Overwatch isn’t just a multiplayer shooter phenomenon restricted to the PC. It has a vocal fanbase on the PS4 and Xbox One as well. Some of whom have claimed that since high-level players of the game on consoles use a keyboard and mouse, versus a majority using a controller, it could be seen as cheating. Presumably due to the precision afforded by a mouse compared to an analog stick.
Blizzard weighed in on the matter with Overwatch Director Jeff Kaplan stating the company “objects to the use of mouse and keyboard on console” on the official Overwatch forums.
“We have contacted both first-party console manufacturers and expressed our concern about the use of mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices,” Kaplan’s post continues. “We have lobbied and will continue to lobby for first-party console manufacturers to either disallow mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices or openly and easily support mouse and keyboard for players.
“I encourage you to reach out to the hardware manufacturers and express your concerns (but please do so in a productive and respectful way).”
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The PS4 supports keyboard and mouse for many of its features such as browsing the Internet and games such as Final Fantasy XIV allow players to use it instead of a controller. On the Xbox side, Microsoft has pushed convergence of its console with Windows 10 via the Play Anywhere program. It would seem unlikely for either platform holder to comply despite Overwatch being a massive draw on consoles.
Perhaps like Rocket League and Gears of War 4, the solution lies in Blizzard allowing for cross-platform multiplayer between PC and console? Blizzard hasn’t traditionally supported such a notion. In the past, the likes of Diablo 3 on PC never got official controller support, forcing fans to buy the game a second time on consoles.
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