The latest test update for Xbox Series X brings keyboard key mapping to the Xbox controller. Not all of them are affected and there are limitations. We take stock.
As for Windows, Microsoft offers a program to obtain test updates on its consoles: Xbox Insiders. The latest adds a feature that will surely prove very useful in improving accessibility to video games: the ability to map (assign) keyboard keys to Xbox controller buttons. Still in experimentation on Xbox Series X, it is for the moment limited to two types of controllers.
Only wireless Xbox Elite Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive, designed for players with disabilities, can try the operation. If you meet all the conditions, here’s how:
- Open the app Xbox Accessories on your console
- Go into Configure
- Choose Create a new profile or edit an existing profile
- Select a button to map
- Choose Primary Or Shift
- Switch to tab Keys
You will soon be able to assign keyboard keys on Xbox controller
For now, there is no question of entering your best macros (key combinations) on your controller. Microsoft make it clear thata button can be assigned a single key on the keyboard, optionally associated with Shift, Ctrl, Alt or Win. For example, you can map Ctrl+Alt+U to a button, but not Ctrl+Alt+U+B. Add to that that the use of keyboard keys assigned to the gamepad is game-dependent. If the title does not take into account this or that key combination, it will not work. Microsoft has not released a list of compatible games at this time.
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It is assumed that the system will grow over the updates, although for the moment, no official deployment date has been communicated. However, the initiative remains a step forward in the democratization of video games.. In order to make it accessible to as many people as possible, it is crucial to allow fully customized controller configurationaccording to their needs and preferences.
