Want To Play With A Mouse and Keyboard on Playstation 3, for a Reasonable Price? Now You Can, With the Eagle Eye!

For those who grew up on PC gaming, this new generation of consoles can be quite a hurdle to overcome. They are more cost efficient, they don't require yearly upgrades, they have a huge player base, but they also have a completely different control mechanism. Consoles use a controller, though not the same controller for both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 they are very similar. For someone who has not grown up with these controllers, they can be very difficult to get used to, especially in fast paced, reaction reliant games such as Call of Duty and Gears of War. For a long time there was no alternative to using this controller. So if you wanted to play with friends on a console, you had to struggle using the controller, even if you know you are a better player on PC with a mouse / keyboard combo.

Well times have changed. Thanks to Penguin United, PC players can now play the PS3 with a mouse and keyboard. I will warn you that it is not exactly PC like, due to the nature of the programming. The converter takes the right analog stick and maps it to the mouse, so the mouse will not be as smooth as it would on PC, but it is still much better than a controller if you are used to using the m/k combo.

The Eagle Eye comes with a CD that you will load into the computer for first setup. At this time you will plug the adapter into your PC via USB and run the software. This software is what allows you to map the controller buttons to the keyboard. This is completely customizable, so it can be set up in whatever manner is most comfortable for you. The sensitivity of the mouse as well as the deadzone can all be tweaked until it feels perfect. These are different for every game, however, so what feels right for Call of Duty may not feel the same for Battlefield Bad Company 2, but this can be tweaked with a quick slider bar and the adapter itself can store two separate config files. So if you play two different shooters often, no need to worry, simply toggle to either "Key Map 1" or "Key Map 2".

Once the configurations are done, the Eagle Eye is simply plug-and-play into the PS3. Penguin United has a very active forum that they run in which Eagle Eye users can give their feedback and even export configuration files and upload them to the site to share with others. Keep in mind that different mice have different DPI settings, which will throw off the sensitivity, so it is best to find a configuration file that was made by someone with the same mouse as you. Don't worry they are usually clearly labeled.

There is one large downside, however, the Eagle Eye does not work 100% with all mice and keyboards. It will only work with USB powered accessories, and even then not all of them are included. There is a list provided on the Penguin United forums that is updated by community members who use the adapter. These users will post what keyboards and mice work and how well they work, they also let you know if they find one that isn't compatible. So be sure to check beforehand to see if you have a compatible setup, if not, some of the ones that work could be purchased for very cheap.

This converter will achieve what is, to date, the best replication of a PC mouse and keyboard control scheme in the console world. This adapter works with every PS3 title, but is best suited for shooters. It is extremely easy to to configure and will literally have you playing in under 30 minutes after unboxing.