Being an avid gamer on both PC and console, I can confidently say that keyboard and mouse is superior to any controller. The speed and range of movement you get are unparalleled compared to using thumb-sticks, which begs the question of whether or not keyboard and mouse is worth it on PS4.
Keyboard and Mouse is worth it on PS4. While not every game supports it, those that do are typically built with PC in mind and ported over to console. This means that you get to play these games with the controls that the developers intended.
I wish that using a keyboard and mouse on PS4 was that black and white, but it isn’t, meaning we’ve got a little bit to talk about before you go making any purchasing decisions.
Mouse and keyboard is a great way to play games on your PS4 Click here to order the amazing Corsair K63 Wireless keyboard and here for the Logitech G305 Lightspeed mouse from Amazon today!
Is Keyboard and Mouse on PS4 Worth it?
In total keyboard and mouse is worth it for PS4 but it varies from game to game. If you decide to get an adaptor to play every game with a keyboard and mouse, you may suffer stability issues and a lack of compatibility, also it is a punishable offense in certain, PvP focused games.
To sum the situation up briefly, whether or not a keyboard and mouse is worth it on PS4 largely depends on the game that you’re playing. If you’re playing a competitive game like Call of Duty or Destiny, using KBM is not only seen as poor etiquette (thanks to the advantage it gives when it comes to aiming), but it’s something that you can get banned.
If you’re only going to be playing single-player games, then there are no issues whatsoever with using a mouse and keyboard. If you are playing with others, though, you might want to read up on the console rules before you do.
One piece of equipment that gives you a HUGE advantage in competitive games that you can’t get banned for is headsets, learn if gaming headsets are really worth it in our article.
Is it Good to Play Keyboard and Mouse on Console?
As a whole keyboard and mouse provided, the game you’re playing is built for it, offers a lot more control on console than a typical controller does. Aiming and moving is easier, and you have access to far more inputs than you normally would have.
When it comes to the keyboard and mouse versus controller argument, my two cents are that a controller is easier to learn and use, but a keyboard and mouse offer more advantages in the long run.
In other words, it’s going to take you some time to get used to using a mouse and keyboard, especially if you’ve been playing with a controller your entire life. Once you get used to the new controls, though, you’re going to take advantage of the increased range of movement and keyboard inputs.
Some PS4 games come with native keyboard and mouse support(see list), but these titles are few and far between. However, there are specific USB devices that you can get online that allow you to trick your PlayStation into thinking a keyboard and mouse is a controller. This device also allows you to use console tricks like aimbot which we don’t advise, but just in case you are interested you can see more info in our post.
This lets you play any game using KBM, but you might run into some technical issues if you decide to go down this route.
Can You Get Banned for Using Keyboard and Mouse on PS4?
As a general rule, you can get banned using keyboard and mouse on PS4 playing multiplayer games, as it gives you a clear advantage over controller players. Console Esports organizations ban the use of keyboard and mouse in official competition and most player vs player games ban keyboard and mouse.
The severity of punishment varies from game to game, or more specifically, from developer to developer, the Call Of Duty league banned keyboard and mouse in 2021 which you can see here.
While it can be hard for any anti-cheat to detect you using a keyboard, there is technology in place to prevent you from using a keyboard in most modern competitive games on console.
Even if you manage to get around being banned, using a keyboard and mouse is frowned upon by almost every PvP gaming community on console, meaning you’ll likely end up getting reported, anyway.
What Can You Do With Keyboard and Mouse on PS4?
In total, you can do everything you can do with a controller. You can play games, navigate your menus, and use apps like Spotify. But the PlayStation 4 UI wasn’t built for keyboard and mouse, so you might encounter some technical difficulties with navigating the menus.
As a whole, you can do pretty much anything you want with a keyboard and mouse on console. If the game you’re playing already supports the hardware, then great! All you have to do is plug it in.
If you’re going to be using an adaptor like the Xim Apex which you can buy from Amazon here there are a few additional hoops that you need to jump through. For example, you’re going to have to manually bind all of your controller buttons to keys on your keyboard.
This is what tends to cause technical issues, but so long as you’re playing a game that has a PC version of some kind like Call Of Duty or Destiny, it should be relatively stable.
It’s worth mentioning that using a keyboard and mouse on PS4 can essentially turn the console into a plug-and-play PC, at least to a certain extent. You might not have access to the type of customization that regular PC players have, but you do get access to the main control scheme of a lot of games, especially RPGs.
Do you want to be the best gamer you can be? Learn the 6 essential pieces of equipment every gamer needs in our article.
Should I Use Keyboard and Mouse on PS4?
Whether or not you should use a KBM on your PS4 is another question entirely. If you’re not too technologically inclined, then you might be better off avoiding it. Manually binding a keyboard while using 3rd party hardware can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t know what you’re doing.
It’s also a quick and easy way to get yourself banned if you play multiplayer games, so use a bit of caution when deciding whether or not you want to use a keyboard and mouse on PS4.
