Introduction
I’ve been playing competitive shooters a lot more since the Battle Royale styles games were released. They are a lot of fun, super addicting, and there’s a lot of really good players in this community across all platforms. As someone who plays a lot of single player games, I sucked when I first tried to get into online multiplayer again, and it’s probably because I always tried to use a controller to win.
My brother and I play together quite a bit, but he uses a keyboard and mouse for all these online games. Whenever we play Fortnite, he always seems to do so much better. I knew from experience that a keyboard and mouse makes a difference for online PC gaming because they’re more sensitive, but what about the difference compared to a controller vs an entire mouse change? I did some research, talked to my brother who’s a seasoned competitive gamer, and wrote this article to help anyone else understand the difference.
So can you use a gaming mouse on the PS4 and PS5?
Yes, the PS4 and PS5 both support a gaming mouse and keyboard setup (wireless included) for almost all games . All you need to do is connect them via USB ports on the console and you’re set. However, some games like Apex Legends do not support a gaming mouse and keyboard set up to prevent unfair advantages. You can use 3rd-party hardware to override these games, but you might get banned if your account is reported by other players if they find out what you’re using.
In this Article:
- How to Connect a Gaming Keyboard and Mouse
- Troubleshooting tips
- Games that Support a Keyboard and Mouse
- Recommended Products
- Is it all worth it? Some Things to Consider
- Additional Resources
How To Connect a Gaming Mouse and Keyboard
To do so is super easy and simple. All you need to do is plug in your keyboard and mouse into the USB ports on your PlayStation system. For almost every single product, your system should automatically detect what type of device you have plugged in and let you continue. From there, login to whatever game you’re playing and turn off your controller once they keyboard and mouse inputs are detected. There are some cases where you’re PS4 or PS5 will not detect your devices properly. See the next section of this article if you’re looking for trouble shooting tips and solutions
For all wireless gaming mice, utilize the following menu navigation:
Settings > Devices > Bluetooth Devices
This should also be a simple, plug and play setup. If you do not achieve a connection with your gaming mouse or keyboard right away, unplug and plug it back in and then attempt to connect again using the above menu instruction. Bluetooth is a universal hardware feature that doesn’t change because it’s on a console. Often times, the initial pairing of a bluetooth device takes a couple attempts before it recognizes them.
Calibration For Left Handed People
After you set up a confirmed connection with you system and devices, there is a specific section labeled Keybard or Mouse. You will find settings to calibrate left handed button controls and inputs in this section. For lots of games like Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, there are in-game settings you can adjust for left handed shooters.
Connecting to a PS4
This is a quick video overview that will show you what a working keyboard and mouse should look like and do once you’ve plugged both of them in. If you’re keyboard and mouse and not registering like how it is in the video, see the troubleshooting section. Chances are that you need to change your default controls in the settings tab for your PS4 to recognize your device or restart your PS4 completely.
There is a super slim chance that the gaming keyboard and mouse won’t be detected because they’re too specific to being made for Gaming PCs. If this is an issue, be sure to take a look at the trouble shooting section once again.
Connecting to a PS5
Connecting to a PS5 may seem super obvious. But I included this video again to help show you what a functioning PS5 mouse and keyboard set up should look like. You should be able to control the entire menu with your keyboard and mouse. This is the best way to tell that your keyboard is functioning properly. Remember to turn off your controller once you connect so you don’t lag the inputs detected from one device to the other.
If for some reason you’re experiencing issues to where it is not just a simple plug and play, also be sure to check out the trouble shooting section of this article.
If you have yet to purchase a gaming mouse and keyboard, I recommend looking at the recommended products section or making sure that reviews online talk about successful set ups with PS5 systems. I don’t anticipate them being that different than their PS4 counterpart, but until these models become even more popular it might be too early to tell for sure.
What Popular Games Support Keyboard and Mouse?
As mentioned earlier, not all games support keyboard and mouse even though your PlayStation system does. Developers often do this to prevent unfair advantages in games because most players, by default, will use a controller and not go through the extra step of setting up a gaming mouse and keyboard.
Popular Games that Support Both a Keyboard and Mouse:
- Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War
- Paragon
- Fortnite
- Paragon
- They are Billions
- Rocket League
Important Note: Single player games like The Last of Us support a keyboard and mouse. There’s only some online competitive games that restrict this usage.
Games That Support Only Keyboard:
- Elder Scrolls Online
- Nerverwinter
- DC Universe Online
There aren’t any games that only support using a gaming mouse. This is because you would have to use a controller in conjunction with one and that doesn’t make sense nor is it feasible to do so. Usually games will natively give you full keyboard and mouse support or only keyboard. I’ve never tried only using a keyboard but I can imagine it would be difficult.
What if I still want to play a game that isn’t natively supported like Apex or Overwatch?
It’s still possible using a 3rd party hardware system. But it’s important to know that you can get banned from these games if a player reports you or finds out that you are using these devices. There is an unfair advantage in these games to using a keyboard and mouse, which is why it’s highly discouraged, but not impossible. In short: don’t use a keyboard and mouse on competitive games that don’t natively support keyboard and mouse.
