Want to connect a mouse and keyboard to Xbox so you can play games, use apps, and navigate the dashboard? It's possible. However, you should keep in mind that they won't be compatible with all games, and not all Bluetooth keyboards will work.
See also: How to connect an Xbox wireless controller to an Android phone
Connect a mouse or keyboard to your Xbox
Connecting a keyboard or mouse is possible on Xbox One (including One X and One S) and newer Xbox Series X and S consoles.
The easiest way to connect a mouse or keyboard to your console is with a wired USB connection. You can connect your mouse or keyboard to the USB ports on the front or back of your Xbox console.
Wireless mice and keyboards can also work, provided they use their own wireless USB dongle. No Xbox console can connect directly to a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse that doesn't come with a dongle. This also applies to connecting wireless headphones to your Xbox.
See also: Microsoft Flight Simulator: Coming to Xbox Series X/S consoles
Once you've connected your mouse, you can adjust things like pointer speed and swap buttons by pressing the Xbox guide button and going to Profile & system > Settings > Devices and connections.
Which Xbox games support mouse and keyboard?
Microsoft of games that support mouse and keyboard use. The only way to be sure is to try it yourself or search online beforehand.
Many games support mouse and keyboard, including first-person shooters like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (and Warzone), Gears 5, Metro Exodus, and Warframe. Many other titles are also supported, including Sea of Thieves, Fortnite, The Sims 4, Minecraft, and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
See also: PlayStation history: How did we get to PlayStation 5?
Xbox: Browsing and typing with the keyboard
The keyboard is useful for text input and this is one of the main reasons why someone might want to connect their keyboard to their Xbox.
You can also use the “arrow keys” to navigate the control panel as if you were using the Xbox controller (unfortunately there is no mouse pointer support to navigate the UI).
There are also some handy shortcuts you can use to move around even faster. These are very similar to Windows shortcuts, so if you're already familiar with the Microsoft desktop you won't have any trouble:
- Tab / Shift+Tab: Move to the next item / previous item
- Windows: Open the Xbox guide
- Esc / Windows+Backspace: Go back
- Spacebar / Enter: Select
- Y: Search
- Windows+M: Open menu
- Windows+V: Change view
- Windows+X: Power menu or notification expansion
- Windows+I: Open Xbox settings
What else can you do with your Xbox?
The Xbox can also be put into Developer Mode to run unsigned UWP applications, including homebrew.
This allows you to do things like install the RetroArch emulator on your Xbox console and play games designed for different platforms, without any risk to your console.
Source: How-to-geek
