Apex Legends: Respawn respond to controversy over using keyboard on console

Apex Legends console players about opponents who use keyboard and mouse, through use of an adapter device, instead of controllers. 

While using a keyboard and mouse in place of a controller isn’t supported on console, that hasn’t stopped some Apex Legends players, including some as high profile as KingRichard, from finding a way around.

The most common, a XIM adapter that deceives the console into believing a controller is being used, has allowed players to get a step up – using their keyboard and mouse skills for better movement and aim. However, those fans who actually use a controller aren’t happy and have finally had their concerns heard by Respawn. 

Apex Legends players using keyboard and mouse on console can be found with a XIM device.

During their July 19 check-in on the Apex Legends subreddit, Resawn noted a recap of news from the previous week – as well as a small address on the on-going keyboard and mouse issue on consoles. 

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“Our stance on this? The short answer is: we don’t condone it,” started the dev team before revealing a small insight into what they’re doing. “We are investigating ways to detect if players are doing it that we’re testing internally. That’s all we have to say on it for now but we’ll revisit this and talk about progress with detection and how we’ll address players that are using it in the near future.”

Respawn’s full response to the KB/M issue.

Of course, it didn’t take long for fans to get involved and start commenting on the weekly check-in. A number of players zeroed in on the keyboard and mouse issue – questioning just how Respawn would be able to detect players who bypass normal detection. 

“Really happy to hear a statement about km users on console, but I’m really not sure how they can deal with xim users?” queried abnsss. Another, Cynnthetic, added: “Thank you so, so, much for taking a stance on Keyboard and Mouse use on console! It’s a cancer that needs exorcised.”

However, others questioned how they will be able to fully get rid of keyboard and mouse users considering other developers have tried and failed – with one offering up an idea of potentially separate lobbies. 

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“It is physically impossible to prevent people from using things such as the XIM,” started VNG_Wkey. “Others devs have tried and failed as the hardware just gets updated the next day and they can continue on using it. The best route would be supporting m/kb on consoles (both of which already have native support for such) and matchmaking players using m/kb into lobbies together.”

It remains to be seen as to what Respawn’s actual solution is and as to when it will be implemented in-game with an update.