Xbox One Release Date, Price, Games & News: Microsoft Says Keyboard and Mouse Support 'Possible' for Next-Gen Console
Microsoft may soon be introducing keyboard and mouse support to the incoming Xbox One.
According to Microsoft's director of Xbox Live programming, Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, the decision to add it or not will hinge on whether developers like what they see.
As of now on the Xbox 360, gamers can connect a keyboard - and Microsoft provides one that clicks right onto the controller - but there is no mouse support.
The one tricky part about it is that the mouse is known for use on regular computers and PC gaming experiences. PC gaming can be much different compared to playing on game consoles.
"We kind of have this concept of when you're playing a PC game you're leaning forward," Hryb said. "With an Xbox game, sometimes you lean back. You're just kinda having fun. And I don't want to incite the religious debate that will ensue, because I'm very aware. We want to provide a gaming experience that people enjoy, certainly with Windows--that's our other large gaming platform at Microsoft. So there's something there, but right now we're really focused on really the console space."
Regardless of whether mouse and keyboard support will be implemented, the controller itself has undergone some significant changes for the upcoming platform. The controller features a new thumbstick shape and grip texture along with a redesigned D-Pad. The Kinect feature on the Xbox One will also be able to detect which person is handling the controller at one time.
The Xbox One will be released on November 22, just in time for the Black Friday holiday sales. Its rival, the Playstation 3, will be in stores a week earlier and is expected to sell more units in the early going.