How to Connect a Mouse and Keyboard to your PS4
In this article, we'll explain how to pair a Mouse and Keyboard to your PS4. This is a handy trick to know, and we’ll show you how to do it.
Author:Daniel BarrettSep 08, 20222268 Shares323991 Views
How to Connect a Mouse and Keyboard to your PS4– All games on PlayStation4 are built to be played with the default controller, known as the Dualshock 4. It’s a well-made controller, and it’s an excellent option for most games.
However, Sony’s PlayStation 4 works with a mouse and keyboard. This makes it more convenient to type, use the web browser, and generally get around quickly. Some games even support mouse and keyboard controls.
Unfortunately, most games still won’t work with a mouse and keyboard. For example, developers don’t want you dominating in Call of Duty because you can precisely aim with a mouse while your opponents use controllers. In fact, Call of Duty will ban you from multiplayer if you use them because a keyboard and mouse give you a competitive advantage.
Still, this is a handy trick to know, and we’ll show you how to do it.
How to Connect Your Mouse and Keyboard to PS4 Console
You can use either a USB mouse and keyboard or a wireless Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
To connect a USB mouse or keyboard to your PS4, connect it to the PS4’s USB port. You’ll find two USB ports on the front of your console. These are the same ports you use to charge your PS4 controllers. If it’s a wireless USB mouse or keyboard, connect the wireless dongle to the USB port instead. Your PS4 will take a moment to recognize the device, but it should work after a few seconds.
To connect your PS4 to a Bluetooth device, open the Settings screen on your console, select “Devices,” and select “Bluetooth Devices.” Next, put your mouse or keyboard into pairing mode, and it will appear on this screen, ready for your PS4 to connect to it.
You can now use your PS4’s mouse and keyboard to navigate the interface. This is particularly handy in the PS4’s web browser app, giving you a mouse and keyboard that makes the browser less of a chore to use.
If you’re out of spare USB ports on the console itself, the Playstation supports USB hubs, such as the Anker USB 10-Port Hub, which allows you to plug in many devices using only one port.
Many keyboard manufacturers, such as Logitech, provide USB ports in their keyboards themselves, meaning you can plug your mouse into your keyboard and then the keyboard into the console.
How to Play Games With a Mouse and Keyboard
Here’s where you may run into some trouble. In theory, you can use the mouse and keyboard to play games. There’s nothing stopping developers from supporting mouse and keyboard controls in their games. In practice, though, most games don’t support mouse and keyboard controls. You can launch a game and try to use the mouse and keyboard, but they usually won’t work. You’ll need to use the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller instead. You can remap the controller’s buttons, but you can’t remap the keyboard’s buttons to make it function as a controller.
Games don’t even work with a keyboard and mouse when you play them with Remote Play using your PC. So even when sitting at your PC, you still need a DualShock 4 controller.
Some games do work, but this is rare. The list is very short. The PlayStation 4 versions of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and War Thunder support mouse and keyboard, which makes sense as their massively multiplayer online games where you also play with mouse-and-keyboard PC gamers.
There are products out there, called keyboard and mouse adaptors, that will allow you to use your keyboard and mouse for many games that wouldn’t usually accept them, such as the XIM APEX. However, they can be much more expensive than a new controller.
The APEX is priced at around $150. Some games will also count them as cheating if they detect an adaptor.
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