PS3 Unreal Tournament 3 supporting keyboard, mouse

  • By thorsen-ink, GameSpot
  • Posted Aug 6, 2007 3:50 pm PT

Before he retired from his position at Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi declared that the PlayStation 3 would have many PC-like functions. This week saw confirmation that owners of the console will also be able to play at least one shooter using PC gamers' weapons of choice. In a post on...

Before he retired from his position at Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi declared that the PlayStation 3 would have many PC-like functions. This week saw confirmation that owners of the console will also be able to play at least one shooter using PC gamers' weapons of choice.

In a post on his company's official forums , Epic Games vice president Mark Rein revealed that both the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of Unreal Tournament 3 will have keyboard and mouse support. That's a first for the Sony console, which does allow keyboard entry of text for non-gameplay functions.

"I checked with [programmer] Steve Polge and he said that YES we are supporting keyboard and mouse in Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3," wrote Rein. [Emphasis in the original.] "He is confident we are doing it in a way that will be balanced without feeling 'gimped' for either side. We'll also allow people to choose whether or not they want to allow mixed controller vs. keyboard/mouse games or not."

As revealed at Sony's press conference at the E3 Media & Business Summit, Unreal Tournament 3 is coming out this year for the PC and PS3 only. It will allow cross-platform play between the two platforms, which will be greatly enhanced by the inclusion of keyboard/mouse support. Said support will also offer gamers the alternative of buying a $599 console or upgrading their PC without having to sacrifice traditional shooter controls.

Rein also confirmed that nothing is confirmed about keyboard/mouse support for the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3, which is due out next year. "Nothing new to report about 360, sorry," he wrote. "As soon as we have a better idea on 360 release timeframe and features we'll announce it but don't expect any news on it before the end of this year."

346 Comments

  • Jazzism

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 11:34 pm PT

    Best thing they could do for the PS3. It's a dead platform anyway. I agree with doublec3po, PC'ers will still rip consolers anydaya and twice on Sunday!

  • artanisxvi

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 10:20 pm PT

    haha I'm still going to get the PC version.

  • Noobberry

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 9:38 pm PT

    o knoes...they stole that from microsoft!!!

  • MASTERCHIEFUSMA

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 8:47 pm PT

    If you can make console games use the keyboard and mouse to play, is it a console anymore? If Im gonna use a keyboard and mouse for an FPS its going to be on a PC.

  • gozalo

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 8:09 pm PT

    Supergreen!

  • KronikKilla

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 8:04 pm PT

    He knows all that cos he's alot smarter than you mutt.
    HEY_EA_EAT_ME (great name) I do know that ALOT of DLP's are accepting 1080p over component now and are considerably cheaper than plasma/LCD. If you really want HDTV on a budget, go refurbished. You can get a 50" 1080p DLP for like, $900. Expensive in general, cheap as hell for what you get.

  • rico212

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 7:46 pm PT

    Sweet! I'll see you guys on the battlefield.

  • damutt13

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 7:26 pm PT

    Wow.. I wonder how "mike_mgoblue" knows all that.. considering the GAME ISN'T even OUT yet!

    By the way, michigan sucks, go bucks.

  • earlthecannibal

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 7:23 pm PT

    Awesome news for me ,this might be my first console shooter=)

    Keyboard and mouse ftw!

  • damutt13

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 7:22 pm PT

    There IS an advantage with getting the PS3 version though -- You won't have to upgrade hardware/software every month for it to look better ;D

  • rancid36

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 7:15 pm PT

    I own a high end PC and a 360. I am a 360 fan. Sony is going in the right direction with this call. MS take heed!!

  • More_Dakka

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 6:39 pm PT

    Hmm, most interesting. But I'm still sticking with the PC version.

  • RahKayne

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 6:24 pm PT

    @mike_mgoblue

    you are so wrong it's not funny, in everything you've said period.
    Go away fanboy this is PS3 news.

  • Blazer88

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 6:14 pm PT

    Hopefully they allow the game hosts to lock out people people from using it in thier games.

  • darendt69

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 6:14 pm PT

    That doesnt mean that the game supports the feature. M$ wont allow stuff like this. They also would never allow the mods. So the PS3 version allows you to make your own levels on the PC and play them on the PS3 using keyboard and mouse. Thats sweet.

