[UPDATE] Leipzig: Sony announces wireless keypad

  • Posted August 20th, 2008 at 13:55 EDT by Dave Wales
  • 6,970 views
  • 38 Comments

Tired of trying to stretch your USB Keyboard over to your couch or typing out words via the directional pad? Sony finally has you covered in the form of a new wireless keypad accessory.

Announced at the platform holder’s Leipzig press conference this afternoon, the new peripheral, much like the 360's chatpad, will connect to the USB port of the controller for easy access. Apparently, the keypad will also have a touchpad mode for mouse input.

Not much else is known about the peripheral, but expect images to surface on the web shortly.

UPDATE: We've got two hi-res shots for you. One shows the device attached to the controller:

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Comments

Comment

What are your thoughts?

  1. mort

    • 12:12pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 1

    While this is a nice addition (or probabaly will be), what's wrong with a Bluetooth keyboard? I, like may others, use one for typing out messages, or web browsing, and it works flawlessly.

    Of course, this might be a more expensive option than the proposed keypad, but it has the advantage of being a full scale option.

    Anyway, it is a good thing that we are getting this as it adds one more option for PS3 users.

     

  2. saso_7 | goose_7

    • 1:11pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 2

    ok how much? this sure will come in handy

  3. Anubys003 | Anubys003

    • 1:13pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 3

    oooh this will be cool :)

  4. Fenix | Faenix1

    • 1:26pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 4

    Wonder if this will be 29.99-34.99 like 360s chatpad.. >_>

  5. HalfOfZero | HalfOfZero

    • 1:32pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 5

    Well there's currently another wireless keypad like this on the market (Find it in Amazon.co.uk or Play.com I think), so if this official one is marginaly more expensive, they'll loose out.

     

    That bein said, this is one hooooooot add on, which is a MUST!

    Either way I'll end up buyin it :P

  6. marronthered | MarrontheRed

    • 1:32pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 6

    looks cool. will buy it its under £30

  7. bracomadar | bracomadar

    • 1:33pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 7

    Nice!  Even though the virtual keyboard on the screen works pretty well, this will be a lot better. 

  8. shamurai7

    • 1:52pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 8

    that looks pretty awesome!   i will for sure get one of these.   now if it had a built in mic you could turn on and off with the touch of a button i would poop my pants.

  9. T-Dogg400 | T-Dogg400

    • 1:57pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 9

    Looks cool, but i will check the price first espically in the UK.

  10. varun24 | hellbringer321

    • 2:18pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 10

    damn looks awesome...

  11. TaMszz | TaMss

    • 2:20pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 11

    Nah i'll stick with my usb keyboard

  12. BigC3 | BigC3

    • 2:26pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 12

    damn, i just bought one of these amazon ones from Logic3!

    Ah well, i expect this will be more expensive.

  13. BigC3 | BigC3

    • 2:26pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 13

    damn, i just bought one of these amazon ones from Logic3!

    Ah well, i expect this will be more expensive.

  14. PS3-The Ultimate Machine

    • 2:32pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 14

    That's one nice lookin' accessory,Sony wasn't kidding about having awesome announcements.

  15. TobiUchiha | TobiUchiha

    • 2:42pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 15

    I hope it is expensive otherwise loads of little kids are gonna buy it and we're all gonna be overwhelmed by the built in swear-word button (look in the middle at the bottom)

  16. SAtrooper

    • 2:52pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 16

    going to buy this. looks good

  17. terminator12259 | tacitassassin25

    • 2:55pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 17

    it looks good, i am sure it could come in handy especially with ingame messaging

  18. Maxkiller | Maxkiller0

    • 3:12pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 18

    ok where i live Gibraltar this is already out?? lol wtf i saw this where i buy my ps3 games it was next to ps3 controllers ?? what the he.ll oh and i think it was like like 20 pounds or something

  19. gameoholic | Demented007

    • 3:17pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 19

    Man, im goin to get this! It will come in handy when playin online, when some one wants to chat your ear off. PSN ID- Demented007

  20. Excelryu | Falryu

    • 4:23pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 20

    @mort Grabbing a normal keyboard requires you to drop the controller and search for or hold it on your lap. Depending on the location of the PS3 using a normal keyboard would result very uncomfortable. This is very useful when gaming because you don't lose time taking out the keyboard and getting it ready. You have it already on the controller waiting for input.

