Using physical means to gain an unfair advantage is also a form of cheating.
Conventional wisdom holds that in shooting games, the speed and accuracy of the mouse are inherently superior to the joystick control of the controller. The joystick of the controller allows the player to make smooth and uniform gun follow-up movements, but it is often difficult to face high-speed moving targets, quickly pull the gun, and accurately position the gun.
Therefore, shooter manufacturers generally provide auxiliary aiming functions for controller operation, automatically absorbing the front sight and the player's muzzle to the enemy within a distance of the front sight, or reducing the joystick sensitivity when aiming at the enemy, or reducing the recoil of the firearm, thereby reducing the difficulty of the controller player's aiming and pressing the gun.
Controller players use auxiliary aiming to complete three kills instantly, source Twitter @MaxiqYT
With the help of assisted aiming or low recoil advantage, console and gamepad players are able to compete with keyboard and mouse players. Cross-platform and mix-and-match features have finally been put on the agenda by major manufacturers, and some games also allow players to use USB direct keyboard and mouse and operate.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare supports cross-platform and in-line keyboards and mice, as well as displays the device the player is using
On the console side, the keyboard and mouse still need to simulate the operation of the joystick, so it is not as sensitive as the PC side, and does not have the unique advantages of the controller. Depending on the game, the keyboard and mouse experience may not be as smooth as the controller.
However, when keyboard and mouse players gain the advantage of controllers at the same time, the situation is completely different.
This is where the keyboard and mouse converter comes in. The keyboard and mouse converter, also known as the "input spoofing device", can trick the console and the game, recognize the keyboard and mouse input as gamepad input, and allow the keyboard and mouse player to enjoy the privileges of the controller. Some converters also come with driver software that combines parameters and even scripts to adjust and correct input errors on analog sticks.
A keyboard and mouse converter
Video of a Japanese player demonstrating the converter effect
In multiplayer shooters, the unfair advantage created by this third-party hardware is similar to that of plugins, but it is not like plugins that everyone shouts and fights, and has always been in a gray area.
Former Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan was blunt in 2017: "We have lobbied, and will continue to lobby, first-party console makers to ban mice and converters, or publicly and simply support the use of mice and keyboard by all players." ”
However, until now, Sony, Microsoft, and Blizzard have not taken any substantial measures, and only a few manufacturers are willing to test and restrict the use of converters.
For example, Epic's Fortnite. In September 2022, officials imposed restrictions on a subset of converters that "offer or are designed to provide a competitive advantage", preventing players from entering the game when they are identified. If a player refuses to repent and tries to bypass the restrictions, they will be permanently banned.
"One of the devices you are using is not allowed in Fortnite"
There's also Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege, where the converter's strengths are exposed.
"Rainbow Six: Siege" was released in 2015, it is an old game, only supports PS and Xbox cross-platform matching, the console version does not support direct keyboard and mouse, in theory, only gamepad players can match together. However, in the game's PVP mode, the controller has no auxiliary aiming function, only the advantage of low recoil, and is not an opponent at all in front of converter players who enjoy the same advantage.
The phrase "hot controller player" comes from the hilarious highlight video of "Rainbow Six"
On February 19, 2023, Ubisoft announced the countermeasure "Mousetrap" that will be applied to the console version in the introduction video of the 8th year update of Rainbow Six. On March 7, Ubisoft released another update log to add details of the operation of the mousetrap.
《Keyboard and mouse anti-cheat function for console platform》
Mousetraps don't forcibly prevent converter players from entering the game like Fortnite, or normal anti-cheating measures. "If possible, we really want to encourage these players to return to fair play."
Once the game starts, once the mousetrap detects that the host player is using a converter and keyboard and mouse, the system imposes a penalty action: increasing the player's input latency.
The latency starts with minimal but gets higher as the number of matches players complete with mice and keyboard increases. "In short, when the punishment takes effect, it will be harder for your operators to aim and shoot." Until the player unplugs the converter and picks up the controller again, the delay gradually decreases and clears after a few rounds.
Principle demonstration in the video
"Input delay enabled"
Not all players will be subject to such penalties, and higher-ranking players use converters more frequently, are more susceptible to penalties, and are more severely punished.
In addition, many gamers with disabilities rely on keyboard and mouse converters, or devices similar to analog gamepad input. Ubisoft also takes this into account, and in the pop-up window after the converter penalty is triggered, Ubisoft will reserve a QR code for players with disabilities to appeal and feedback.
The mousetrap is expected to go live in April 2023. However, according to official logs, the "mousetrap" has been operating secretly for several seasons in order to collect data and analyze the results.
While some converter users are at risk, converter manufacturers have begun to plan for the future that is destined to happen. On March 6, the administrator of a converter forum announced that they would introduce further deceptive measures to bypass Ubisoft's detection.
"What you play, who you play with, what equipment you use to play the game is all your business. To that end, we want to introduce a new feature called 'Privacy Game Settings'. The first game supported by this feature is Rainbow Six Siege. ”
Since Ubisoft has classified the keyboard and mouse converter as a means of cheating, it is foreseeable that sooner or later the fight against the converter will evolve into a protracted technological arms race, like the anti-plugin struggle.