Finalmouse’s first-ever keyboard is certainly making a splash, but it may be more distracting than practical.
Finalmouse / Twitter
It’s equal parts ridiculous and innovative. Finalmouse makes its entrance into the mechanical keyboard world with the Centerpiece, which has an actual screen built underneath.
The interactive skins are powered by Unreal Engine 5 and Finalmouse will have a skin marketplace on its Steam app. The possibilities are endless, but we already see a handful of previews in Finalmouse’s teaser video.
Finalmouse / Twitter
Of course, everyone wants to know how it types. Finalmouse says it sounds and feels like “soft marble raindrops.” If you want a more practical answer, here’s a leaked demo courtesy of u/bingbangbingbangbang on Reddit.
The Centerpiece uses switches that are based on Gateron’s BlackInk switch, but tweaked with faster actuation and adjusted travel parameters. The keyboard only needs to be plugged in with a USB-C cable since it has its own GPU and CPU. In the future, Finalmouse says a hall effect analog switch option will be available.
Finalmouse / Twitter
On its face, it seems like just another pretty gimmick, but it has sure gotten everyone’s attention. Even more surprising, Finalmouse priced the Centerpiece at $349.
That doesn’t seem very expensive compared to the slippery slope of expensive builds that’s common in the world of mechanical keyboards.
Finalmouse / Twitter
Finalmouse says the Centerpiece will be available in early 2023. Like its previous releases, the keyboard will likely sell out quickly and be resold for double or triple its retail price.