  • Hitamaru-homia

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 6:12 pm PT

    I remember when Dirge Of Cerebus let you use KeyBoard + Mouse for ps2 xD ima try that later with my USB keyboard and Mouse

  • Pirate_Neal

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 6:12 pm PT

    i hope psn allows to filter people who are useing a mouse and keyborde out, its un-fair if console people dont have a setup in their house which allows people for a mouse situation, there-for haveing to use a game controler.....

  • shock_88

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 5:33 pm PT

    damnit if they do this with 360 i'll have no choice but to get a keyboard/mouse...

  • aliens1234

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 5:12 pm PT

    That's a pretty sweet deal. It's going to be really tricky to get things even with both mouse and joypad though. Hopefully the 360 version will also have the support.

  • ski11buzz

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 3:42 pm PT

    Hoorah! but a lot of people already knew that this was coming. i hope that haze will have keyboard and mouse. as with killzone 2

  • oroeovo

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 3:40 pm PT

    holy crap! now that's a selling point!!!

  • cla715

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 3:39 pm PT

    thats preety sweet, but since i've never been a pc gamer i'll play with the sixaxis

  • Kieran_Y

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 3:26 pm PT

    wow mike_mgoblue, thanks for the eye-opener. Most folks have heard about dev issues with the PS3. Thanks to you, now we all know exactly why. GTAIV is definitely being delayed because of the PS3 version.

  • X_CAPCOM_X

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 3:20 pm PT

    Wow, first mods and now this? I already have a mouse and keyboard on mine too. Awesome. I might get this game now.

  • caseypayne69

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 3:17 pm PT

    Really I don't understand how a keyboard and mouse beat a controller.

  • GoodkupoBan

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:56 pm PT

    "Epic Games vice president Mark Rein revealed that both the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of Unreal Tournament 3 will have keyboard and mouse support."
    So Epic revealed that the PC will have keyboard and mouse support? Lol
    I wonder how the cross-platforming will work out.

  • andrewgreatoak

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:53 pm PT

    Wow, this is really cool. Didn't the PS2 version of UT support mouse and keyboard back in the day? (Guess it didn't matter as much though as we weren't online back then) While i don't mind using a controller for most games i would love to see the option to use mouse and keyboard in precision tactical shooters like GRAW and Rainbow. Sony are looking alot more relax that MS, mods, mouse and keyboard support, upgradeable hard drives ect. I like the direction they took. I have a PS3 and a 360 and i must say i'm starting to warm to that shiny black box.

  • NND1

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:33 pm PT

    good for ps3 owners maybe this will make up for loss of rumble!! NOT

  • bentleg

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:28 pm PT

    I would say this is stupid if it wasn't for the fact that they allow you to dictate if your game allows keyboards/mouse or not.

  • ps3_jim

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:23 pm PT

    Hopfully almost all ps3 FPS's will have this feature..............
    resistance 2 mayb that wld be so kl

  • mike_mgoblue posted Aug 7, 2007 2:19 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mike_mgoblue

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:19 pm PT (hide)

    FaytOfld,

    It's neat that the PS3 is a powerful calculator with Floating Point math operations. But those types of calculations have virtually no use in videogames.

    When the PS3 is not doing videogames, it is more powerful than the Xbox 360 in terms of Physics. But, when the PS3 is being used as a games machine, the Xbox 360 General Purpose CPU advantage makes it so the Xbox 360 actually has even a Physics advantage over the PS3.

    The reason for this is because the PS3 was originally designed to have TWO of the Cell CPU processors with integrated graphics, rather than a seperate GPU.

    But when Sony saw the HUGE level of graphic superiority of the Xbox 360, they were forced to redesign the PS3 in a way that removed one of the Cell CPUs, in exchange for a GPU. Sadly, the PS3 ended up with a four-year old generic GPU from Nvidia, rather than a custom designed GPU, like the one from ATI that is used in the Xbox 360.

    Due to the FACT that the PS3 has only one CPU with two threads, the PS3 developers have to make decisions about which of the seven SPE sub-processors get used.

    Each of the PS3's seven SPE chips has a Thread to Receive signals from the CPU, but the CPU only has two Threads to send signals with. This means the developers have to choose what is more important--Graphics, Sound, Artificial Intelligence, or Physics.

