Xbox gets keyboard and mouse support next week, starting with Fortnite

The long-awaited option to attach a keyboard and mouse and use them with your Xbox One console is coming next week for gamers in the Insider Program, Microsoft has confirmed. A total of seven games will support the peripherals on November 14, including Fortnite and Warframe, with another seven apparently following soon after.

Bomber Crew, Deep Rock Galactic, Strange Brigade, Vermintide 2, War Thunder and X-Morph Defense are the other titles getting support straight away. Children of Morta, DayZ, Minion Master, Moonlighter, Vigor, Warface, and Wargroove will be next in line.

"When the update launches next week, all developers will have the tools they need to create tailored mouse and keyboard experiences for their games as they see fit to ensure a fair and fun experience for fans," says Microsoft. In multiplayer games, players should get matched against other players with a keyboard and mouse attached for fairness.

Designed for Xbox

Microsoft is also launching a special Designed for Xbox program to promote mice and keyboards made specifically for the Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles. Razer is leading the charge and says it will have some hardware to share at CES 2019 in January, though no doubt more companies will join the party over time.

"[Designed for Xbox peripherals] are created for living room or desktop scenarios, come equipped with a dedicated Xbox key, and support the new Xbox Dynamic Lighting feature – enabling immersive in-game lighting effects," explains Microsoft.

Exactly when the full keyboard and mouse support will roll out to everyone remains to be seen, but it should be very soon. After that it's down to developers to include support for the extra devices in their games, so if you want that little bit of additional control over your racing or your shooting or your flying, you can take advantage.