Respawn Entertainment, the developer of Apex Legends, is testing various methods to detect if players use a mouse and keyboard to play the game on their PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
The developer says in a message on Reddit not to approve of exchanging the controller for the use of a mouse and keyboard. Respawn says they’re testing different ways to detect when this happens, but the company does not yet provide further information. Respawn’s community manager reports that more will be told in the near future, including progress on detection capacity and what will happen to players who continue to use a mouse and keyboard.
Respawn doesn’t explain in the message what objections it has towards the topic, but that’s probably due to the fact that players with a mouse and keyboard can gain a competitive advantage over those who use the regular controller. Several players reject Respawn’s position under the Reddit post. They point out that players with controllers do not necessarily have a disadvantage with regard to the precision when aiming.
From the hardware makers, Sony and Microsoft, supporting mouse and keyboard seems to become more and more the norm. For example, Sony has issued an official license for the Hori Tactical Assault Commander Pro; in fact, that’s a special combination for the PlayStation 4 of a small keyboard and a mouse.
Microsoft has added keyboard and mouse support to the Xbox One since November last year. Different games offer this possibility, although the creators have to choose it themselves. Respawn didnt choose that, but players still know how to use it.
This is possible, among other things, via an XIM usb adapter, which allows the player to use various input devices as desired. This is a solution for people with a physical disability, for example, but in games such as Apex Legends, Overwatch and Fortnite it is also used by players without such a disability. Because the console thinks the mouse and keyboard used are a game pad, it can sometimes be used with aim assist, which gives these players a significant advantage.
