Microsoft is now beta testing an on-screen keyboard designed for use with game controllers.
Announced Sept. 3 on the Windows Insider Blog, the updated layout supports navigation using an Xbox controller. It should also be useful to those with handheld consoles like the ASUS ROG Ally.
Typing with a controller remains one of the most clunky tech experiences; manually flicking a stick or D-pad up and down across a virtual keyboard is annoying and time-consuming. This new gamepad layout from Microsoft in Windows 11 tries to make the experience a little smoother.
What’s improved in Windows 11’s on-screen keyboard?
Gamers will be pleased to hear that this update includes new face button “accelerators” to speed up their input. Users will be able to press the X button to backspace, Y for the spacebar, and the menu button for enter.
Additionally, the on-screen keyboard’s layout is now vertically aligned. Instead of being offset visually like a traditional keyboard, the gnew rid of keys is much simpler to navigate with a handheld controller.
A screenshot of the new layout from the Windows Insider Blog.
To access beta features like these, Windows users should go to their Settings menu, select Windows Update, and toggle the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” button. From there, the new gamepad keyboard can be toggled on or off in Keyboard Layout from the settings menu.
Gamer reaction praised the change, albeit with backhanded comparisons to rivals like Steam and its Steam Deck handheld console.
“About time they caught up since Steam’s been capable of doing this on desktop or in game since like 2014 or so,” one Reddit user said .
Other new beta features announced yesterday include the ability to sign out and switch accounts faster. The sign out option on the new account manager will now be immediately visible.
Featured image via Anthony/Pexels
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