    @shamurai7 Just buy the socom confrontation game. It brings the official bluetooth headset included with the game.

     The touch pad is a nice use. Tablets actually work with PS3. It would be cool that they made a touch pad based game.

  21. deniled

    • 4:28pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 21

    I have a wired keyboard and mouse on my ps3 but this is really nice!!

  22. droopysp

    • 4:56pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 22

    thats official, always wanted sumthing like that

  23. selfish

    • 5:06pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 23

    Isn't this ironic that the official wireless keypad and the official headset is arriving around the rumored release of Home? Sweet nonetheless. Big ups to Sony!!

  24. Yuk-Yuk | Yuk-Yuk

    • 5:12pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 24

    That looks cool. I'd buy one but why no price announced?

  25. XenoSilvano | XenoSilvano

    • 5:24pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 25

    I didn't think it'd look so fugly

     

    haha what the fück is that!

     

    is this really gonna sell?

     

    My logitec looks better the that sh!t

  26. wufei | Wufenopolis

    • 6:25pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 26

    meh... i think i'll pass... my wireless keyboard works just fine.  the extra weight and quicker battery drain would annoy me.

  27. tristan88888888 | Tristan88888888

    • 7:38pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 27

    how do you mve your thumb up there while holding the controller. it just looks out of reach to me. hopefully works better than it seems it will.

  28. gingo | gingo

    • 8:03pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 28

    psn id: gingo... i will definitely buy this when it comes out, i am stuck with the on screen keyboard at the moment and it is really annoying for long messages and i cant be bothered with a bluetooth keyboard so this will be handy

  29. Atreides

    • 8:56pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 29

    Release a dvorak one please!

  30. GINGI500

    • 9:05pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 30

    Thats a must buy for me

  31. DeadOnArrival06 | DeadOnArrival06

    • 10:08pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 31

    This is a must for me! Thank you, Sony.

  32. smokeondavidp69 | smokeon

    • 11:51pm BST - August 20th, 2008
    • 32

    my bluetooth logitech keyboard works great but i'll get this looks pretty good i wish sony would make a bluetooth wireless camera with a 200 to 300 frames per sec, and not trying to bit#h but sony needs to update the web browser i don't have a pc so it would be nice to surf the world wide web www with out error or freezing so bad that i have to get up and cut the power off and restart, sorry i got off track. PSN ID smokeon

  33. Rauland | PPp_Killer

    • 1:21am BST - August 21st, 2008
    • 33

    awesome it cool but kind of ulgy at the smae time but not to ulgy idk i want one

  34. Hyourinmaru | DAT1AZNPAN

    • 3:09am BST - August 21st, 2008
    • 34

    looks hot i'll get it if it's at a nice price >.> anything over the price of a dualshock 3 or close to it will NOT be reasonable

  35. bilbo_bobbins | bilbo_bobbins

    • 5:18am BST - August 21st, 2008
    • 35

    looks pretty nifty...will buy if less than the controllers.

  36. The Mask | JSack20

    • 11:09am BST - August 21st, 2008
    • 36

    i would defiantly get this for web browsing and messaging as it can get awkward to type especially when you don't want to bother putting down the controller, i have a keyboard and mouse but i don't see logic in using them except when i'm on linux

  37. jigglespsu

    • 4:50am BST - August 25th, 2008
    • 37

    I'll stick to usb as I can use it with my laptop or another pc as a spare incase.  Others may use a regular b-tooth kbd to pair with a phone or whatever.  I don't see any real advantage of this.  Seems like a keep up with microsoft daft ideas to me

  38. ryanstarr | ryanstarr

    • 7:15am BST - August 29th, 2008
    • 38

    theres 1 out like this in hmv their almost identical and its only £10

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