It has been the dream of every console FPS gamer to be able to pull out a mouse/keyboard combo and get the upper edge on the competition in multiplayer (although this dream is nothing new). Most consoles, now, do recognize the duo when plugged in, but normally only for their basic interface use and web browsing—most games don’t support them in anyway. One company finally stepped in and built a device that would emulate the controller while a mouse and keyboard when connected that could potentially provide the upper edge in multiplayer. When this works, it is a thing of beauty, responsive and agile –almost as if it had transferred the PC experience flawlessly to the console – that is until it randomly decides to stop responding and forces a console restart.
Keymander dongle
When I first received Kaliber Gaming’s Keymander Mouse & Keyboard for review the instructions that came with it were more informative towards where the buttons where going to be mapped on the keyboard instead of how to hook it up – as it claimed that installation should be a simple matter of plug and play. It was not. I spent hours troubleshooting the device, going to the office forums, reading the publisher FAQs, and doing everything short of replacing the device it came with. After over two days of research into the subject I finally managed to get it booted with my PS4, and promptly started a game of Call of Duty Infinite Warfare.
For five minutes I had an amazing time. I required a print out of where the buttons were mapped, something that I could have easily fixed by either customizing them myself via the program used for such things in Windows or by simply being better at the game, but that was not something to blame on the device. What could be blamed was that the moment that I died the keyboard and mouse simply stopped responding entirely and would not start again until I had rebooted the PS4, a massive problem with the overall design.
Part of the troubleshooting process for all of this was testing both the keyboard and mouse, by replacing them with a standard wired one I had laying around (which did not work at all, and I assume are simply not supported despite every OS known to man seeing them as “generic”) and testing the Keyboard and Mouse included in the bundle on Windows to make sure that they were not the fault.
It turns out that the Wireless keyboard and mouse, which can be bought separately, but were sold as a bundle for this package, are amazing. The mouse is one of the most responsive wireless devices I have used. The keyboard is sturdy and turns itself off when not in use to conserve battery power, which while probably standard on most wireless units seems novel. I have been playing around with both of them for a handful of weeks and neither have required a change in battery, even though I constantly leave the mouse on.
I have repeatedly tried to get the Keymander working, and have to varying results, but never for more than a couple minutes at a time. Both the Keymander and wireless keyboard and mouse combo can be sold separately, but sadly for half of that equation, this review is for the entire bundle. Despite the keyboard and mouse’s quality overall design of the hardware, the Keymander’s long set up times and overall inconsistency negate the positives of its hardware. Maybe some firmware adjustments will make this device more stable in the future but buyers should beware.
