I know that some PS3 games support it, but with FPS so popular on the consoles, I would have thought that it could be an option.
Most console games have PC ports that support it. The consoles have USB ports, so what am I missing?

Is it more of a balance thing?
Call of Duty is notorius for its horribly effective auto-aim (anyone who has died when getting shot 3ft to their left knows this), which (IIRC) isn't supported in the PC version.


I used to be a console gamer, but after playing FPS on the PC, I much much much prefer the keyboard/mouse layout and precision.

I guess because many people prefer controllers over mouse and keyboard. I'm like that, it just feels uncomfortable with a mouse/keyboard.

But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be supported. Most PC version of games have both controller and keyboard support, so why not vice versa?

Because what would be the use of a console if it was simple a restrictive PC?

I'm not sure. Obviously it would be an issue for multiplayer FPS: People playing with mouse and keyboard would have a significant advantage over controller users. But for single player games? I don't know.

Most people probably play consoles on a TV while sitting in a chair or sofa a few paces apart. Not many have the right kind of surface/desk between their chair and the TV to put the K+M on.

Mouse/keyboard combos are cumbersome and uncomfortable. Or at least, that's the official reason they're not supported. The real reason is a bit more technical.

If a console is going to support a keyboard, it needs a few things, but the most important of these is a driver that can interface with the keyboard hardware and send usable information back to the console's OS. If the console is going to support any keyboard, it would need a lot of drivers to handle every model, and that introduces a lot of problems that most PC users are already familiar with, and it kind of lies outside the simple scope of a console. So that's probably out of the question.

That said, the keyboard would probably have to be some kind of "official" device that's designed and manufactured by Microsoft specifically for the Xbox, and that also has its problems. For one, Microsoft would somehow have to justify the design and manufacturing of proprietary keyboard, convince the guys up top to approve the project, and design a complex system to actually use the device with current Xbox games (which would almost definitely involve complicated keymapping systems), and even if the keyboard was actually released then it would have to be expensive to make up for all the production costs.

The sale of mouse and keyboard peripherals for an Xbox would also probably segregate Microsoft's market too much. A lot of games (specifically shooters) would require or heavily suggest that the player use mice and keyboards to play the game, rather than their standard controllers. And all the extra money people would have to spend to get these devices would drive away potential customers.

EDIT: Sorry for the hairy bad grammars. I'm talking about complicated stuff and I'm sort of tired and uuuggghh.

Well think of it businessly. It wouldn't be a good investment because it wouldn't sell well. Controllers are preferred by many which is one reason they can be on PC to.

Console control schemes, or lack thereof, will never compare to the options a PC has. If Microsoft introduced a keyboard, players would simply be asking themselves why not get a PC in the first place? And they can't have that. So console games will continue to be nerfed in this dept, always designed for a few buttons on a gamepad. There simply is no dragging the console market out of the stone age.

You seem to forget about exclusives.

I think there are a few game types/genres that work better with controllers. 3rd person games and any game that involves driving a vehicle, IMO.

But like I said earlier, putting a desk between your couch and TV for a keyboard isn't very appealing.

And unless a person is going to be typing a lot of text on their console, a full keyboard (and its layout of keys) is overkill and clunky. A mouse with WASD and a few hotkeys are all one needs really.

And whatever kind of control scheme you come up with needs to be comfortable to use while reclining in a sofa.

And if no exclusives appeal to the person?

MS already produces (or brands, at least) keyboards and mice.

I wish they made a mouse controller setup, the mouse for aiming, reloading, iron sights, and then something similar to a keyboard layout but easier to use for those who can't tell there keys apart, his is why I have difficulty using the keyboard, sometimes I'll accidently hit the wrong key, maybe something more spaced out but had enough buttons for you to have really nice control set.

Also maybe make the button mat comfortable to use on the lap.

Maybe lab controller and mouse?

I don't know.