    When the PS3 is being used as a calculator, both of the Threads can be used to work with the Physics SPE in the PS3. The results are very impressive. Unfortunately, virtually no graphics are displayed when such an activity is taking place.

    When Graphics, Sound, and Artificial Intelligence are put into a game, then Physics end up being the LEAST important! As a result, the Physics SPE ends up being rarely used for gaming purposes in the PS3. With the Xbox 360, the three CPUs hand the Physics in any way the developers want. That is the beneift of having such a developer friendly work environment that is so flexible. Reasons like that are also why the Xbox 360 versions of games like Assassins Creed and Virtua Fighter 5 have SO MUCH BETTER Artificial Intelligence than the PS3 versions.

    With the PS3 having only one 3.2Ghz CPU with only two Threads to send commands to six SPE chips (the physics chip is virtually never used in gaming for reasons I mentioned above) it is as if the Playstation 3 has only two arms (Threads) to juggle six balls (SPE subprocessors). Obviously, that is an IMPOSSIBLE task that makes all of Sony's "Talk," very cheap, because it is LITERALLY not possible. That is what makes the life of the Playsttation developers so miserable!

    As for the Xbox 360, there are THREE 3.2Ghz CPUs with a total of SIX Threads that can be directed to do ANYTHING the developers want to control the CPU or GPU functions. It is as if the developers have Six Arms (Threads), but they only need to juggle two balls (types of processor functions). Tecmo and Ubisoft have talked about how games like Ninja Gaiden 2 for the Xbox 360 will literally have boss battles where an entire CPU on the Xbox 360 will be devoted to nothing but Artificial Intelligence. Literall both of the two Threads of that CPU will control the Artificial Intelligence of the boss you will be fighting. Tecmo made it 100% clear that would not be possible on the Playstation 3.

    Xbox 360 even has RAM advantages over the Playstation 3. Both systems have 512MB of RAM, but it goes deeper than that. PS3 has 256MB of RAM dedicated to the CPU, and 256MB of Video RAM. The CPU can NEVER have access to more than 256MB of RAM, not even if the Video RAM is not being used at all. That means the Non-Unified RAM of the PS3 is not being effiiciently or effectly used. It LITERALLY means that at every second in time, there is at least some amount of RAM being wasted on the PS3.

    The Xbox 360 uses a much newer form of Unified RAM. The 512MB of Unified RAM in the Xbox 360 is being used AT ALL TIMES in ANY WAY the developers want!!! If the developers want all 512MB of RAM to be used for the CPU, it can be! If the developers want all 512MB of RAM to be used for the GPU, it can be! If the developers need 384MB of RAM for the CPU, but only 128MB for the GPU, then they can use that combination of RAM. That type of flexibility creates a VERY DEVELOPER FRIENDLY program environment!!! THAT is why the Xbox 360 games are ALWAYS better than the Playstation 3 games, and that is why the gap in performance is widening even further in favor of the Xbox 360!!!

    The Xbox 360 has two other forms of RAM advantages over the PS3. First, the Xbox 360 Operating System is amazingly efficient; it only takes up 32MB in space. When 32MB is subtracted from 512MB, that means 480MB of RAM are left for developers to use with the Xbox 360. But the PS3 Operating System is designed in a non-efficient way that is 96MB in size. That means developers only have 416MB of RAM to work with on the PS3. Clearly, the Xbox 360 has a BIG 64MB advantage in the area of traditional RAM.

    Second, the Xbox 360 has 10MB of special eDRAM that does an excellent job of supporting the CPU. PS3 doesn't have any sort of eDRAM. This eDRAM is amazingly efficient when it comes to helping the Xbox 360 process information. It is almost as if the Xbox 360 has six arms (threads) to juggle two balls (CPU and GPU tasks), while the eDRAM is a friend in the background saying, "If you start to drop one, I will catch it." That is the reason why legendary developer John Carmack said the Xbox 360 is the best programming environment he has ever seen.

    PERFORMANCE is what matters more than anything else!!! Just look at the games to see that the Xbox 360 offers MUCH BETTER PERFORMANCE than the Playstation 3!!!

    EA Sports games like NCAA College Football 2008 and Madden Football 2008 have FAR better performance on the Xbox 360! Gamespot pointed out that, "The Playstation 3 version of NCAA Football 2008 struggles to run at 30 frames per second at 720p resolution," while the Xbox 360 version "runs smoothly at 60 frames per second at 1080p resolution."

