Display keyboard for gamers and streamers

A lavish mechanical keyboard first shown off three years ago is finally going on sale, promising to turn a typing tool into a desk-sized display. The Centerpiece keyboard, built around a glass panel with mechanical switches sitting underneath, can play looping animations, reactive effects and even simple games across its surface. Its maker is pitching the device squarely at streamers and creators who want their setup to look as distinctive on camera as it feels under the fingers. The board uses hot-swappable switches and a detachable cable, so enthusiasts can still tune sound and feel even though the whole top plate is a screen.

The high-concept design comes with trade-offs: a high price, limited compatibility with existing keycap sets and questions over durability and distraction. Instead of traditional keycaps, each legend has to be aligned with on-screen graphics, which makes custom layouts more complex. The keyboard uses companion software to manage animations and profiles, raising the usual concerns over bloat and long-term support. Yet the launch underlines how the enthusiast keyboard market has pushed beyond acoustics and ergonomics into full-blown visual spectacle. If the Centerpiece finds an audience, it could open the door for more display-embedded input devices—from animated shortcut panels to keyboards that adapt their legends for different languages and apps in real time.