Ok, we've 100% been here before. That headline you see is nothing new because rumors regarding Microsoft bringing mouse and keyboard support to Xbox Cloud Gaming have been happening since the platform launched. For example, check out this report written by me in March. So, why should you get excited by the latest rumor that Microsoft is testing support finally?
Well, not least because there is a shred of officiality to add into the mix. Specifically, there is evidence in a recent Windows Gaming package for the Xbox Insider app on Windows 11 and 10. A change to the Xbox Cloud Gaming interface shows iconography for a mouse and keyboard.
It is also worth noting the change also shows a new filter for the search tool that allows users to find games that offer mouse and keyboard support.
Xbox Cloud Gaming (previously Project xCloud) is a game streaming service available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. It is available on Xbox consoles, PC, Android, iOS, and eventually other hardware like TVs. Cloud Gaming uses Microsoft Azure to handle processing, allowing full PC/console games to run on any device by not using the hardware resources.
Gamers can tap into all of Microsoft's games, EA Play titles, Xbox Gold games, and more. At the moment, using a controller is a requirement for using Xbox Cloud Gaming, even on mobile. That is because many games do not support touchscreen inputs. This means the platform is not quite as “play anywhere” as you might think, but I digress.
Development
Many users have been calling for mouse and keyboard support as an alternative to a gamepad. It now seems Microsoft is finally putting the software infrastructure in place to include mouse and keyboard gameplay. It is worth noting this is a live preview build for the Xbox app, so it seems this is actually happening.
Of course, it remains to be seen how long the transition from buggy preview to full launch on a stable release is.
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