This PS4 Keyboard And Mouse Adapts PC Controls For Console

[Fanghawk]

This PS4 Keyboard And Mouse Adapts PC Controls For Console

Hori's Tactical Assault Commander 4 launches in October, bringing its keyboard/mouse control scheme to the PS4.

When I switched from playing <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/call%20of%20duty?os=call+of+duty>Call of Duty on a PC to my PS3, there was a significant learning curve involved. <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/experienced-points/14336-Why-People-Choose-PC-Over-Console-and-Console-over-PC>Controllers and consoles are certainly convenient, but FPS aiming is simply more precise when using a mouse and keyboard. That's why there's a market to adapt the control scheme to consoles - the latest of which is Hori's Tactical Assault Commander 4, an upgraded version of the TAC3 intended for PS4.

Unlike your typical keyboard, the TAC4 isn't designed to recreate all PC functions. It's a gaming-specific controller which maps DualShock 4 buttons to its 18 keys while letting you swap between multiple profiles. Outside of dedicated keys like the PlayStation and options button, the D-Pad is reconfigured to WASD positions, with Triangle and Circle located at the Q and E. Meanwhile the mouse covers the triggers, along with the Square button for quick reloading.

There's a few potential downsides to the TAC4. First of all, it's a wired controller, which might be limiting in your living room setup. Hori <a href=http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/27/9045611/hori-delivers-ps4-keyboard-mouse-controller-in-time-for-black-ops-3>also doesn't include a lap board making it easier to play from a couch. There's also a question of whether it will be available in North America - Hori's listing is currently on Amazon.co.uk, so it's not clear whether a Western retail release is in the cards.

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That being said, it certainly has potential, along with a license from Sony that's hopefully been put to good use. We'll find out when the TAC4 releases on Oct. 9 2015, just in time <a href=www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141516-Watch-Now-Call-of-Duty-Black-Ops-III-Zombie-Mode-Shadows-of-Evil-Trailer>for a new Call of Duty season.

Amazon.co.uk, via <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-27-ps4-keyboard-mouse-controller-replicates-pc-style-gaming>Eurogamer

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[ShakerSilver]

maps DualShock 4 buttons to its 18 keys while letting you swap between multiple profiles

So it only has preset mappings and doesn't let you map your own controls? Dead on arrival. Not surprising that console hardware manufacturers don't know what it is PC gamers like about their hardware.

 

[Something Amyss]

So it only has preset mappings and doesn't let you map your own controls? Dead on arrival. Not surprising that console hardware manufacturers don't know what it is PC gamers like about their hardware.

It looks like it's a slightly updated version of a 4 year old PS3 device, too. Meaning they've had four years to "get it."

 

[razer17]

T There's also a question of whether it will be available in North America - Hori's listing is currently on Amazon.co.uk, so it's not clear whether a Western retail release is in the cards.

Did I miss a point where the UK stopped being a western country?

Anyhow, I kind of feel this spoils things for console gamers. Gives people an unfair advantage, because we all know K+M is more accurate, if you're good at it.

 

[Morti]

Did I miss a point where the UK stopped being a western country?

Anyhow, I kind of feel this spoils things for console gamers. Gives people an unfair advantage, because we all know K+M is more accurate, if you're good at it.

Beat me to that first point, kind of curious as to just what Fanghawk thinks we are...

OT, I don't really have high hopes for this, I've tried a "console mouse" before and it didn't really work since it's wasn't a proper mouse, it just bound the right analogue stick to the mouse.

 

[K.ur]

And how does this work for XBone? I found adapters, but doesn't it have a stripped down Windows (in a few days even a full one)?

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

Kind of misses the point of the whole "Mouse and keyboard"

Mouse and keyboard are primarily designed to be used on the height of your elbow - or your wrist gets it.

If you were to sit down on a place where Mouse and keyboard aligns with height of your elbow - say, a chair and the desk - and presumably display device in front of you, what is the point of playing said game on console?(other than exclusives)

Still, I think it is good to give people more choice to the controllers. Performance issues aside.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

There's something incredibly funny about consoles trying to become more like a PC. When only one generation ago consolites were like "but consoles are more convenient to use". Nope. That hasn't been true for years. Not since PS2 in fact.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

There's something incredibly funny about consoles trying to become more like a PC. When only one generation ago consolites were like "but consoles are more convenient to use". Nope. That hasn't been true for years. Not since PS2 in fact.

PS4 is super convenient to use. Put the disc in and you're playing in 2 minutes at worst with the updates downloading and the rest of the game installing all in the background. Plus, the PS4 is always recording gameplay footage so you really don't need a PVR.

And, there was a very similar peripheral for PS3 (to the one mentioned in the article), I forgot what it was called. They are also PS2 games that support KB/M. I used a keyboard to chat in MGO on PS3. Consoles have had this for generations, it's really nothing new.

 

[Rozalia1]

Not anything I'm going to buy. but nice.

There's something incredibly funny about consoles trying to become more like a PC. When only one generation ago consolites were like "but consoles are more convenient to use". Nope. That hasn't been true for years. Not since PS2 in fact.

It's a peripheral dude.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

T There's also a question of whether it will be available in North America - Hori's listing is currently on Amazon.co.uk, so it's not clear whether a Western retail release is in the cards.

Did I miss a point where the UK stopped being a western country?

Anyhow, I kind of feel this spoils things for console gamers. Gives people an unfair advantage, because we all know K+M is more accurate, if you're good at it.

