isn't coming soon. Why would anyone expect Microsoft to fulfill any of the promises they made? DVR? Miracast?
This article was the quintessential example of the Microsoft "Coming Soon™" Initiative.
Early 2015: Coming Soon!™
Early 2016: Coming Soon!™
Mid 2016: Months from now, but totally not going into next year.
Late 2017: Quietly confirmed to be cancelled.
Get Windows 10 up to speed to completely replace the existing code base on the Xbox One seems like a better way of going... replace the Xbox OS with full Win10... welcome kb/m support.
Next we will hear it was cancelled.
Actually, I think at some point, the opposite... they just push full win10 to the Xbox One.
It should be branded as Surface Box. Expensive underpowered and unavailable in most markets reference design.
LOL, I wonder if MS apologists will claim that Xbone is just supposed to set the standard for OEMs and not complete?
I would think if the premium is right, MS could stay in the hardware business i.e. like the Surface. But at the end of the day, anyone can build themselves a new Xbox with the latest specs right now... build a PC. I am completely baffled by the, "I can't wait for the Scorpio" crowd, as they could build one right now and not have to wait 18 months.
I'm tempted to bet that this will only come when Scorpio is announced. Something tells me they'll be tying it in with the console-that-won't-be-really-a-console-but-a-PC-in-disguise
Makes sense. Xbox lost console war so why not go full ugly expensive gaming rig way. Well actually it makes no sense, Nadella should just call it quits rather than compete with OEMs.
I call it a PC console. LOL A person can buy a new Xbox anytime, just go over to dell dot com and build one. LOL MS is more or less out of the traditional console market and cycle, although they might sell hardware from time to time. Windows 10 is the new Xbox and is not really tied to hardware per se... its called a PC in a UWP wrapper. LOL
"console-that-won't-be-really-a-console-but-a-PC-in-disguise"
This is what Xbone and PS4 are already.
They are both closed platforms for sure, that is why I call Windows 10/MS UWP Store a PC Console... as really what they want to do is turn your PC into a console.
Yeah Ive said they want to turn PCs into iPads, but its the same concept.
I'm not going to disagree, but I am not going to go that far, yet. LOL I think the concerns about the Store are pretty justified, I'm trying to avoid that talk though. lol
Hardware wise they could be lousy gaming PCs sure but highly optimized for given hardware without PC OS bloat makes all the difference. What was again the demo for Xbox 'dev mode' UWP, photo grid app..
Well...Maybe... If it's for games, it could be a unfair advanage for some people.
I know with a keyboard and mouse, I am far more accurate than with a controller. My COD K/D ratio would go up huge if this was enabled...
How about background music?
I personally, have no interest in this.
I somehow doubt that. You used your mouse and keyboard to post in a topic you have no interest in.
I know right? Haha. They still don't get it. The Xbox is going bye bye, here comes Window 10 and the Store.
Yet, they're already announcing a new console. Yeah, THAT makes sense!
It's 11 months, 30 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds away...
Can't wait!!!!!
I think that is easy to just implement Mouse+Keyboard, the problem is to make sure to do it in a way that don't affect FPS games, some kind of restrictions, it would be very unfair playing against controller users... Hope that it come till february 2017 (release of Halo Wars 2), it is an RTS game and thats a kind of game that i love but don't like to play with controllers
There is going to be no difference between the Xbox and Win10 at some point, Win 10/MS UWP store will consume it in full. So.... kb/m and controllers will both be an option just like they are today on Win10. There is no more console, so why would there restrictions on input devices? How is that even manageable? Welecome back to PC.
It would kill controller for FPS games, i don't know if thats is their intention, but i think that they want to implement something that matches who is using controllers against other controller users and kb+m against kb+m ... or maybe some kind of check to enable matching against kb+m ... it would be more interesting and right.. in my opinion, and i think that this is why keyboard and mouse aren't implemented yet
I agree, but I am just saying the traditional console in their model is gone. Windows 10 is the console and any device that you can get to work with it, is in theory going to work.... eventually Xbox will disappear completely and only Windows 10 will remain. I do agree with you, but I don't buy the whole strategy but from their point of view... Xbox is a money loser and has been for 15+ years. What they want to do is... get as many of the Xbox user into the MS UWP Store as possible. Effectively going forward there is no Xbox... there is only PC... if you want to call it a console... they don't care as long as you use the Store.
