Pairing a mouse and keyboard with your Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One can net you more precise controls and superior customization versus the standard controller, but it’s also not ideal for every game you come across. With the list of Xbox games that support mouse and keyboard input growing every day, we’ve compiled a list of the best Xbox mouse and keyboard games you can play.
Gears Tactics reimagines the infamous chainsaw-revving shooter as a turn-based tactics game. The debut strategy game made its transition from PC to console, with full mouse and keyboard support intact to get the most out of this carefully crafted Gears spin-off.
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition
Minecraft is one of the biggest games of all time, and it all started on PC with mouse and keyboard. Now the legendary survival crafting game is available everywhere, including Xbox, and it retains that excellent and well-suited mouse and keyboard support.
Halo Infinite is the newest chapter of the Master Chief’s journey, and it’s posed to carry the epic Halo franchise into the next decade. With unparalleled sandbox shooter action and full, customizable support for mouse and keyboard, Halo Infinite is an incredible title for Xbox and PC players.
Sea of Thieves is an ideal canvas for shaping your cooperative adventures, assembling a crew, and overcoming the challenges of the pirate life. Sailing your ship, solving puzzles, and slaying water-bound creatures requires a team effort, bolstered by Xbox and PC cross-play, and mouse and keyboard input.
Gears 5 is the latest in Microsoft’s core franchise, and packs a heartfelt story campaign, competitive multiplayer, and cooperative Horde and Escape modes. Gears 5’s tactical and fast-paced cover shooting plays wonderfully on mouse and keyboard, with full cross-play with PC.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is the evolved and expanded follow-up to Activision’s break-out battle royale hit, with an all-new map and a foundation built on top of Modern Warfare 2’s greatly improved gameplay and mechanics. Mouse and keyboard input gives you the edge you need to be the last soldier standing.
Fortnite is the legendary battle royale that took the world by storm, and has continued to dominate the genre with its approachable, cross-platform play. With complicated building mechanics, mouse and keyboard users are at a decided advantage.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the latest chapter of the world’s most popular multiplayer shooter, and it combines a variety of maps and game modes with frenetic, fast-paced combat. Mouse and keyboard input can give you the advantage you need to aim more precisely than your opponent.
Metro Exodus follows an eastward cross-continental trip across the unforgiving remnants of civilization. The harsh four seasons test your survival instincts while trekking an open world brimming with combat opportunities. Metro Exodus looks stunning, plays great, and pairs well with mouse and keyboard.
Sniper Elite 5 will feel familiar to any fans of the Sniper Elite franchise, with precise sniping action paired with diverse WW2 environments and plenty of goretastic bullet cam fun. Sniper Elite 5 also supports mouse and keyboard on Xbox, guaranteeing accuracy when pulling off epic long-distance headshots.
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Jurassic World Evolution 2 lets players design, build, and manage their very own Jurassic World. The sequel is bigger, better, and prettier than ever, and mouse and keyboard support makes it easier to navigate the various menus and quickly respond to emergency situations.
Deep Rock Galactic is a unique 1-4 player co-op game, with full cross-play between Xbox and PC, that has players explore dangerous mines and caverns filled with valuable loot. With management and action elements, a mouse and keyboard gives you additional control.
DOOM 64 is the classic Nintendo 64 DOOM title, launched on Xbox 25 years later. It returns with an all-new chapter, with new lighting options and refinements as the ultimate nostalgia trip. As with many classic shooter titles, DOOM 64’s movement and aiming benefits from a mouse and keyboard.
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis is an action-packed MMO, finally available in Western markets. The title’s heavy focus on character identity and class-based combat provides depth for long-term play, with PC cross-play, all benefiting from mouse and keyboard input.
Planet Coaster: Console Edition
Planet Coaster is one of the best theme park management games you can play, a genre that’s traditionally ruled by mouse and keyboards. Fortunately, the game’s console edition retains full mouse and keyboard support on Xbox for peerless control.
The Sims 4 is the most expansive Sims game yet, with its free-to-play foundation being supported by endless optional DLCs and expansions. While The Sims 4’s complex menus and controls struggle on a controller, they feel right at home when paired with a mouse and keyboard.
They Are Billions is a terrifyingly good, horror-esque steampunk strategy game pitting players against endless waves of ravenous zombies. While They Are Billions is an excellent and addictive game on console, its cumbersome strategy controls do not translate well to a control, making a mouse and keyboard almost a necessity.
Warframe is a slick, agile free-to-play shooter with RPG elements, similar to Destiny. With years of consistent post-launch support, including brand-new content and current-gen optimizations, fluid aiming and movement controls, and an assortment of complex systems and mechanics, Warframe practically begs to be played on mouse and keyboard.
The best Xbox mouse and keyboard games
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A huge number of the greatest Xbox games and beyond actually support mouse and keyboard input, but not every single one is better when paired with one of the best Xbox keyboards. Shooter, strategy games, and titles with a plethora of controls and options directly benefit from the increased control of mouse and keyboard, and these are the very best.
Games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Halo Infinite feature fast-paced, frenetic shooting action, while titles like Gears Tactics and The Sims 4 possess complicated control schemes made easier to navigate with mouse and keyboard. There are plenty of reasons to choose a PC-centric input option instead of a controller when playing games on your Xbox, but the above games provide even more reason to vacate the norm and plug in a keyboard.
To make matters even easier, a sizeable number of the best Xbox mouse and keyboard games — on this list and beyond — are free-to-play or available to download through Xbox Game Pass. This includes all of Xbox’s first-party titles, many of which also support mouse and keyboard. There’s no shortage of amazing games to play regardless of how you use your Xbox.
There are hundreds of games included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate across console and PC, and many of those games take full advantage of mouse and keyboard input on your Xbox.
