How to set up PS5 keyboard and mouse support

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We explain how to use mouse and keyboard on PlayStation 5

PS5 console
(Image credit: Sony)

To set up PS5 mouse and keyboard support is a pretty easy thing to do, though there are some limitations to what they're capable of on the PlayStation 5. The big one is that not every game made for the console includes keyboard and mouse functionality - meaning that even if the console knows how to handle them, the game programming may have no idea whatsoever. With that clarified, we'll go through the details below, including what's compatible, what isn't, how to set up your devices, and what PS5 games can run mouse and keyboard normally.

How to use keyboard and mouse on PS5

Wired keyboard and mouse

  1. Plug your keyboard and mouse into the USB ports on the PS5.
  2. The console should automatically activate and recognise both devices.
  3. To change settings on both, go to Settings > Devices.

Wireless keyboard and mouse

  1. Procure a Keyboard/Mouse adapter (make sure it works with wireless devices).
  2. Connect the Keyboard and Mouse to the adapter.
  3. Connect the adapter to the PS5 USB port.
  4. The console should automatically activate and recognise both devices.
  5. To change settings on both, go to Settings > Devices and choose which you want to customize.

Bluetooth keyboard and mouse

  • Turn on your Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and make sure they're charged.
  • Turn on the Bluetooth mode and set them up to pair with new devices (the exact way you do this may very from device to device).
  • Go to Settings > Devices on your PS5. Select your keyboard and mouse and they should pair with the PS5 and become automatically useable. 

Make sure that you research and check the specifications of both the keyboard, mouse and adapter in either case to make sure that everything is PS5 compatible. Though the PS5 does have support for all these things, as mentioned, there's always a chance that certain third-party devices might not work or have certain requirements.

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What PS5 games have mouse and keyboard support?

Best Steam Games

(Image credit: Team Cherry)

Here's where things get tricky - just because the PS5 has keyboard and mouse support, it doesn't necessarily mean that all the games on it have keyboard and mouse support, as that's the prerogative of the developers creating the game. You might use the keyboard and mouse to navigate the PS5 menus and UI, only for them to become unresponsive when they open up a game - and to be honest, there aren't many games that we know of that support keyboard and mouse on PS5, despite Sony leaving the door open. Here's a selection of PS5 games we know support keyboard and mouse, though there may be more both out there and on the way:

  • Assassin's Creed Valhalla
  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  • Call of Duty: Warzone
  • Cities: Skylines
  • DayZ
  • DC Universe Online
  • Death Stranding
  • Deep Rock Galactic
  • The Elder Scrolls Online
  • Final Fantasy XIV
  • Fortnite
  • Ghostrunner
  • Hollow Knight
  • House Flipper
  • Immortals: Fenyx Rising
  • Minecraft
  • Mount and Blade: Warband
  • Neverwinter
  • Overwatch
  • Paladins
  • Planet Coaster
  • Project CARS
  • Quake
  • Risk of Rain 2
  • Slime Rancher
  • Smite
  • The Spectrum Retreat
  • Splitgate
  • The Sims 4
  • Terraria
  • They Are Billions
  • Untitled Goose Game
  • Wick
  • Wick: No Way Out
  • Warframe
  • War Thunder

It's also worth acknowledging that some of these games - like Hollow Knight - are solely keyboard only, and can't use a mouse, mainly because the game's mechanics or design don't call for one.

Clearly it's a pretty slim choice for keyboard-friendly games, but we presume there'll be some growth in the future. Again, this support for mouse and keyboard is pretty dependant on developers actually making use of it, which it seems like many are choosing not to do.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.