Competitive Games That Do Not Natively Support Keyboard and Mouse:
- Overwatch
- Apex Legends
- Rainbow Six Siege
I did a bunch of research to try to find some other games but these ones are the most common. You don’t need to worry about accidentally using a keyboard and mouse with games that don’t allow it for this reason: if you cannot interact with the game using a keyboard and mouse, and it’s a competitive online multiplayer game, then don’t use try to use 3rd party software to use it! Chances are that the game you really want to play is cross-platform (like Apex) and you can just download that on your PC.
Troubleshooting If Plug and Play Method Doesn’t Work
Sometimes you’ll plug in a device hoping that the PS4 will automatically detect it and allow it to function properly. However, this isn’t always the case so there’s a couple things you can do to solve this.
- Go to Settings > Devices > Controllers > Communication Method and select Use USB Cable. Sometimes your default settings will not be to naturally accept USB inputs other than the PS4 controller for some reason. This simple fix should do it.
. - Not every gaming mouse is compatible with the PS4 and PS5- so you should just get a basic mouse for console gaming. Some gaming mice try to be way too fancy and come with a bunch of shortcut buttons on them. These are really meant for PC gamers because computers have drivers that can program these buttons. Some gaming mice have special inputs that they send to the system they’re connected to. Because console hardware is different than gaming PCs, it might not always register these devices. The best practice is to get a gaming mouse that is well-reviewed to work on the Play Station systems.
. - You can use the XIM 4 3rd Party hardware if all else fails. This is the surefire way to ensure that any keyboard and mouse will work with any game on the PS4 and PS5. This is because this hardware will make your console think it’s receiving inputs from a controller when it’s actually connected to a keyboard and mouse. These things are not terribly expensive, but might be worth taking a look.
XIM 4 USB Connector
As a console gamer, we ask that you do not use this to gain unfair advantages in Apex and Overwatch.
Compatible Gaming Mice and Keyboards
To make this section as helpful and authentic as possible, I asked my brother to send me the exact gaming mouse and keyboard that he uses to do so well in online games. No, he does not use 3rd party hardware to cheat he only uses these devices on native supported games.
HIRALIY F300
A super easy design with not a lot of buttons. He doesn’t use the buttons for anything when he games on his PS4 it’s really to make aiming and shooting easier. The shortcut buttons don’t have compatible features on the PS4 or PS5. Check out the review on similar products if this one isn’t available. It’s not a super special mouse by any means. It also comes with 10,000 DPI which is a great sensitivity spec to have for online competitive gaming.
Ducky One 2 Mini Keyboard
My brother uses this one for all the games that he plays. I’ve tried it a couple times when I’m over at the house and I can see why he really likes it. Mechanical keyboards in general are great for gamers because they give you a solid button click vs membrane keyboards that make it too easy to accidentally press multiple buttons at once (like on a laptop). If you have any questions about this product you can email me at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond.
Redragon S101 Wired Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo
This is a fantastic, budget friendly combo that you can easily get on Amazon. If you need a keyboard and mouse, this is specifcally made to be compatible with the PS4 and PS5 systems. The reviews section is great for answering any other questions you might have about this one. Luckily, gaming keyboards and mice are not as expensive for the ones that are designed to compliment consoles as they are for gaming PCs.
But is Using a Gaming Mouse and Keyboard for the PS4/PS5 Worth It?
As noted by some of my earlier comments, the PS4 and PS5 community really doesn’t like people that game with a keyboard and mouse for competitive games that allow it. There’s tons and tons of reddit community forum pages that talk about this. You will especially be reported if a player somehow finds out that you’re using a keyboard and mouse on a game like Apex that openly says it is forbidden and doesn’t natively support it.
Your skill is ultimately what determines how well you will do. Input sensitivity isn’t that much better. The PS4 in particular, locks most games at 30fps so you’re reaction time compared to other players isn’t going to give you a huge advantage. A mouse will slightly aid your aim, but you’ll still need to get used to using one to make yourself better. It really comes down to personal preference and what type of device YOU want to make yourself better playing on.
Additional Resources
This is Why Gaming Headsets Have USB. Taking up USB ports using a keyboard and mouse isn’t ideal, so you might be left frustrated trying to manage all your inputs on your console. I wrote this article to help people understand why gaming headsets have to also have USB inputs, and what you can do to instead work around it.
How Long Do Game Controllers Last? A common question people want ot know before they decide to get another one or if theirs already broke. This article is a great resource to help you understand what you can do to help your controller last longer for each console type if you own more than one.
Wired vs. Wireless Gaming Headsets: How to Make The Choice. Another great article relating specifically to headsets. There’s a specific wireless headphone that you can get for your PS4 if you’re trying to save yourself some USB ports. Check out this article for more info.
Conclusion
Setting up a keyboard and mouse on the Playstation systems is really easy. There’s some considerations to take into account which I hope you are now better informed about. Using these devices really does make it feel easier to aim and shoot with for most first person shooter games. As someone who also plays a lot of single player, its more enjoyable as well because my aim feels smoother.
Thanks for reading! If you have any additional questions or comments, feel free to reach out at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond. I really do appreciate the feedback I’ve received already as well as the article suggestions. If you have any more of those feel free to send them over. Until then, be sure to check back regularly for the next article!