Logitech’s latest keyboard kit works in VR

The kit consists of a Logitech G gaming keyboard, an accessory that positions a Vive Tracker correctly on the keyboard, and the associated software (valued at MSRP U.S. $150).

Logitech will be seeding 50 of these kits to select developers with the goal of partnering to create compelling new experiences centred around a VR keyboard.

Logitech has a small team focused on understanding and exploring experiences in the Virtual and Augmented Reality ecosystems, and how Logitech might improve those experiences.

As part of that exploration, they've worked closely with the HTC Vive team and we are ready to share this Beta Experience with the development community.

During their initial explorations of VR, they were struck by the fact that keyboard use and text entry were necessary but not natural, and they've heard similar complaints from others.

Their motivation comes from the research-backed understanding that in certain situations the user still needs a keyboard to interact with applications, particularly in productivity-driven or desktop scenarios, but also in games, social applications and content browsing.

Darshan Shankar, Bigscreen CEO says, "We've been working with Logitech over the past year and think what they've created is the solution we all need.

"Virtual keyboards are great for simple interactivity, but for productivity and collaboration there's nothing quite like the tactile feel of typing on an actual physical keyboard."

"Being able to see your keyboard in VR makes it significantly easier to type and interact with our computers.

They believe that a physical keyboard should be present, as it delivers essential tactile feedback and a universal experience that people value.

Whether users are using a keyboard for gaming, communication or productivity, it is an effective and efficient tool.

Besides letters, numbers and symbols, keyboards provide a range of modifier keys for more complex actions, all learned, perhaps painfully, and stored in the user's memory over years of use.

But VR can transform and augment that trusty keyboard and integrate it into the user's virtual world.

This device could become essential to any VR setup, and as these devices become more mainstream they could become vital to any PC setup as well, ensuring that a user's virtual spaces are complete, whether that virtual space is an office or a gaming room.