Respawn Entertainment finally took a stand against players using a keyboard and mouse instead of a controller in Apex Legends for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Respawn declared its stance on the controversial matter in a check-in post on the battle royale shooter’s official subReddit.
“Our stance on this? The short answer is: We don’t condone it,” Respawn wrote, adding that the developer is investigating methods to determine if a player on a console version of Apex Legends has replaced the controller with a keyboard and mouse.
Keyboard and mouse input in console versions of multiplayer shooters has been a polarizing topic, as there is a belief that this gives players an unfair advantage over those who are using controllers. Certain actions, particularly aiming, may be more precise when using a keyboard and mouse compared to the joysticks of controllers.
In addition, there are qualms that the effectiveness of a keyboard and mouse setup creates a pay-to-win scenario in multiplayer games on consoles. Players using the controllers that are packaged with the consoles have an inherent disadvantage, and the only way to bridge the gap between other players is to buy their own keyboard and mouse for their console, which not everyone can afford.
And yes, there are quite a few Xbox One games supporting keyboard and mouse input.
Respawn is not the only developer that has spoken up on the issue. Last year, Bluehole Studio went as far as disabling keyboard and mouse support for the Xbox One version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, in an attempt to level the playing field.
As expected, the comments on Respawn’s check-in post contain sentiments from the opposite side of the issue. Some players believe that while using a keyboard and mouse provides certain perks, it does not create as big as an advantage as contended by other players. At the end of the day, a player’s skill will determine who wins or loses, regardless of input device.
Respawn did not say what it actually plans to do about Apex Legends players on consoles using keyboard and mouse. However, the developer promised that it will provide further details on how it will address the issue in the near future.
