IOGear Keymander: Bringing a Keyboard and Mouse to a Console Fight - MMORPG.com

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IOGear Keymander: Bringing a Keyboard and Mouse to a Console Fight - MMORPG.com

The Keymander: a device designed to let you use a keyboard and mouse in any game without the developers needing to allow it. For PC gamers who struggle for accuracy with controllers, it’s a godsend, but some people believe it should be banned. Read our review and let us know in the comments where you fall.

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Panther2103

While there was a time in which I wanted this type of device for consoles, I realize how annoying it must be playing against someone with one of these on a competitive game. I've talked to a couple friends who have them, and one of which was a high level competitor in call of duty (online mlg only so nobody knew he was using one) and they basically said it's unfair as hell for people because the reactions are so much more precise with a mouse and keyboard than with a controllers sticks. I've also heard that because it emulates a controller it isn't the same as a PC like you said. I think my friends were using an older model of the XIM.

Personally if players are found using this I wouldn't be opposed to a ban considering it isn't really fair in the competitive scene. Single player games I can understand, but using it to directly gain an advantage in multiplayer games is awful, especially since a lot of players play on console because of the fact that it's an even playing field. Devices like this change that.

Sovrath

To be clear, this is not for console games on PC but just to be used with a console, correct?

Panther2103

Sovrath said:

To be clear, this is not for console games on PC but just to be used with a console, correct?

Yes this device is used to plug into a console to emulate a controller and allow the players to use a mouse and keyboard on the console.

RexKushman

playstation and xbox should take a very hard stance against the use of devices such as these in multiplayer games. Anyone found to be using one should have there entire account deleted. I rarely ever play consoles and never play competitive games on them so this doesn't effect me in the slightest but this device clearly undercuts the level playing field for gamers on console.

goosie

Or they could you know, level the playing field by allowing use of keyboard/mouse in the first place?

Tofke

It be better if they would just get rid of the restriction and everyone can use a Keyb+M.
If they feel threatened about competition having an edge they could buy a keyb+m as well. I even played quake on the dreamcast with its Keyb+M... wouldn't touch any shooter with a controller.

Plenty of non fps games out there that give me the feeling of a control scheme that is not ideal either. For a few games I'll push through... but there are plenty I just ignore because of it.

I'd use something like this if it was inexpensive to play some SP games.
As to competitive gaming... I haven't done so in a decade and in all honesty I'm pretty close minded with the thought: If you want to play competitive -> do so on a PC. Console just seem to be a paralympics version of E-sports when it comes to shooters.

Wizardry

Cheating?Well if you choose to play on something inferior then that is your fault.Mouse and keyboard are older than controllers in the PC world of things so not like it is some special form of gaming trying to cheat the world.I understand the idea that console gamer's shouldn't have to now go out of their way to buy and play on a mouse+kb to compete but two things come to mind.
1 I blame the Playstation outfit for not supporting both and designing it to play with both.
2 I would bet over half the controller users would never change,they feel way more comfortable on a controller,so to them it is more an advantage using a controller than a more cumbersome 2 platform idea of Mouse+KB.

I have personally not played some games because i found them to be solely designed for controllers as the KB layout mapping was still way too cumbersome to play,so i put that game off my list.The latest game to do this,Waframe,i wanted to play but i am not playing kb+mouse with that cumbersome UI.


Of note....This is using a very old USB 2.0,3.0 has been out since 2008,so they are going really cheap here on the design and allowable speeds.Also just the way usb 2 works versus 3 means all devices should be using 3.0 standard by now.
So imo,this is a low end product trying to do good things for users but it is not of the quality i would expect.

Talonsin

I use a Xim4 with my PS4 but I dont play any multiplayer games. I wanted to try console exclusive games like Savage Horizon but at my age, the controller feels like it was developed by rocket scientists. I once tried to play Call of Duty with my 14 year old daughter on a console using a controller. She "walked" around me in a circle until I was out of ammo and then she knifed me. Seriously, I could not hit her once while she was walking, that is how bad I am with a controller.

I am very happy with the XIM, it comes with layouts for most games and is very easy to install. All these devices have limitations, the ability to turn around is much faster using a controller over an emulator like this. I have played Halo against friends split screen and we are about even but on the PC I can crush them so it does seem to lower your skills a bit due to the latency and limitations.

Still, for people like me these devices are a way to allow us access to great games on consoles.

Panther2103

Wizardry said:

Cheating?Well if you choose to play on something inferior then that is your fault.Mouse and keyboard are older than controllers in the PC world of things so not like it is some special form of gaming trying to cheat the world.I understand the idea that console gamer's shouldn't have to now go out of their way to buy and play on a mouse+kb to compete but two things come to mind.

1 I blame the Playstation outfit for not supporting both and designing it to play with both.

2 I would bet over half the controller users would never change,they feel way more comfortable on a controller,so to them it is more an advantage using a controller than a more cumbersome 2 platform idea of Mouse+KB.



I have personally not played some games because i found them to be solely designed for controllers as the KB layout mapping was still way too cumbersome to play,so i put that game off my list.The latest game to do this,Waframe,i wanted to play but i am not playing kb+mouse with that cumbersome UI.