    EA is NOT the only company in the industry with problems developing for the Playstation 3!!! 2K Sports, Ubisoft, Take Two, Rockstar Games, Activision, Treyarch, and Sega have OBVIOUS problems developing for the Playstation 3. 2K Sports made it 100% clear that All-Pro Football 2K8 "is built from the ground up for the Playstation 3." They made it clear that All-Pro Football 2K8 is not just some sort of "port," for the PS3. Even though All-Pro Football 2K8 is built for the ground up for the PS3, it STILL has the EXACT same problems as the other Football games; it struggles to run at 30fps at 720p resolution, even though the Xbox 360 versions run smoothly at 60fps at 1080p resolution.

    The reason this happens is because of the specifications of the system, which are literally displayed on the boxes of the systems!

    The Xbox 360 has the ability to display up to 500,000,000 polygons per second, compared to only 275,000,000 polygons per second for the Playstation 3.

    When a game like Madden 2008 is released in a multi-platform way, using a similar number of polygons per frame (although noticably higher on Xbox 360) it means that the Xbox 360 LITERALLY has the ability to display the game at TWICE the framerate, because the Xbox 360 hardware can display TWICE as many polygons as the Playstation 3.

    Proof: Just look at Madden Football 2008, NCAA Football 2008, and All-Pro Football 2K8. Games like F.E.A.R. are also great examples that show how the Xbox 360 runs smoothly, but the PS3 has TERRIBLE framerates.

    When it comes to being used for actual videogames, the Xbox 360 offers Performance that is VASTLY SUPERIOR to the Playstation 3!!!

    Just look at the GAMES for proof!!! And the gap in performance is getting BIGGER, in favor of the Xbox 360.

  • Joe_Combat

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:07 pm PT

    MS will change their minds later.

  • fizzyfunk

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:05 pm PT

    hehe and with cross platform matches online.. bring on the ps3 vs pc!! and when it eventually comes out on 360 everyone will know the lvls so well they'll get creamed lol i'll stick to the pad though, something feels wrong about playing a console with a mouse and keyboard... so looks like i'll be the first to get creamed! yipee

  • steven141

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:02 pm PT

    *ps3 not keyboard

  • steven141

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 2:02 pm PT

    Awesome i already have a wireless keyboard that i bought for my keyboard so im half way there already

  • HEY_EA_EAT_ME

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:56 pm PT

    For anybody who has a PS3 w/o an HDTV why did u go buy it?? $499/$599 You dont have 2 have the biggest and baddest TV out there. U can find good ones for the same price as a PS3, now if u want 1080p thats more expensive. But needless to say the cheapest TV I can find right now @ this moment at a store that has them is an Emprex 37 inch for $699. (LCD, supposedly a 1080p, but they wont prove it at FRY's), then there is the SHARP AQUOS 1080p 32 inch for $1099 for u name brand buyers. 1080p is only done through HDMI and havent seen any1 prove it to me otherwise. So for all those people (PC fans) talkin about how you must have this TV in order to do blah, blah. I say this how big is your PC monitor, and doe syour family enjoy doing everything around your PC. B/c my family loves being around my Mitsubishi 57 inch 1080p DLP (2 HMDI w/ 1080p, also a DVI for PCs also 1080p) located in the family room for evry1s enjoyment when Im not playing. BTW I do love PC graphics and speeds and the fact that you can upgrade upon upgrade, but something changes how long compared to how often consoles change. PC = ?yrs vs. Consoles = 4+ yrs Anew motherboard costs as much as a console, dont forget your OS, oh and hey that graphics card is how much???? ok bring me a PS3 & 360 I just wanna game I'll by a standard PC for $599 to do my homework on and get online for movie tickets and such. A PS3 + a 360 + a standard PC = less than a high end gaming PC. Oh and the PC doesnt have a 3 yr warranty unless I buy it from DELL and their high PCs start at $2000

  • tylerichards

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:45 pm PT

    The ps2 version of Unreal tournament had keyboard support idk about mouse though

  • Rephin

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:41 pm PT

    McGregor
    well, once again, patience would have paid off. i should have waited and purchased a ps3. thanks MS for making me feel like you were going to love me forever then crap on my dreams.

