Finalmouse is well-known for producing boutique gaming mice, and it is ready to expand its product line to include mechanical keyboards. The Centerpiece, a flashy input device with a full-color display behind the keycaps, will be the company’s first mechanical keyboard. The board will have its own CPU and GPU, enabling it to run skins built using the Unreal Engine that can be customized. Finalmouse intends to charge $350 for the Centerpiece, which is rather reasonable for high-end mechanical keyboards.
The Centerpiece features a 65% keyboard, which means no Numpad keys, but it does have the normal alpha, modifier, and arrow layout. LED light is prevalent on keyboards these days, and some have even tried it with small monochrome OLED screens. LCDs are significantly less widespread and are never incorporated into designs in this way. A color display with an undisclosed resolution is hidden under the Centerpiece’s transparent keycaps. The reference video demonstrates its playing video, interactive animations, and even basic games with outstanding smoothness.
DisplayCircuit Glass Stack is the name given to this technology by its creators. The keyboard will support up to three Unreal-based skins at once, with more skins accessible through Finalmouse’s “Freethinker Portal.”
Additionally, it will support the sale of skins, which will encourage developers to make and share skins. The popularity of high-end mechanical keyboards has skyrocketed in recent years, and a price tag of $350 is not out of the ordinary at all. However, the claims stated in the demo video appear exaggerated for this pricing. Finalmouse often produces things in limited batches, so you must act quickly to acquire one. Devices will eventually appear at other stores, generally at significantly greater costs. Attempting to purchase one of the company’s mice might cost you up to $600-700.
It’s possible that Finalmouse is making financial savings on the keyboard components of its first mechanical keyboard. It mentions a few characteristics, such as the pre-lubricated Gateron linear switches, but skips over things that a keyboard lover would desire, such as stabilizer design, keycap profile, and mounting type. This appears to be more of a curiosity for gamers and PC fans than a product for mechanical keyboard experts, but that doesn’t make it any less fascinating. Keep an eye on Finalmouse’s website and social media if you want to try to get your hands on the Centerpiece. The board will be made available at an unspecified point in early 2023.