The WRAEK Tactonic Pro is currently doing rounds because the team believe they can change gaming, by giving you an ultra-sensitive palm rest that you use in-game for movements. Is it time for a revolution on PC inputs?
With the basic idea being that you rest your palm on their special pad, which will detect your wiggling movements and convert it into actual movements in-game. They say it acts like a thumbstick, and it can "detect as little as 10g of force" with "isometric force technology found in joysticks of combat fighter jets but in a miniaturized version". Designed to sit underneath a tenkeyless keyboard, it's also magnetic to stick to the casing if your keyboard has a metal build.
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To go along with it, they're also doing their own WRAEK Tactonic Keyboard which is a fully customisable, tenkeyless mechanical keyboard. What's really great to see though, is how Linux has clearly been making more waves - enough for this hardware vendor to target it too. They said their software is fully compatible with Linux!
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If you're interested you can check out their Kickstarter. It has 32 days to go and it's fully funded.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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20 comments
having used wooting keyboard which also """"revolutionized"""" pc gaming with analog switches, I can say that this is just another useless gimmick that's gonna cause more interference (i ended up disabling joystick emulation on my wooting completely) than improvement, not to mention getting each individual game to work with something like it is a pain in the ass for very little benefit.
lastly: TKL only? seriously?
lastly: TKL only? seriously?
4 Likes, Who?
I wrote a snarky comment, but I changed my mind and deleted it. Actually I'd like to see a "hands -on" review of this, from some independent reviewer.
People liked (and some still do) to mock the Steam Controller touch-pads, as useless, not-usable/etc, but after using them for years I think they're best thing for a controller to have.
So yeah, I'm curious.
People liked (and some still do) to mock the Steam Controller touch-pads, as useless, not-usable/etc, but after using them for years I think they're best thing for a controller to have.
So yeah, I'm curious.
4 Likes, Who?
OneSubtractOne Feb 9, 2022
I dunno if any of you have ever gamed on a laptop with a touchpad, but if you HAVE, you'll know how frustrating it is to be mid game, and hit the touchpad by mistake with your palm, and then die horribly cos your character is spinning or something.
Is this gonna be that, only intentional? Cos that would be horrific.
Is this gonna be that, only intentional? Cos that would be horrific.
3 Likes, Who?
I wrote a snarky comment, but I changed my mind and deleted it. Actually I'd like to see a "hands -on" review of this, from some independent reviewer.
People liked (and some still do) to mock the Steam Controller touch-pads, as useless, not-usable/etc, but after using them for years I think they're best thing for a controller to have.
So yeah, I'm curious.
Having used the Steam Controller and loving it otherwise, I'd have to agree. And I think I've figured out the fatal flaw with the touch pad -- it's way too big.
If it were a smaller pad that did essentially the same thing, maybe covering half the size, it would be much more useful. One of the biggest problems I have with it is how far I have to move my thumb to get around on it, and I don't have small hands.
Otherwise, it was honestly a great piece of kit.
0 Likes
I don't buy it, but would like to see an extended review done on this.
0 Likes
slaapliedje Feb 9, 2022
having used wooting keyboard which also """"revolutionized"""" pc gaming with analog switches, I can say that this is just another useless gimmick that's gonna cause more interference (i ended up disabling joystick emulation on my wooting completely) than improvement, not to mention getting each individual game to work with something like it is a pain in the ass for very little benefit.Ha, yeah I too bought a wooting keyboard because it sounded cool, and I thought it could be useful... mostly I've just had weird issues with a key going ape-shit on key presses. Seems to have stabilized recently. Also I have issues with the keys being so high off the keyboard that random shit on my desk like cables will slide just perfectly under them, and prevent the key going down (for example I have an HDMI cable coming out from my monitor I hook various devices up to for testing, and it'll get wedged under the esc key, and when I go to hit it... nada!)
lastly: TKL only? seriously?
I also bought a mouse with an analog stick on it... still haven't bothered configuring THAT for anything... ha
https://www.thefpsreview.com/2020/01/07/asus-debuts-new-gaming-mouse-with-builtin-joystick-at-ces/
0 Likes
Hmm, I'm skeptical but interested. Joysticks are obviously superior for movement input, but I'm afraid the palm might lack precision/mobility to pull that off.
Now, this is just a touchpad... I'm pretty sure someone could cook up a libinput driver that converts a regular touchpad into some left joystick input!
Now, this is just a touchpad... I'm pretty sure someone could cook up a libinput driver that converts a regular touchpad into some left joystick input!
0 Likes
Seems like so many other "game changing" keyboards.
Just the same stupid non orthogonal QWERTY layout with some more options around.
It’s time the world opens out from QWERTY and similar (like AZERTY in France).
The TypeMatrix BÉPO is not the perfect keyboard, but it’s so better than AZERTY already... Also BÉPO was approuved as the second official French standard a couple years ago, so that’s something. Even if it’s almost impossible to find one in regular shops, at least you can buy stikers, or proper BÉPO from internet (overpriced) stores.
In english, i think the DVORAK jaout or something alike is "superior" but still marginal ? Not sure about non-french stuff though.
Just the same stupid non orthogonal QWERTY layout with some more options around.
It’s time the world opens out from QWERTY and similar (like AZERTY in France).
