Xbox Cloud Gaming Now Supports Mouse and Keyboard for Beta Users
Mice and keyboard fans, rejoice: Microsoft is finally bringing support for these peripherals to Xbox Cloud Gaming if you’re a select member of the Xbox Insider Program.
The company is rolling out mouse and keyboard support as part of its latest Xbox update preview for Alpha Skip-Ahead testers . This means that regular Xbox Insiders will still have to wait, but those participating in the invitation-only testing program will be able to connect their favorite mouse and keyboard to play games that previously required a controller.
Microsoft says mouse and keyboard support works in cloud gaming on Microsoft Edge and Chrome, as well as the Xbox app on PC (for those enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview program). If you’re playing in a browser, you’ll need to enable preview features first. You’ll find this option at xbox.com/play by clicking on your profile picture, selecting Settings , and turning on Preview features .
Currently the program supports 14 titles. Not a lot, but enough to get you started using mouse and keyboard controls in Xbox Cloud Gaming:
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Fortnite (browsers only)
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ARK Survival Development
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Sea of Thieves
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Grounded
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Halo Infinite
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Atomic heart
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Sniper Elite 5
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Deep Rock Galaxy
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High quality of life
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Zombie Army 4 Dead War
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Passing tactics
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Pentiment
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Doom 64
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Age of Empires 2
Microsoft has acknowledged a known issue with Atomic Heart , as issues may occur when switching from a controller to a mouse and keyboard while streaming a game.
You’ll also notice that games display controller UI elements until you start using the mouse and keyboard to interact with the game. If you see “press A to start”, for example, try clicking or moving with WASD to customize the user interface.
Browser users should note that the stream must be in full screen mode for the mouse and keyboard to work. If you want to exit full screen mode, press the Escape key. You also need to click on the game flow element for the game to recognize mouse input. You can also press F9 to exit the game using mouse and keyboard.