R6 Mouse and Keyboard on Console (2026): Crossplay Pools Explained

Until July 2026 Rainbow Six Siege had no native mouse and keyboard support on PlayStation or Xbox: the only way to play with a mouse was an adapter that disguised it as a controller, which Ubisoft's rules forbid. In July 2026 that changed: consoles got native mouse and keyboard support, with a catch built into matchmaking. This guide explains how it works on 2 November 2026: the three crossplay pools and who you meet in each, how to switch it on, how squads and custom games decide, what still counts as cheating, and what Ubisoft hasn't said about ranked across pools. Every rule comes from Ubisoft's own articles and patch notes.

What changed in July 2026

Ubisoft announced native mouse and keyboard support for consoles on 10 July 2026 ("Native Mouse & Keyboard Support on Consoles") and shipped it four days later in the Y11S2.2 mid-season patch, whose notes set the rule in one sentence: "Their use will be allowed in the PC crossplay pool, but will still be forbidden in other pools." The same patch made text chat available to every team with console players, because a keyboard makes typing practical, and added an Input Device option to custom games. Console players can adjust mouse sensitivity and remap controls in the Controls section of the Options menu.

The three pools

On console the Crossplay & Input Devices setting decides who you are matched with, and with it which devices you may use:

The trade is simple. On mouse and keyboard you get mouse precision, but you play in the pool with PC players. Stay on a controller and you can pick any of the three pools, including the two where nobody is allowed a mouse. If you plug in a mouse and keyboard during a console-only match, Ubisoft says "only the controller" keeps working and the game tells you mouse and keyboard aren't allowed there.

How to turn it on

1. Connect the mouse and keyboard to your console.

   If the setting isn't already right, the game detects them and asks whether you want to change it.

2. Set Crossplay & Input Devices to "PC & Consoles".

   That is the only pool where mouse and keyboard are allowed in matchmaking.

3. Use the same setting for practice.

   Training and offline playlists, such as the Shooting Range, also need PC & Consoles before mouse and keyboard work there.

4. Tune it.

   Mouse sensitivity and key bindings are in Options → Controls; chat options are in the Options menu and the accessibility settings in the Accessibility menu.

The launch wasn't spotless. The Y11S2.3 patch of 4 August 2026 fixed three early bugs: the default value of the Crossplay & Input Devices setting, players with Elite and third-party Xbox controllers being placed in PC lobbies, and mouse and keyboard not being detected on console. If your mouse isn't recognised, check that you are on the current patch before anything else.

Squads, custom games and chat

• The Squad Leader decides. In Ubisoft's words, "only the Squad Leader's Crossplay & Input Devices setting is used to determine matchmaking and allowed input devices." Squad members are told before the match which device they can use.
• A PC player locks the setting. If a PC player joins your squad, the setting locks to PC & Consoles, so the whole squad plays in the pool with PC players.
• Custom games. The setting applies to every playlist except Local Custom Games, where the lobby host chooses the "Allowed Input Devices" option in Match Setup.
• Text chat. Keyboard players type on the keyboard; controller players can use the console's on-screen keyboard.

Ranked squads also follow Ranked 3.0's rank limits (three full ranks up to Emerald, two for Diamond and Champion); the squad rank restrictions guide has the details.

What still counts as cheating

Native support didn't legalise the old adapters. Ubisoft's Player Protection Core Rules of 31 July 2026 list these hardware cases under Cheating, word for word:

• "Using mouse and keyboard on console while emulating a controller to bypass platform restrictions"
• "Using adapters or devices to run macros, rapid-fire scripts, or automation."
• "Spoofing: disguising a device's identity to appear as a legitimate input device or bypass restrictions"

In other words, a mouse is fine when the game knows it's a mouse. A device that tells the console it's a controller, so you can sit in a controller-only pool with mouse aim, is exactly what the rules forbid, and so is any adapter that runs macros or rapid-fire scripts. Ubisoft's Community Checkpoint recap of 7 August 2026 named the tool aimed at it: Mousetrap, designed "to detect players using these cheats and hit them with sanctions", and Ubisoft asked players to report suspected mouse-and-keyboard users in controller lobbies. Sanctions under the Core Rules run up to a permanent ban and "can be applied individually or stacked". Ubisoft doesn't publish how Mousetrap works, and we don't guess.

Ranked on console: what we know and what we don't

Ranked 3.0 runs on every platform, and Ubisoft says matchmaking weighs rank, squad size, and time and location. What Ubisoft's mouse-and-keyboard article and the Y11S2 notes don't say is whether your rank is shared between the PC & Consoles pool and the console pools, or tracked separately. We found no official text either way, so we don't claim one. If you plan to switch pools mid-season, check your rank card in game after your first match in the new pool.

What doesn't change by pool: Ranked still needs the premium offer, level 50 and 2-step verification (see how to unlock Ranked), every season opens with five placements, and the Core Rules apply everywhere.

Should you switch to mouse and keyboard?

There's no wrong answer, only a trade. Our advice:

1. Try it in the Shooting Range first.

   Set PC & Consoles, learn your sensitivity and bindings offline, then play Unranked before you take it into Ranked.

2. Expect PC opponents.

   The PC & Consoles pool is where mouse players from both platforms meet, so you are measured against players who have used a mouse for years.

3. Agree with your squad.

   The Squad Leader's setting decides, and one PC friend locks the squad into the PC & Consoles pool, so decide together before you queue.

4. Never use an adapter.

   Native support removed the last reason for one. Emulating a controller, macros and spoofing are all cheating under the Core Rules.

Why our R6 services are PC only

We boost Rainbow Six Siege on PC — Ubisoft Connect, Steam or Epic Games Store only. A console order would need a booster on your platform, and an adapter is never an option, so we don't take console orders. Coaching is different: you play on your own account, and the lessons on drones, utility, angles and site setups carry over to any platform. Boosting itself conflicts with Ubisoft's Core Rules, which list "Paying or using external services to artificially inflate your rank" as boosting; read is R6 boosting bannable? and the Risk Disclosure before you decide. Rainbow Six Siege boosting opens soon — get the launch alert on the hub.

• Any platform: 1-on-1 coaching with a Champion coach, live or on your replays.
• PC: Rank Boost from Copper V to Champion V on Ranked 3.0.
• PC: Ranked Net Wins at your current rank.

Related guides: R6 ShieldGuard and Secure Boot · squad rank restrictions · penalties and the Core Rules · is R6 boosting bannable?