Ergodex DX1

There's never been a keyboard like this before. And there may never be again...

An ergonomic keyboard can only go so far when trying to provide a comfy fit for your sweaty pointers. After all, the only person with exactly the same sized hands as you is the clone your parents secretly created in the heady misspent Neo-Nazi days of their youth. But what if you could build your very own keyboard, one whose keys were positioned precisely around the shape of your unique hand? That’s exactly what the Ergodex DX1 promises… and delivers.

It’s basically a large, very flat, USB powered slab, upon which you stick the included 25 keys. Each key has an adhesive base, and you simply slap it down on the base wherever it feels most comfortable. Then it’s into the simple software to set up a profile for your chosen game, and recording either individual keystrokes or macros to each key.

It’ll take you roughly 30 minutes to set up a more complex keyboard, 5 minutes for something very simple. You’ll find that you’ll use a key layout very similar to a standard keyboard, but everything will be at an angle that is much more of a natural fit. If your memory isn’t all it used to be, a stack of stickers is included so you can label each key.

Using the DX1 shows just how unnatural a keyboard really is, and is definitely a comfier fit, but this interesting gadget isn’t without its problems. For starters, it’s easily the most expensive keyboard we’ve seen, at $250 for the basic unit, and another 25 keys on top of the included 25 will cost you an extra $75. And trust us, you’ll probably want to go the extra 25, as you don’t realise just how many keys a game needs until you don’t have them all. And if you play online games with text chat, forget all about the DX1.

If your games don’t require more than 17 billion keystrokes and you still have winnings from your Powerball jackpot, the DX1 ushers in a whole new era of RSI-free gaming.