    If there's one thing this generation of consoles do often, it's upgrading firmware. I wouldn't worry too much about the 360. I'm sure the next firmware update will give mouse and keyboard support to games in one way or another. Hopefully not in the form of buying an official licensed XBox360 keyboard and mouse peripheral (this isn't likely though).

    McHenry2
    ... thought sony said at E3 this was a PS3 exclusive, well the mouse and keyboard support is good, but considering the 360 has USB ports for this stuff, and a product is coming out allowing you to use mouse and keyboard on the 360, sony hit and miss again

    What in the nine circles of hell is the point? How does paying for an additional accessory (which will probably go obselete with a future 360 firmware update) equate to "sony hit and miss" when the PS3 can do the same thing without buying an additional adapter? Besides, a keyboard can be used with the 360 already for chat functions.

    And for your information, UT3 isn't a PS3 exclusive. It's more of a timed exclusive. The PS3 and PC versions launch this year, with the 360 one launching next year.

  • DreFullCircle

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:41 pm PT

    it's nice to see the line between console and pc gaming becoming more and more blurred. i expect the 360 to follow the ps3's lead

  • mike_mgoblue

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:36 pm PT

    The PC version of Unreal Tournament 3 is BY FAR the BEST version!

    The PC version will run at up to 60 frames per second at over 1200p (yes, twelve-hundred vertical) lines of resolution!

    The PS3 version is the weakest version. It will only run at 720p...unless you have an HDTV set with a native resolution of 1080i...then you will be stuck watching it at only 480p, because the PS3 does NOT have the ability to upconvert resolution, like the Xbox 360 does.

  • FaytOfId

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:24 pm PT

    Focalpoint-
    PS3 doesn't beat computers in every way, however, lets take a look at what ps3 DOES better than computers, and definitely better for the price-
    Folding@home the ps3's are owning computers in terraflops, and there is nowhere near the amount of ps3's on as there is computers. Look that up, that's pretty super-computer like if you ask me.
    Also, a company admitted that the ps3 is 1/4th as powerful as their 8,000 square foot super computer (don't remember the company's name) That is also super-computer like
    PS3 did RAY TRACING in REAL TIME! That is a technique that rendered graphics 75 times more advanced than that which is seen in games (yes, even for computer). You know what else? It did that without the video card, and not all processors, and without the PowerPC one either. Try doing that with your computer. Oh wait, you can't? That's because of the fact that PS3 is a lot more powerful for processing. Yeah, you could make a computer more powerful, however I guarantee you that you will be spending over 5 times the money on that computer than you did on that ps3. I believe that you're the one that's sadly mistaken

  • McGregor

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:17 pm PT

    well, once again, patience would have paid off. i should have waited and purchased a ps3. thanks MS for making me feel like you were going to love me forever then crap on my dreams.

  • HEY_EA_EAT_ME

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 1:09 pm PT

    Sony needs to do another price drop before UC3 comes out b/c I'm too cheap to buy 1 yet and I'm a 360/PS3 fanboy. I like Sony's tech and I like HALO, but nintendo i'll buy u when u become $100 b/c its nothing more than my old 1985 NES to me all over again, but this time u got better compettition than SEGA.

  • ajcali08

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 12:50 pm PT

    --MiltoxBeyond-- Yes you can "BUY" and adapter for a mouse and key board for your 360...only thing is...they don't work in-game or no 360 game supports mouse and key board. Sony has a best option right now for all their games, which is a sixaxis controller spit up into two parts a analog stick and a mouse with a motion sensor in it.

  • Naturalselectio

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 12:46 pm PT

    Omg please please let epic allow mouse and keyboard on 360. We need to start a petition

  • ajcali08

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 12:42 pm PT

    PC does own Ps3... but I wish my PC had 8 processors

  • MiltoxBeyond

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 12:34 pm PT

    PC will still own the PS3.

    Oh and usb keyboards and mice work with the 360 already...

  • McHenry2

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 12:28 pm PT

    here's the link for those who don't believe me http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEyukkkFEZdrrNQpqZ.php

  • McHenry2

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 12:26 pm PT

    ... thought sony said at E3 this was a PS3 exclusive, well the mouse and keyboard support is good, but considering the 360 has USB ports for this stuff, and a product is coming out allowing you to use mouse and keyboard on the 360, sony hit and miss again

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