XIM 2 Xbox 360 mod ready for pre-order, you aren't ready to pony up

Eager to use your mouse / keyboard combo on your Xbox 360? Eager enough to drop $179.95 for the privilege? If so, then you should probably know that XIM's ready and willing to oblige. The XIM 2 module, which is supposedly plug 'n play in nature, is at long last available for ordering, though it's not quite ready for shipment. Seriously though, for this price you may be better off investing in a few controller mastering lessons and using the remainder on Bawls and Cheetos.

[Thanks, K.Green]

[BenDy @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:30PM]

FIRST..of all. there is no way i'm paying nearly 180 for this when I can just buy the games with far less effort.

[patriotsn1 @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:15PM]

and second of all? ....

[BenDy @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:29PM]

Oh, HaHa I missed it by a few seconds

[nerdtalker @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:28PM]

Nice try, but you totally pulled a double fail there. Ouch.

As much as I'd like to see keyboard/mouse working on the 360, some controller-based hack doesn't seem like it's going to be completely smooth sailing.

[Farris @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:52PM]

Actually, you missed it by almost an hour.

[mirakutea @ Jan 3rd 2009 1:34PM]

Hmm I had to play an fps game that wasn't on PC, I hate using the controller for fps games, there's already a product like this released for x360..

[Flashpoint @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:28PM]

And won't Xbox Live be able to detect your 360 is moddd and then ban it? Or does this only work for mod chips / alterations to the hard drive.

[Almo @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:32PM]

Moreover than that Flashpoint, what's the point if the games themselves don't support it? The PS3 added keyboard/mouse support ages ago but most of the game developers never bothered to add support for them hence rendering useless. It's not a console limitation, rather more of a development one...

[Almo @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:35PM]

Hmm, I think the following diagram is supposed to answer my earlier question although has now confused me more....

http://xim360.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/diagram2.jpg

[mirakutea @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:42PM]

This is what I was talking about..

http://www.renchi.com/renchi/Xbox_360_Accessories_XFPS_3_0_Sniper_Plus_XCM.htm

is works with any game since it fakes itself as a controller stick..

[mirakutea @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:46PM]

Google: XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus video site:youtube.com
:P

[Almo @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:04PM]

Hmm, so these don't actually enable keyboard/mouse support, they just map specific keys to the controller and that way it's all compatible in-game?

[wickedpheonix @ Jan 3rd 2009 6:29PM]

I recorded this video myself with a XIM2, tell me how the hell you would do this with a normal controller - triple flag stop and the sickest sniper shot you'll see outside of MLG

http://www.gamevee.com/public/gameveeplayer.swf?video_id=1032946

And look at the videos in this thread to gain impressions in general of 1) how awesome XIM2 is, and 2) how much it is NOT like the crappiness that is XFPS or other kb/m mods.

http://xim360.com/community/index.php?topic=1342.0

[eggothewaffle @ Jan 3rd 2009 1:42PM]

No amount of controller mastering lessons can match a mouse and keyboard when it comes to FPS games.

[Prey521 @ Jan 3rd 2009 1:44PM]

Yep! Nothing compares to a QWERTY/Mouse combo when it comes to FPS's!

[gonintendo @ Jan 3rd 2009 1:47PM]

True, but controllers are MUCH more comfortable. Also, I find that they tend to even out the playing field because you can only be so accurate. Don't believe me, hop onto an fps that you have never played before and see how long you live. do the same with a console. I have tried this and have been killed in a matter of seconds on pc, while I managed to stay alive for about a minute on the console.

[BigD145 @ Jan 3rd 2009 1:52PM]

Lag kills mouse accuracy. I've done head shots in 1942 that just wouldn't kill the guy.

[Shinigami @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:31PM]

@gonintendo
Nobody said you'll be godlike from birth but you can reach that level through intensive training. But my advice is spending more time hanging out with friends instead.

[mirakutea @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:54PM]

try using an aeron chair, a microsoft comfort curve 2000 keyboard and a nice mouse.. :P.

[gonintendo @ Jan 3rd 2009 3:37PM]

Shinigami, that's exactly what I mean, I can still have a good time without giving up my liveliness.

[eggothewaffle @ Jan 3rd 2009 3:41PM]

I love how different the comments look in the link I get from the email notification compared to just the article page:

From the article: http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/8128/engcomartvh2.jpg
From the email notification link: http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5445/engcomspecbu9.jpg

[Farris @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:51PM]

Eggothewaffle: I don't see a difference between those two pix, other than they have different rankings on them.

[Valicore @ Jan 3rd 2009 5:00PM]

It's a conthpirathee Eggo!! I love mouse and keyboard for FPS, ohhhhhh the old days.

