Split ergonomic keyboards are not a new thing, but they’ve never before been optimized for gaming, according to ergonomic keyboard creator Kinesis Corporation.
That’s why it’s launching Kinesis Gaming, a new division dedicated to ergonomic gaming peripherals. Freestyle Edge, a split mechanical keyboard made specifically for PC gaming, is its first offering. A Kickstarter campaign for the keyboard launched March 15, and it’s already close to its original goal.
“We’d always known that gamers were using our ergonomic keyboards because of their comfort, but those keyboards were never designed for the extreme demands of gaming,” said Dylan Hargreaves, Kinesis vice president. “When we started hearing about the rash of [injuries] in the esports community we recognized that we had the expertise and the technology to create a keyboard that would change the way people play video games forever.”
With gaming, players typically only use the left side of the keyboard. A split keyboard gives players the freedom to adjust their setups for more comfortable positioning. The Freestyle Edge is split right down the middle, with a 20 inch cable linking the two pieces. Red, blue, and brown Cherry MX switches are available.
Other features gamers will have come to expect include layout keys, extra macro and game keys, multimedia controls, and 100-percent anti-ghosting. All are included in the Freestyle Edge. Keyboards start at $125 in the Kickstarter campaign and go up from there. Add-ons for additional customization increase the price by a bit.
