Battlefield 2042 won't have keyboard and mouse support on consoles at launch

Battlefield 2042 won't have keyboard and mouse support on consoles at launch, developer EA Dice has confirmed.

In a blog post, laying out "Battlefield 2042’s Commitment to Positive and Fair play", the developer confirmed that – at least at launch – those on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 won't be able to play Battlefield 2042 using a keyboard and mouse.

"We’ve heard your questions about mouse and keyboard support for consoles," the post reads. "We can confirm that we won’t be supporting this on consoles at the launch of Battlefield 2042, but we are still investigating the various options about making that available, and how it may impact cross-play. If that ever changes, you’ll hear it from us first."

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Analysis: an unfair advantage?

A lack of mouse and keyboard support on console means that those playing Battlefield 2042 on consoles will have to use a controller.

While this isn't necessarily something that will bother everyone, many gamers prefer to use a mouse and keyboard in first-person shooters such as Battlefield 2042 as it allows for more accurate aiming.

Given that Battlefield 2042 supports crossplay between PC and consoles, we're hoping that there's an ability to toggle whether console players play with those using mouse and keyboard on PC, as those players will arguably have a greater advantage over those using a controller. This toggle option will also be important if EA Dice decides to implement mouse and keyboard support on consoles, as it will allow it to keep the playing field level for those using controllers.

So, while there won't be mouse and keyboard support when Battlefield 2042 releases on November 19, 2021, it seems that EA Dice hasn't ruled out the possibility of introducing the feature in the future.