[GFL @ Jan 3rd 2009 9:30PM]

@Prey521
Personal I use WASD keys. :P

[Baozer @ Jan 3rd 2009 1:47PM]

Getting used to a FPS game using an xbox 360 controller isn't all as hard as you make it seem. Not to mention it's a lot more comfortable to chill on your couch with just a controller instead of a keyboard AND mouse. Sure it's easier to aim with a mouse, but get some skills, do it with a joystick.

[ultragoregrind @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:05PM]

you're very right. i use to be VERY anti-console fps games. keyboard/mouse or death and all that. but then recently i decided i might as well check out one of the largest segments of current console gaming (as i really hadn't this current gen. last time was on ps2 or something iirc).

in any case, a little news flash - they've been making fps titles for consoles for a while now - and you know something? they made the controls not suck too much. it's a little different, but still it's not as bad as it use to be.

at the end of the day the current draw to console fps games is a. my nice sized hdtv. much larger than my 19in wide screen lcd monitor b. the lack of having to worry about system requirements. my pc is a little old for modern games honestly, but still plenty powerful for my work needs and c. my nice comfy couch. sorry, but no desk/office chair can beat my couch.

[BigTeebo @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:07PM]

I learned to use an Xbox 360 controler on FPSes on the earliest game possible I learned on the PC with: Doom. Sure, I probably won't survive a minute of Halo 3, but I can still navigate just fine in Fallout 3.

[wootman @ Jan 3rd 2009 7:26PM]

>skills
>joystick
:/

[AlDeezy @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:01PM]

I can't stand the mouse/keyboard combination for an fps game, it's too hard(for me) to use it efficiently without having to spend more money for those fancy gaming keyboards and mice. Fps's are better on consoles.

[Mr. Ford @ Jan 3rd 2009 8:24PM]

Just because you can't master the concept doesn't make it a bad one. They each have their advantages. Mouse/keyboard for the ultimate in accuracy and control, controller for more relaxing game play and not being tied to a desk.

[xtriker360 @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:11PM]

It takes more skill to play with a controller than a mouse/keyboard setup; so getting a head shop with mouse... child plays... getting with a controller, priceless.

[Smi @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:18PM]

Although that sounds plausible, it's really just an excuse for the controls being inferior.

[Wwhat @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:45PM]

ALL console FPS games use 'aim-assist' because of the lousiness of controlling with a controller, I hope you realise that.

[xtriker360 @ Jan 3rd 2009 6:01PM]

lol are you sure about that? I have you ever plaid fps?

[Scott @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:27PM]

Get yourself the Phantom Keyboard! It's sure to be a mega-hit!!

(instead of the vaporware its been for years....and perhaps my stock will go up a bit too!)

[Eldiablo @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:39PM]

Huh, I always thought you could plug a USB Keyboard/Mouse into the 360 for some reason. I've been meaning to try for a while, but I won't bother now.

[Bazza @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:44PM]

It's not about being able to use a keyboard/mouse natively on a 360. Because, then the game would have to have keyboard/mouse support.

It's about being able to use a keyboard/mouse in games that don't support them - i.e. the keyboard/mouse is emulating a controller (as it were).

[Bazza @ Jan 3rd 2009 2:44PM]

This has been done already.
See: http://www.divineo.com/cgi-bin/div-us/zz-360-max2
Saves on having to mod a controller, especially at that cost!!

I know people that have tried devices like these. None particularly liked the experience. Which is why these aren't more common place.

[wysiwyg @ Jan 3rd 2009 3:29PM]

There have been 2 -horrible- attempts at bringing m/kb support to the 360. It looks like the craptasticity of xfps/maxshooter was what started the xim development in the first place.

[wysiwyg @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:21PM]

I have to admit -It would be hard for me to pull this off with a controller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEkyQensIp4&eurl=&feature=player_embedded

Precise little movements like this drive me crazy with the 360 controller...

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 3rd 2009 3:40PM]

You also have to have a computer in the same room. WTF.

[null @ Jan 8th 2009 3:58PM]

The PC runs the software that translates mouse/keyboard/joystick/whatever in to controller input. Of course PC could be a cheap laptop, or whatever really. An old Pentium can probably handle the task without flaw. The XIM seems to be largely popular amongst PC gamers, anyway, and an Xbox 360 does equally well hooked up to a 26" S-IPS panel as it does to a 50" PVA. Better, really, if you want to take monitor performance in to account. The 26" IPS is almost always going to be faster than the *VA, and a TN panel or CRT is going to run circles around either.

