Hands on: PS3 Wireless Keypad

At a recent Sony event in Toronto I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the recently unveiled PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad. While the model I was shown couldn’t be connected to a PS3 as it’s functionality is pending a PS3 firmware update, I did have the chance to get a good feel for it and learn about a few special features.

When you see it in pictures you can’t help but feel that placing the keypad about the controller might have been a poor design choice, making it somewhat unreachable. Thankfully that’s not the case. I can say with certainty that the PS3 wireless keypad is just as comfortable to use as it’s competitor, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 chatpad.

That’s not to say that the two are all that similar. There are a few notable differences between the 360 and PS3 products that put the PS3 version a few steps ahead of the competition. The most noticeable of these? The surface of the keys doubles as a touchpad, like the kind you’d find on a laptop. When surfing the web on your PS3, the keypad will provide you with a comfortable method of controlling the cursor.

The power supply and technical communication method on the PS3 model is different as well. The power is provided independent of the controller and features a rechargeable battery that can be charged via USB, while the communication with the PS3 is handled via bluetooth. This means that the keypad can be used independent of the controller, and even in conjunction with other devices.

Expect to see the PS3 Wireless Keypad hit store shelves this November.

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