Of note....This is using a very old USB 2.0,3.0 has been out since 2008,so they are going really cheap here on the design and allowable speeds.Also just the way usb 2 works versus 3 means all devices should be using 3.0 standard by now.

So imo,this is a low end product trying to do good things for users but it is not of the quality i would expect.

What's the point of including 3.0 when there isn't a benefit for mouses or keyboards?

This isn't inherently a Playstation problem, as you only mentioned them as the Microsoft and Nintendo consoles do not support keyboard and mouse. You are also incorrect in assuming they didn't design it to play with both. You can plug in a keyboard and mouse for many Playstation games on the PS4, like Warframe, FFXIV, Warthunder and a couple others that I can think of off the top of my head. So the console itself does physically support the keyboard and mouse it's just developers blocking out the support on the console versions for competitive reasons, and the fact that a lot of players wouldn't like to play with those on the console.

So you do not like to play games that work better with controllers? That's on you then right? Because I feel like those games that work better on controllers should be played with controllers, and if you avoid it just for that reason than you miss out.

Nightbringe1

goosie said:

Or they could you know, level the playing field by allowing use of keyboard/mouse in the first place?

This

Tiller

goosie said:

Or they could you know, level the playing field by allowing use of keyboard/mouse in the first place?

I agree, though it's probably because they want to sell controllers and not everyone will have access to a keyboard and mouse. In my opinion though, it might actually convince some PC gamers to make the make the switch. My kids have an Xbox one, I never use it since I hate playing games with only a controller, though I do have my own xbox one controller I use for some PC games. I think like with PC some games some games work better with a controller, others with a mouse and keyboard. They should get a clue.

Sovrath

DMKano said:

From what Ive heard the input lag is quite bad out of the box. I think there are much better altenatives on the market.

such as?

Panther2103

Sovrath said:

DMKano said:

From what Ive heard the input lag is quite bad out of the box. I think there are much better altenatives on the market.

such as?

XIM 4, there are also a couple others I just can't remember them off the top of my head.

Sovrath

Panther2103 said:

Sovrath said:

DMKano said:

From what Ive heard the input lag is quite bad out of the box. I think there are much better altenatives on the market.

such as?

XIM 4, there are also a couple others I just can't remember them off the top of my head.

So you think XIM 4 is better? I'd love to get one of these but I'd like to get one that I know will work and is considered "good".

Octagon7711

Best title for an article, ever!!!
"Bringing a Keyboard and Mouse to a Console Fight"

Panther2103

Sovrath said:

Panther2103 said:

Sovrath said:

DMKano said:

From what Ive heard the input lag is quite bad out of the box. I think there are much better altenatives on the market.

such as?

XIM 4, there are also a couple others I just can't remember them off the top of my head.

So you think XIM 4 is better? I'd love to get one of these but I'd like to get one that I know will work and is considered "good".

I haven't personally used them but I've been around my friend who used the XIM 3 quite a bit. It's not going to feel 1 to 1 like on a PC because it's emulating a controller. But from what I get he basically said it was 1000x better than a controller for him. 

He had tried a couple options but kept settling with the XIM, but XIM 4's run around 100+ dollars usually.

Anireth

In competitve gaming (read: leagues and events or such with substantial rewards, be it financial or material), the ones reponsible for it should set up rules and contracts that clearly state whether this is allowed or not.

If you get caught using it against the rules, you can get kicked out of the team, lose any contracts tied to it, face a fine as set out in the contract or maybe even be taken to court due to breach of contract or so.

But in regular multiplayer, even when it's a competitive game/mode, no way. And when it's not clearly stated you can probably still kick someone out of the team for "creative differences" or whatever, and manufactures still will not have any interesting in supplying this person anymore, but banning or fines etc. would (should) still be out of the window.

Robbgobb

I prefer mouse and keyboard for some games including shooters. One problem I have is that while there has been some advancement on the controller is that I don't like sticks. I still remember way back for Street Fighter 2 at how bad I was. I could not do any of the moves that required direction pad input. That is until a friend bought a controller with a touch pad for the direction pad. It left after images on the screen for my input which was weird but I was finally able to play someone besides Chun-Li. I wish there was another option besides sticks. I had hope for the Steam controller but it is a little weird to me but not horrible.

Octagon7711

One day, games will be mind controlled.  They're working on it now.

OnisDE

Octagon7711 said:

One day, games will be mind controlled.  They're working on it now.

Ok

People will call for banning anyone with above average visual processing abilities.

Valdheim

Sovrath said:

Panther2103 said:

Sovrath said:

DMKano said:

From what Ive heard the input lag is quite bad out of the box. I think there are much better altenatives on the market.

such as?

XIM 4, there are also a couple others I just can't remember them off the top of my head.

So you think XIM 4 is better? I'd love to get one of these but I'd like to get one that I know will work and is considered "good".

I'm using the Xim4 and I've tested it on Titanfall 2 Singleplay. I couldn't feel a difference to PC M/K. A good thing about the Xim4 is the ability to change your settings (keybinds/mousesensivity etc.) on the go with a smartphone app via bluetooth. It has a lot of presets for almost every game out there and it's really easy to set up.