According to the Season 18 patch notes, Overwatch 2 will support native mouse and keyboard on consoles. It’s a big change, but it comes with strict rules around input pools, aim assist, and matchmaking.
Two input pools replace “PC vs Console” labels
Matchmaking pools have been relabelled to reflect inputs, not platforms: Mouse and Keyboard Pool and Controller Pool. If you plug in mouse and keyboard on console, you’ll be prompted to switch to the Mouse and Keyboard Pool. If you don’t accept, your mouse/keyboard won’t work for gameplay (you can still use them for chat and text fields).
Aim assist rules you need to know
- In the Mouse and Keyboard Pool, aim assist is disabled even if you pick up a controller mid-match.
- Controller players on PC cannot enter the Controller Pool and can’t access aim assist features.
- To play in the Controller Pool, you must play on a console.
- Using unauthorised peripherals to bypass Controller Pool restrictions is considered cheating and will lead to account action.
Separate MMR, SR, and Ranks Per Pool
When you switch to the Mouse and Keyboard Pool, you’ll be paired with PC players and any console players using mouse/keyboard. Your MMR, skill ratings, and ranks are tracked separately from the Controller Pool, per the patch notes. You can manually switch pools in Gameplay Options at any time.
Quick Notes
- You can still use mouse/keyboard in either pool to type in chat and fields.
- UI terminology will be updated in a future patch to reflect the new pool names.
If you’ve been waiting to play with mouse and keyboard on console, Season 18 finally enables it: just be ready for the input-based pool rules and the loss of aim assist.