If you find the RGB LEDs dancing on your keyboard’s keys to be a distraction, you may want to steer clear of Finalmouse’s upcoming mechanical keyboard. Last Mouse Centerpiece announced Saturday is a mechanical keyboard with its own display that displays animated visuals via the keyboard’s transparent keycaps, and switches for a look that’s as distracting as it is dazzling.
Known for making finalmouse PC mice with elaborate designs and generally limited availability. It typically goes after PC gamers looking for a unique and custom feel for their setup. Now Finalmouse is announcing its first keyboard that takes elaborate design to a new level.
Finalmouse hasn’t shared many details about the display running underneath the Centerpiece’s keys. For example, we don’t know the exact size, brightness, resolution or refresh rate. However, the display is said to be powered by “interactive skins” using Unreal Engine 5. It’s unclear how many skins Centerpiece will launch with, but in the Finalmouse video, it showed various possibilities running away from swimming koi fish. You press a button for rippling water effect, grazing lion and 3D animations.
mechanical keyboards They’re some of the most customizable peripherals you’ll find, but they’re far more flashy than most of Finalmouse’s Centerpiece, even Asus’ ROG Strix Flare II Animate with 312 customizable Mini LEDs.
we saw mechanics on-screen keyboards previously next to the keys, but the Center Piece’s screen is front and center. For this reason, we can find that animations are extremely distracting, especially for non-touch typists and people playing competitive games. Cleverly, a brightness switch on the side of the keyboard lets you turn off the screen.
Interestingly, Finalmouse says the Centerpiece uses its own CPU and GPU, so powering the display does not consume the resources of the connected system.
Artists requested by Finalmouse may submit skins to play on the Centerpiece’s screen and have the option to monetize them. However, no further details were given. Finalmouse’s announcement said they will be able to submit different skins for the Centerpiece for people to use via a Finalmouse Steam app called The Freethinker Portal, allowing Centerpiece users to download designs and toggle up to three through a special switch on the side of the keyboard.
The Centerpiece is said to be based on what Finalmouse calls the Laminated DisplayCircuit Glass Stack. As you can imagine, glass is not a material often used in mechanical keyboards. It should be properly protected inside an aluminum case; However, there are still many questions about durability and how it all works. Finalmouse, of course, claims that the keyboard is sturdy enough to withstand extreme use.
Also, the company claims that the glass stack is compressed with gaskets, making it “acoustic typing and feeling different from the rest.” Finalmouse’s announcement said the keyboard’s sound profile is described as “soft marble raindrops” (not said by who), but we’ll have to hear that for ourselves to be sure that’s a good thing.
Beyond its crazy look, the keyboard also uses mechanical switches based on Gateron’s linear Black Ink switches. Gateron’s switch has 4mm of travel and operates with 60g of force. Finalmouse said the switches on the Centerpiece keyboard should have faster actuation and “slightly” different travel characteristics. The company will also sell a version of the keyboard. Analog switches using Hall effect sensorsso users can choose the actuation point of the switches themselves (somewhere within the total movement of the switch).
With its cut-out layout, whimsical design (including keycaps with only side-printed descriptions) and high price, the Centerpiece will be limited to those looking for a bold PC accessory to transform and dominate their setup and protect themselves, or perhaps online audiences. Wow. Finalmouse says the keyboard will be available early next year for $349.
You can watch Finalmouse’s video showing the effects of the Centerpiece below:
Finalmouse Centerpiece Keyboard Reveal.
