Fortnite XIM

Using an XIM adapter when playing Fortnite Battle Royale will allow you to use your Keyboard and Mouse when playing on consoles such as PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. When playing Fortnite Battle Royale on PS4, Xbox or even Nintendo Switch, sometimes you may want to use your Keyboard and Mouse to get that competitive advantage over other users. It is well known that Keyboard and Mouse users have a competitve advantage over other users who use the controller and so many players who use console as their main platform are investing in XIM adapters. You can use the XIM adapter for other games as well as Fortnite, so if you prefer to use Keyboard and Mouse as your input, you're in luck.

Fortnite XIM

What is an XIM adapter?

An XIM adapter works by converting your keyboard and mouse inputs to the PS4,Xbox and Nintendo consoles so that they work just as well as if you were using them on PC. Most consoles have some kind of strange interference with keyboard and mouse inputs, which is why when you plug them in you'll often find them either blocked from being used or just generally in an unusable state. The XIM adapter attempts to bypass these issues and allows you to use the mouse and keyboard flawlessly. The XIM adapter is developed by XIM Apex and retails at around $120 USD. With the popularity of Fortnite the use of XIM has exploded due to players wanting to gain an advantage over other controller users.

Is using an XIM cheating?

Fortnite Battle Royale is designed so that you can use whatever input you like. If you play on PS4 or Xbox, even in Arena modes, you'll be thrown into lobbies with other PC users. Fortnite also puts you into regular lobbies with other PC users if it detects you're using a mouse and keyboard. As far as we are aware, XIM isn't cheating but some players feel like it should be blocked from use due to the advantage it gives other players. There is always a debat going on with keyboard and mouse versus controller- some PC players even believe the controller is OP and shouldn't be allowed in PC lobbies. It's a strange world.

Many users claim having a XIM makes you have "god-mode" against other non-xim users, but a lot of users who use the XIM will tell you that's not the case.

How does XIM work in Fortnite?

It's fairly easy to use. The XIM is a USB pen that you put into your PS4/Xbox and then plug your mouse/keyboard into the adapter. It will then work by mapping your input to the PS4/Xbox's controller for you automatically so you can play with what input device you prefer. Once everything is all setup, you can go into Fortnite as normal and use your Mouse+Keyboard to play Battle Royale games. You can configure the XIM using the tutorials and manual that come with the device to set it up to work however you like. One of the issues with using an XIM adapter is that it can cause some input lag compared to using your mouse and keyboard on your PC. Playing Fortnite on a computer, everything will feel very responsive, but using an XIM can feel a little sluggish for some games which aren't optimised to use the device. There's also no guarantee the XIM will work with certain games- some games put out patches to block the use of XIM to help keep the playing field even and sometimes an update will just cause the XIM not to work.

XIM is always updating the firmware behind the adapter so if something should block the XIM's use, usually the adapter's firmware updates will resolve issues you're having. When you first purchase the XIM, it's best to update to the latest firmware on the device to make sure you're running it at optimal settings. You can find out how to update the XIM's firmware through the manual or on their website.

Should I use an XIM for Fortnite or practise more with a controller?

There are pro-players who still use a controller when playing Fortnite, including those who competed at the World Cup. However, the numbers are significantly lower than those who use Keyboard and Mouse and many will tell you this set of input devices is superiod to the keyboard and mouse. Should you use an XIM when playing on PS4/Xbox? I would only recommend it if you're already comfortable with Keyboard and Mouse. Playing with Keyboard and Mouse takes a lot of practise too, just like a controller, so resetting yourself back to square one might not be such a good idea if you're only wanting to gain a small advantage over others. An XIM may give you better control of aiming with Fortnite Weapons, but it controllers have something called Aim Assist which is turned on to help controller players get better aim.