I don't really see how it's an unfair advantage to use a keyboard and mouse if that same option is available to everyone.

 

[Scrythe]

Will this have actual mouse movement, or with this end up like that failed Eagele Eye peripheral for the PS3/360 that just made the mouse a gliding joystick (complete with a deadzone!)?

For those confused, if you were playing an FPS on PC and measure out an exact movement of three inches on your mousepad, your character would move a specific amount. If you replicated that movement but faster, your character would move the same distance, but faster in relative to your mouses movement speed.

If you tried that on the Eagele Eye, that movement would only trigger a basic "the joystick is moved right" input, and would continue that input until the mouse is moved back to it's original orientation.

You can dick with the settings, calibrations, and in-game sensitivity all you want, but it doesn't do true mouse movement.

Circling back to my question, does this offer true mouse movement? If so, I'll take two. Otherwise, jog on, TAC4.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Not anything I'm going to buy. but nice.

There's something incredibly funny about consoles trying to become more like a PC. When only one generation ago consolites were like "but consoles are more convenient to use". Nope. That hasn't been true for years. Not since PS2 in fact.

It's a peripheral dude.

It's never just one thing for philosophers

 

[Something Amyss]

It's a peripheral dude.

Well, it's not the only place where someone's tried to emulate PC. Modern consoles are basically specialised PCs.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Circling back to my question, does this offer true mouse movement? If so, I'll take two. Otherwise, jog on, TAC4.

Seems to be no solid info on TAC4, but TAC3 which is almost identical does have some reviews.
They obviously can't offer absolute movement because they emulate a controller. But at least they made it smart enough so it only moves to an approximate position where you wanted.
With the limited input range of an analog stick you get to choose between very small angles, really high increments or very high mouse acceleration (i.e. an exponential translation in movement, big moves jump drastically and small moves are somewhat normal). And they still have a dead zone, not sure if this is removable in some PS4 settings or it's just per-game issue, most likely a bit of both as they only ever expect you to use analog sticks.

 

[47_Ronin]

I don't really see how it's an unfair advantage to use a keyboard and mouse if that same option is available to everyone.

Yeah... at only 86.35 pounds...

 

[FirstNameLastName]

I don't really see how it's an unfair advantage to use a keyboard and mouse if that same option is available to everyone.

Yeah... at only 86.35 pounds...

I still don't believe it's cheating, unless there are specific rules banning them from the session, as there may be in tournaments.
It's not like this is going to be much of a problem anyway. How many people would be willing to drop that kind of cash on the controller? If there was a large enough market for it to be a problem then you will surely have all sorts of other companies creating cheap (but usable) rip-offs to capitalise on the masses, driving the price down to acceptable levels. Personally, I think it would be quite nice to see this become somewhat of a standard in the console market, rather than a niche, and have developers create their games knowing that some would be using this control scheme (much the same way that they develop PC games with a controller in mind these days). I would be much more tempted to buy a console if I had the option of using well implemented mouse and keyboard controls for a first person game rather than those fucking analogue sticks.

 

[Strazdas]

PS4 is super convenient to use. Put the disc in and you're playing in 2 minutes at worst with the updates downloading and the rest of the game installing all in the background. Plus, the PS4 is always recording gameplay footage so you really don't need a PVR.

Press "Play" on steam and your playing in . Some games allow playing while its still downloading, though of course a game has to be made in such a way and most arent.

Both Nvidia and AMD modern cards have a recorder chip on them that allows you to record gameplay footage without impacting performance.

So far nothing you said makes consoles more convenient.

Anyhow, I kind of feel this spoils things for console gamers. Gives people an unfair advantage, because we all know K+M is more accurate, if you're good at it.

According to MS who tried a few games by multiplatforming PC and Xbox and mixing the player, K&M is more accurate even if your bad at it. They found that even newbies to PC gaming totally wiped the floor with Xbox veterans due to how much better mouse aiming is. Controllers require fights to be slower. Thus controller players cannot keep up. This is what lead to MS scrapping the entire idea for years.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

PS4 is super convenient to use. Put the disc in and you're playing in 2 minutes at worst with the updates downloading and the rest of the game installing all in the background. Plus, the PS4 is always recording gameplay footage so you really don't need a PVR.

Press "Play" on steam and your playing in . Some games allow playing while its still downloading, though of course a game has to be made in such a way and most arent.

Both Nvidia and AMD modern cards have a recorder chip on them that allows you to record gameplay footage without impacting performance.

So far nothing you said makes consoles more convenient.

Installing off a blu-ray disc is faster than downloading the entire game regardless of internet connection. Are you saying I could have played Batman or Witcher 3 within 2 minutes of buying it? I've always known you can record PC gameplay rather easy, the PS4 always recording meant that it is something the PS3 couldn't do (not what the PC couldn't do). Last gen was an adjusting period for consoles as they got hard drives that were standard (for the most part) so you did spend a bunch of time looking at status bars for installing/downloading. PS4 fixed all that stuff that made last-gen consoles annoying at times. I just opened Steam and it took me longer to update and shit than putting in a brand new PS4 game and playing it, plus it doesn't remember your password when you update for some reason so I failed inputting that a few times to be relieved that I put my Steam password is a wordpad file with random passwords last time that happened.

And a console is next to your TV and sound system making it much more convenient to play on a TV. Again, not that you can't do that rather easy with a PC, but very few people keep (or even want) their PC within cords reach of their TV and sound system. I very much hate playing video games at a computer desk on a monitor.