Xbox Cloud Gaming will no longer force you to use a controller

techradar.com:

Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft’s cloud streaming service that comes bundled with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, will soon introduce support for keyboard and mouse, rather than requiring players to use select gamepads or touch controls on their mobile phones.

Speaking during a developer Q&A, Microsoft Flight Simulator head Jorg Nuemann revealed keyboard and mouse support will be coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming soon, possibly within the next few months (thanks, Windows Central).

“The next step for us is mouse-keyboard,” Neumann said when asked what other peripherals players will be able to use with the game through Xbox Cloud Gaming. “This is a platform-level support, so it has nothing to do with us, obviously mouse-keyboard works for our sim. 

“So the platform team is working on this, and no I can’t give a date because it’s the platform team, I don’t know their dates. But it’s coming, and we are also talking about making touch work.

“I would say it’s in the next months, it’s not weeks. I’m hoping it will be done by June or so, but I can’t ever tell. Everybody wants it, I want it, and so it’s coming.”

Speaking to The Verge, a spokesperson for Microsoft confirmed mouse and keyboard support is on the way to the cloud streaming platform.

“At launch, Microsoft Flight Simulator supports standard controller inputs for cloud gaming,” the spokesperson said. “The team is experimenting with touch/gyro and is excited to embrace M&K once it’s available on the platform but we have no specific announcements or timing to share at this time.”

Currently, Xbox Cloud Gaming allows you to stream a selection of games to your PC, phone, tablet, or Xbox console. However, to play those games on PC, you need to connect a compatible controller — such as that of the