2024-03-28 01:00:00
Written by Samah Labib Thursday, March 28, 2024 03:00 AM
It took much longer than expected, however Microsoft Finally offering Keyboard and Mouse (KBM) support for some Xbox Cloud Gaming titles.
We first heard that the company was planning to do this in March 2022 and it was suggested that the option might be available by June of that year, but that clearly did not happen.
Only now is Microsoft starting to let testers in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring check out KBM’s functionality on web browsers (Edge and Chrome) and the Xbox PC app, and the feature should be more widely available soon.
To try out KBM support, you’ll need to be a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber (unless you want to check it out on Fortnite, which is completely free-to-play via Xbox Cloud Gaming), and you’ll also need to sign up for the PC Gaming Preview program.
If you’re testing KBM support on a web browser, there’s another step you’ll have to turn on the preview features on your browser. To do this, click your profile picture on PlayXbox.com, select Settings, then turn on “Preview Features.”
Some supported games may still show controller elements on the screen initially, and you may be prompted to press A to start the game or something like that, however, the game should switch to the KBM UI once you move the cursor or press a button.
In browsers, KBM will only work when you’re playing in full screen mode and you tap into the game flow until it recognizes mouse input. You can exit using KBM by pressing F9 or pressing the ESC button to exit full screen mode.
The first Xbox Cloud Gaming titles to receive KBM support are Fortnite (browsers only), Ark Survival Evolved, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Halo Infinite, Atomic Heart, Sniper Elite 5, Deep Rock Galactic, High on Life, and Zombie Army 4 Dead War, Gears Tactics, Pentiment, Doom 64, Age of Empires 2, and there is a known issue with Atomic Heart at the moment, and Microsoft notes that there is some difficulty switching between console and KBM while streaming that game.
This is a welcome update, especially for those who want to play first-person shooters with a KBM setup but don’t have a PC with enough oomph to run existing games locally, and it’s a good step forward for accessibility as well.
Xbox’s cloud gaming technology is very powerful, but we hope it can keep up with Fortnite players who can build complex structures in milliseconds.
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