The TypeMatrix BÉPO is not the perfect keyboard, but it’s so better than AZERTY already... Also BÉPO was approuved as the second official French standard a couple years ago, so that’s something. Even if it’s almost impossible to find one in regular shops, at least you can buy stikers, or proper BÉPO from internet (overpriced) stores.
In english, i think the DVORAK jaout or something alike is "superior" but still marginal ? Not sure about non-french stuff though.
1 Likes, Who?
Seems like so many other "game changing" keyboards.A touchpad for your palm is like a game changing keyboard?
They're not saying the keyboard is game changing, they're saying the separate thing, sold separately, under the keyboard is game changing. I'm skeptical, but it's a different claim.
0 Likes
It would surely require some getting used to, but i can imagine it might be a nice thing for at least some. TKL is no option for me though, so at least i'm not spoilt for choice ^^
Seeing HW vendors adoption Linux is a great thing though!
Seeing HW vendors adoption Linux is a great thing though!
0 Likes
What's the mmo from 0:36?
0 Likes
What's the mmo from 0:36?
Based on the fonts alone it looks like FF XIV.
0 Likes
I dunno if any of you have ever gamed on a laptop with a touchpad, but if you HAVE, you'll know how frustrating it is to be mid game, and hit the touchpad by mistake with your palm, and then die horribly cos your character is spinning or something.
Is this gonna be that, only intentional? Cos that would be horrific.
I literally was thinking almost the same thing!! Except instead of gaming, I was thinking of the times I've been typing a report only to realize I accidentally touched the touchpad, moved the cursor, and my last five sentences are now in the middle of a different paragraph....
It was so annoying to me, I actually bought a laptop that had the touchpad above the keyboard!
Maybe I'm being to cynical...
3 Likes, Who?
furaxhornyx Feb 10, 2022
Looks like quicker wrist pain 
1 Likes, Who?
Philadelphus Feb 10, 2022
What wristy wrack hath WRAEK wrought? Readily in evidence is the wreck wreaked on hapless wrenched wrists, restlessly arrested above the touchpad, rapidly escalating into wreckage as they relentlessly wrestle gravity so that your character isn't suddenly wrested into roving abreast of a wretched reckoning wreathed with enemy fire when least expected! At least when using WASD* at present I can rest my wrist on the wrist-rest reckless of consequence.
*Which is, I reckon, 10% of my library, at best?
Last edited by Philadelphus on 10 February 2022 at 6:41 am UTC
*Which is, I reckon, 10% of my library, at best?
Last edited by Philadelphus on 10 February 2022 at 6:41 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
What wristy wrack hath WRAEK wrought? Readily in evidence is the wreck wreaked on hapless wrenched wrists, restlessly arrested above the touchpad, rapidly escalating into wreckage as they relentlessly wrestle gravity so that your character isn't suddenly wrested into roving abreast of a wretched reckoning wreathed with enemy fire when least expected! At least when using WASD* at present I can rest my wrist on the wrist-rest reckless of consequence.What is this? I said, bring me a wench!
0 Likes
Seems like so many other "game changing" keyboards.
Just the same stupid non orthogonal QWERTY layout with some more options around.
It’s time the world opens out from QWERTY and similar (like AZERTY in France).
The TypeMatrix BÉPO is not the perfect keyboard, but it’s so better than AZERTY already... Also BÉPO was approuved as the second official French standard a couple years ago, so that’s something. Even if it’s almost impossible to find one in regular shops, at least you can buy stikers, or proper BÉPO from internet (overpriced) stores.
In english, i think the DVORAK jaout or something alike is "superior" but still marginal ? Not sure about non-french stuff though.
TypeMatrix is not the only game in town when it comes to ortholinear/orthocolumnar: I use a nice ergodox EZ, and I'm very happy about it.
For gaming, having the ability to game without moving your hand from the home row (ESDF instead of WASD/ZQSD) is really nice, it gives you better access to more buttons. I have a special "gaming" layer that remaps those to WASD, and removes the escape/meta/alt buttons that are typically under my left hand. The real shame is that the keyboard firmware still needs to interact with drivers, so you can't produce arbitrary unicode codepoints on arbitrary keys.
It's a small improvement, but I still regret the lack of analog control and force feedback in keyboards.
I also agree with you on layouts, though we don't even see the AFNOR-approved AZERTY keyboard in French stores (LDLC hinted at something, maybe?). I need to try BÉPO, but for now I'm quite happy with my fully custom layout and blank keyboard.
1 Likes, Who?
I dunno if any of you have ever gamed on a laptop with a touchpad, but if you HAVE, you'll know how frustrating it is to be mid game, and hit the touchpad by mistake with your palm, and then die horribly cos your character is spinning or something.That's exactly what I was thinking. My laptop actually disables the touchpad for milliseconds at a time when it detects key presses. Not a good setting for a program like Blender, but I don't do anything serious like that on my laptop anyway.
Is this gonna be that, only intentional? Cos that would be horrific.
But, if you're doing it on purpose, maybe it could be used to steer a car with an analog feeling instead of fully on / full off when you use keys. Or maybe it will be a way to make fun of people because the only use you can think of is adult games.
2 Likes, Who?
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