I agree with you, i think that this is their strategy, but i don't think that xbox (console) is a money loser, maybe less than live, store.. but they still earn money with the console .. everything will be just windows 10 OS, and xbox a service that runs in windows 10 devices, but we will still have a box running windows 10 or a kind of streaming device to run the xbox games from ur pc to TV... buth both PC, the box running windows 10, will be the same thing... maybe we will alsoo see some thirdy party box running windows 10 (but i will never buy a third party console).... actually i'm thinking in build a good pc gamer to run my xbox and pc games...
Xbox has not only been a loser, but a huge loser money wise. $4 billion on the original Xbox, after that they had to hide the loses by including phone patents into the Xbox division financials. The write down of the $1 billion of RROD is known as they had to disclose. If I were to guess based on the disclosed numbers and the difference losts per year probably is around a billion a year, give or take. Which is why shareholders were telling the board to drop Xbox. The good news to shareholders is that MS is basically doing that now.... move the Xbox users over to Windows/UWP Store if they can. MS would rather users just use their PC, hardware in general has not been good to MS. MS has a new console.... its called Windows 10 and you can buy the hardware from Dell, Lenovo, HP, Alienware, etc.
You can already use keyboard+mouse in FPS games on the Xbox with the right adaptors, so this won't make a difference because people that want to play with kb/m already can. e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Mouse-Adapter-Xbox-playstation-4/dp/B00MG654FM
I have two sets of that keyboard/mouse combo (one for work and one for work at home, lol) and while they're amazing, they're the WRONG choice for gaming, which I don't do anymore! :D
Probably should have used the picture of a corsair lapdog for this article.
Hmm, interesting.
I am hoping they can implement this. I would love to be able to use a keyboard and mouse for Battlefield 1 without having to us a converter like XIM 4 or something similar. Also would be nice if cross network multiplayer was working for that, but it is my understanding that Microsoft wants to play nice, Sony is holding out.
Seems like a good idea, however the results might be catastrophical towards controller users in FPSs
Seems like this task shouldn't take but a matter of a few months to complete, what's the hold up?
Any real programmer could add this in a week alone. They have a whole team doing this and it's months away?.. Talk about milking that M$ money
What do you know about OS programming?
Posted from Windows Central for XL
More than I would like
It is kind of weird if it runs Windows 10 that it is months away...seeing how Windows 10 has mouse support...
It doesn't run just w10 and it doesn't run pure w10. It runs as little as possible to avoid problems and give gamers as much hardware performance as possible.
Posted from Windows Central for XL
I wonder if they are figuring out a way to allow games (apps) a way to disable use within the app - or at the very least, detect use to allow constraints. Keyboard/mouse versus controller would be a major imbalance.
I believe in competitive gameplay (like a tournament with real prices at stake) there would be restrictions on input methods between PC and Console players - either both go with controllers, or both go with Keyboard/Mouse. I think this should not be difficult to achieve.
Windows 10 ,Windows Universal platform...and it's so hard to add mouse support????
Yep, makes sense to me. /s
Windows 10 has pretty much all of the drivers for mouse support built in. As a mouse is not required for Xbox, I would imagine that code was ripped out. Putting it back in would require testing to ensure it works correctly as well as making sure the UI respends as expected.
Plus, Microsoft is in the process of building a new console and releasing a new Windows 10 version. I would imagine this was put on the backburner for more highly requested features.
Adding mouse support to Windows 10 Mobile was pretty simple and painless though
UWP is a runtime. The Xbox runs two OS'es where one probably has never had m/k-support.
It's not as simple as you think.
Posted from Windows Central for XL
Oh, that makes sense. Actually, XBox One has 3 OSs. Thanks for explaining.
Maybe it's more about the UI changes to support it, than just driver-level suppot. If you think about how the current UI works, there would be some thought and effort needed to allow it work well with a mouse. The keyboard is easier, because all the system needs to do is recognize its in a text entry mode, and then support keyboard input in those cases. That could explain why they have keyboard working already but not mouse yet.
maybe it is deliberate disability from a Kernel