[Aurora @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:17PM]

Hi all...I've been following the xim2 development since last May and have in fact ordered one....I have no connection with the development team at all I am purely a customer and forum member.
I became interested in xim as I was initially a PC gamer (and still am) but purchased a 360 when they were first released as it is quite obvious that the gaming world is moving towards the consoles.
Most PC games today are ported from the consoles with very few being PC exclusive and to be honest makes you question the sense of maintaining the cost of a high end PC for that hand full of exclusives....and particularly that xbox live has really nailed the online experience.
Aside from that I have adapted to the game pad quite well but I think that once you've used mouse and keyboard for FPS games you really can't help but feel hampered by the relatively slow and inaccurate game pad.
The other thing I missed going from PC to console and to be honest the major factor for me is the ability to customize your control set up and use in fact whatever input device you wish. I like to experiment with different input devices and configurations and that of course is very limited on the consoles.
Xim gives you that ability on the console. I'm really looking forward to getting mine...regardless of the price ( in fact if were to follow the development of the unit and what the price included then it becomes more understandable). As regards comparisons with other devices like the XFPS series...well I am not a technical expert but I understand that the main problem with these is firstly they have a considerable lag....which is almost completely absent with xim2...also the XFPS series respond very poorly to small mouse movements..again a problem solved with xim.
The xim team really have been selflessly committed to providing the best possible mouse keyboard experience on the 360 and from reports on their prototypes which were released/trialed last summer they have done a damn good job of it. For them this has been a labor of love and pursuit of excellence and not just a product churned out simply to relieve people of their cash.

[CubeGuy @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:35PM]

So nice to hear an impartial view. [/sarcasm]

[Aurora @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:53PM]

@CubeGuy....I've no axe to grind and am not given to fanboyism of any description....It is simply an opinion...my opinion...based on what I have observed since I have been following xim over the last 8 months....you may glibly dismiss it as you have or you may accept it as someones genuine and considered opinion based on more than a 5 line article in "engadget"

[CubeGuy @ Jan 3rd 2009 5:22PM]

Okay. Fine. Sorry.

I took my bad day out on you.

[Chris Gram @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:56PM]

Hey CubeGuy, it is not an impartial view. The XIM2 is truely awesome, nothing can compare to it when it comes to FPS in consoles. I am 1 of 150 owners of the original XIM2 that was just a small black chip that required you to solder in yourself. It has basically turned by xbox 360 into a second pc / noob owning machine. Headshots are almost just as easy to pull of on a PC.

Engadget is wrong with their view of saying that this costs too much. Think about it, the chip itself costs $60, the controller is $40, solder, soldering iron, and other relative tools about $30, shipping costs and running to and from stores for materials will definitely add up, phone calls and making the plans to send into fabrication for manufacturing the chip, and then there is all the extreme hard work they have put into this. The XIM Team makes little to no money on their "product" and their efforts are almost entirely for the community. Hell, I am very grateful they have decided to release it to others. They could have kept this awesome technology to themselves!

P.S. No other keyboard/mouse adapter is as good as this (XFPS is garbage!).

P.P.S. Thank you DerekTM, Obsiv, OMGsus, nickstudy, and all others invovled.

[LtripleE @ Jan 3rd 2009 4:59PM]

If you wanna use a keyboard and mouse, then why not get a PC?? Most 360 games are also on PC and you can use a 360 controller with it if you are that way inclined.

What will it do for online gaming?? Its well known that for speed and accuracy the keyboard/mouse is far better, so now we'll have a mix of the 2 making it even more difficult for the controller peeps than it already is. And I'm not sure about having to balance myself on the couch with a keyboard and mouse, to get the advantage.

Defeats the purpose of having a console.

[Aurora @ Jan 3rd 2009 5:15PM]

There are many reasons people may prefer to game on consoles rather than on pc's...I need to say no more than look at the number of units microsoft, sony and nintendo have sold in order to evidence that.
A proportion of those people will wish also to use mouse keyboard with them....some people swear that game pad is better than mouse keyboard and others swear visa versa.
It's just a matter of personal choice that until now wasn't available.
Some may wish to game on their couch others (like me) prefer to game seated at their desk...It's just personal choice

[Agent .25i @ Jan 3rd 2009 5:25PM]

Like Aurora says... at this point, it's just a matter of preference. I may go so far as to say the game type plays a lot into it as well. Take a driving game; ultimately the wheel may be best, but for arguments sake, on a PC, a controller (especially one with analog controls) will best a keyboard mouse. MMORPG's like DarkFall will never play properly on a controller.

Best thing to do... get them all.

http://www.xfire.com/blog/agent25i/394192/