What you need to know
- The Xbox Insiders program is a beta program that gives users access to new features that are currently in the testing stages and may or may not make it to future updates.
- Mouse and keyboard support is now available on Xbox Cloud Gaming, but the change is currently only available to those in the Xbox Insiders program.
- Only select games are compatible with mouse and keyboard input at this time, but the input is available in both the mobile Xbox app, Xbox Game Bar on PCs, and cloud gaming via Edge or Chrome web browsers.
Xbox Insiders are getting a chance to try out a new feature for Xbox Cloud Gaming with the latest update. Mouse and keyboard input support has been added to the service, according to an update announcement posted by Xbox. The new feature is not without limitations, however. Only members of the Xbox Insiders Programmed enrolled in PC Gaming Insiders preview who install the latest update can make use of the new feature for the time being. Users must also be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to access the Xbox Cloud Gaming service.
As mouse and keyboard input for cloud gaming is still in its testing phases, only a limited selection of games will be compatible with the feature in the beginning. Those games include:
- Fortnite
- ARK Survival Evolved
- Sea of Thieves
- Grounded
- Halo Infinite
- Atomic Heart
- Sniper Elite 5
- High on Life
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Zombie Army 4 Dead War
- Gears Tactics
- Pentiment
- Doom 64
- Age of Empires 2
In addition to its existing limitations, Xbox has announced that there are currently known issues with mouse and keyboard support via the cloud. Most notably is that Fortnite will only support mouse and keyboard input when playing on the cloud via supported web browsers (Edge and Chrome), and not when played on the mobile app or Windows' Game Bar. Xbox has also shared that Atomic Heart has difficulty switching between controller input and mouse and keyboard when streaming via the cloud.
Some games will show controller input UI elements by default when streamed via the cloud but will adapt to mouse and keyboard UI elements once the player moves the cursor or presses a key. Mouse and keyboard support will only be available when the game is displayed in full-screen mode, and players must check the game option "capture your pointer" in the game bar menu for mouse input to be registered. Pressing F9 will exit mouse and keyboard input for any of the active games.
The Xbox Insider Program gives users an opportunity to beta test upcoming features for Xbox and PC gaming, but the program relies on users providing feedback to work. To provide feedback on beta features, users can press WIN + F to bring up a feedback form or submit comments via the Xbox Insiders Subreddit.
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