This article explains how to connect both wired and wireless keyboards and mice, how to customize keyboard and mouse settings, and how to get around games that don’t directly support a mouse and keyboard.

What to Know

  • Plug a wired keyboard and/or mouse into the USB port(s) on the front of the PS4.
  • To connect a wireless keyboard or mouse, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth Devices. Select your device.

How to Connect a Wired Keyboard or Mouse to a PS4

Connecting a keyboard and/or mouse to your PlayStation 4 is quite simple: Just plug the keyboard or mouse into the USB port on the front of the PS4.

The PS4 recognizes most devices immediately and flashes a keyboard or mouse icon on the screen to let you know the connection is made.

If You Are Out of USB Ports

The PS4 also supports connecting a USB hub to one of its USB ports, which can expand the number of USB devices you can hook into your console. If you want to use a wired keyboard and wired mouse and still charge your controller or your external drive over USB, use a USB hub.

 Unfortunately, if the PS4 doesn’t recognize your particular brand, there isn’t too much you can do about it. The PS4 doesn’t support downloading and installing drivers. 

How to Connect a Wireless Keyboard or Mouse to a PS4

The process of connecting a wireless keyboard or mouse is similar to connecting them on a Windows or Mac computer:

  • Sign in to your profile and go into the PS4’s Settings, which is the second item from the right on the top-level menu.
  • In Settings, choose Devices.
  • The first option is Bluetooth Devices. Click the X button on the controller to choose it.
  • The keyboard and mouse settings can be accessed from the Devices menu within the PS4 settings.
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  • You should see your Bluetooth keyboard or mouse listed. If not, follow the device’s instructions on making it discoverable and wait a few seconds for it to appear on the list.
  • Scroll down to the device’s name in the list and click the X button to connect.
  • If you are prompted for a code and don’t know it, enter 0000.

Can You Change Keyboard and Mouse Settings?

If you’re using a nonstandard keyboard or left-handed mouse, you aren’t stuck with the default settings. You can customize the keyboard and mouse to fit your needs, including pointer speed. You first need to be in the device Settings.

Sign in to your profile and go into the PS4’s Settings, which is the second item from the right on the top-level menu.

In Settings, choose Devices.

The first option is Bluetooth Devices. Click the X button on the controller to choose it.

You should see your Bluetooth keyboard or mouse listed. If not, follow the device’s instructions on making it discoverable and wait a few seconds for it to appear on the list.

Scroll down to the device’s name in the list and click the X button to connect.

If you are prompted for a code and don’t know it, enter 0000.

The PS4 works with most wireless keyboards and mice, but you may run into problems with keyboard/mouse combo units that use a single USB transceiver key to connect to a PC rather than connecting directly through Bluetooth. In this case, the console might recognize only one of these devices, usually the keyboard.

  • Sign in to your profile.
  • Select Settings from the top-level menu of the PS4.
  • Scroll down to Devices and push the X button on the controller.
  • The Mouse settings under Devices lets you change from a right-handed mouse to a left-handed mouse. You can also change the pointer speed to Slow, Normal, or Fast.
  • The pointer speed setting will adjust how quickly the pointer moves across the screen.
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  • The Keyboard settings let you choose a new language if you aren’t using a standard keyboard that matches your language settings for the PS4. You can also set the Key Repeat setting to Short, Normal, or Long.
  • The Key Repeat (Delay) setting adjusts how long the PS4 waits before repeating a key when you hold it down instead of just tapping it. The Key Repeat (Rate) tells the PS4 how fast to repeat the key after that delay timer has passed.

What You Can Do With the Mouse and Keyboard

Cool games that support a keyboard and mouse on the PS4 include DC Universe Online, Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XIV, Fortnite, Neverwinter, Paragon, Skylines, and War Thunder. Wondering what else you can do? You can:

Sign in to your profile.

Select Settings from the top-level menu of the PS4.

Scroll down to Devices and push the X button on the controller.

The Mouse settings under Devices lets you change from a right-handed mouse to a left-handed mouse. You can also change the pointer speed to Slow, Normal, or Fast.

The Keyboard settings let you choose a new language if you aren’t using a standard keyboard that matches your language settings for the PS4. You can also set the Key Repeat setting to Short, Normal, or Long.

The Key Repeat (Delay) setting adjusts how long the PS4 waits before repeating a key when you hold it down instead of just tapping it. The Key Repeat (Rate) tells the PS4 how fast to repeat the key after that delay timer has passed.

About Games That Don’t Support a Keyboard and Mouse

While only a handful of games directly support a mouse and keyboard hooked into the PS4, there’s a way to get almost any game to work with the setup. It requires a conversion adapter like the Xim4 or the IOGEAR Keymander. These adapters work by taking the keyboard and mouse signals and converting them into controller signals, fooling the game into thinking you are using a controller.

In games such as Call of Duty and Overwatch, using a mouse and keyboard against other users who are stuck with a controller can be a considerable advantage and is prohibited by the developers. Games that restrict the mouse and keyboard are mainly competitive not-named-Fortnite shooters and battle arena games. So proceed with caution on this one.

There’s one problem with using a conversion adapter with your PS4: It could get you banned from your favorite game.

On the positive side, playing with a conversion adapter like the Xim4 is as easy as plugging your mouse and keyboard into a USB hub. Just plug them into the adapter, plug the adapter into the PS4, and you are good to go.

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