Apex Legends devs come out against mouse and keyboard on console

Olivia Richman Published 22/07/2019

Respawn Entertainment has finally made a statement about Apex Legends console players who use a keyboard and mouse.

While mouses aren’t normally supported on consoles, third-party peripherals can allow Apex Legends players to use them instead of a controller. Adapters, like the XIM Keyboard and Mouse Adapter, trick the console into believing that a controller is being used.

This has been a huge source of controversy in the Apex Legends community for some time now, with many players complaining that the keyboard and mouse gives those players an edge, offering better movement and aim.

Respawn Entertainment addressed the issue in a check-in on Reddit.

“Our stance on this? The short answer is: We don’t condone it,” the developers stated.

They went on to ensure that they are currently investigating ways to detect if players are doing this. At the moment, it’s being tested internally.

“That’s all we have to say on it for now, but we’ll revisit this and talk about progress with detection and how we’ll address players that are using it in the near future,” they promised.

While Reddit users seemed pleased that Respawn was being proactive with the ongoing issue, some questioned if developers could actually do anything to stop keyboard and mouse users in Apex Legends.

“It is physically impossible to prevent people from using things such as the XIM. Others devs have tried and failed as the hardware just gets updated the next day and they can continue on using it,” one user noted.

They added that the “best route” could be supporting mouse and keyboard on console, but making sure these players are always in lobbies together. This would seperate them from the rest of the console players, who are at an automatic disadvantage with their controllers.

The issue of keyboard and mouse being used for console Apex play became more prominent when Twitch streamer Richard “KingRichard” Nelson began playing the game with a mouse and keyboard after switching over from PC.

Even though the NRG Esports streamer had quit Apex Legends on PC because of the amount of hackers, many people felt as though his use of a keyboard and mouse on Xbox One was equally unfair.

Despite being critiqued by the community, KingRichard was defiant about his using a mouse. He even discussed his reasoning for using an XIM on a Twitch livestream.

A Reddit post about the situation appeared, calling for Respawn Entertainment to not support this. The post, which received over 20,000 upvotes, called KingRichard a hypocrite for using the XIM adapter after stating his stance on PC cheaters.

The community was so heated, in fact, that the thread was locked due to comments that broke Reddit’s “call to action/witch hunt” guidelines.

It’s still unclear what Respawn Entertainment can do about the use of keyboard and mouse on console.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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