PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad review
By Tim Stevens 
posted Dec 19th 2008 1:55PM
posted Dec 19th 2008 1:55PM
Design
The Wireless Keypad is a small, lightweight thing that uses a spring-loaded clamp to affix itself onto your wireless controller -- whether it be of the tingly DualShock3 variety or the rather more frigid original. Once attached it covers the PS, Start, and Select buttons, which are replicated for your convenience in the same location (just a bit higher). There's the full QWERTY spread ready for prodding, plus a few extra buttons, including dedicated ones that bring up your messages list and your friends list. Logical additions, they, because most people who buy this will be sending messages to friends.
It has a smart, sophisticated look, but those buttons are awfully, awfully tiny -- touch-typing here will take a good bit of practice for even the most experienced texters. They also don't give much feedback when pressed, barely registering any movement at all, leaving you to frequently look up at the screen and see if your input has been registered (which wouldn't be a problem if touch-typing were easier). Also, the device protrudes from top of the controller, which can be a bit of a reach. Years of smartphone use has left us with freakishly elongated thumbs, yet even we found ourselves having to tilt the controller upward to reach some of the keys. This is in contrast to the Xbox 360's Chatpad, which sits below the controller and is generally more comfortable to use.
Another major difference between the two products is that, while the Chatpad relies on the Xbox 360 controller for power, the Wireless Keypad has a separate battery. In fact, beyond the spring-loaded clamp, it's completely independent of the gamepad. On one hand this means it won't put any additional strain on the controller's power (not an issue we've heard anyone complaining about), but on the other, rather more frustrating hand this means you now have yet another hungry device requiring sustenance through a Mini-USB plug -- and one more gadget to forget to turn off, too.
Touchpad
As mentioned above, the buttons aren't the easiest to hit or the most responsive we've ever used, but typing with the Keypad is still infinitely better than entering text with the D-pad and on-screen virtual keyboard. The scrolling touchpad functionality, however, is rather less usable. The concept is a bit odd to begin with: you press a key on the bottom of the keypad (the one with a picture of a finger pressing a key), which suddenly turns the whole thing into a large, rather bumpy capacitive touchpad.
The idea is to sweep your finger nimbly across the keys to navigate the XMB or web browser, and while that is a nice idea, in practice it just doesn't work very well. The precision is very poor (probably thanks to the gaping holes between the touch-sensitive keys) and your fingers tend to stick just a bit on the shiny buttons as they move from one to the next. It's only occasionally useful for running through long lists, but generally isn't even worth enabling.
Wrap-up
So, is it a useful gadget and, more importantly, is it worth your $50? Despite its annoyances it does what it advertises: it makes the process of entering text much easier than the alternative of using the D-pad. For heavy users of the PS3's messaging system or for anyone who has already spent hours pimping out their pad at Home in preparation of nights full of text-based discussions, it may be a worthwhile investment.
Compared to the Xbox 360's Chatpad it's a bit less comfortable and a bit more clumsy, but is much lighter and has less of an impact on the ergos of the controller. Ultimately we're not particularly fond of either device, and we're guessing that love for one over the other will more or less fall along party lines -- as most console gaming discussions do. The real deal-breaker here is that $50 price, which seems steep compared to the Chatpad's $30. For that we'd rather buy ourselves (most of) a new game and stick with a wireless USB keyboard.
FUGLY!
that was almost as good as 'first'
hello fuzo
Seems the clueless morons at Engadget could not be bothered reading the manual before reviewing, and did not know they had a calibrate the touchpad...
Seriously people go elsewhere for your news, these guys are retards.
Also they completely failed to mention how it connects.... they just said "wireless". So does it use a dongle or is it Bluetooth?
If it's Bluetooth then the extra cost is completely understandable, and arguably worth it if you don't want yet another dongle taking up a port and/or getting lost. Also, is it standardized or proprietary? Meaning can I sync it with my PC/laptop? It might be handy for presentations or whenever I have my computer hooked up to my TV or a projector. Come on Engadget, where's the tech in this article?
Whoever wrote this isn't Engadget material IMO.
Gotta love the pic with the Atari Jaguar controller. Man that thing was awful.
As bad as the controller was, Cybermorph (the game for which it has an overlay installed) was worse.
It's hard to believe Atari could produce a controller that bad in that timeframe. There were so many examples of how to do it well already out there by then.
See if you can lay your mitts on a refurb gyration keypad. They have much better range than most wireless keypads and they are considerably smaller than a regular keyboard (albeit harder to type on as well if you have big hands).
I would buy that.
I would too, if it had a 3G connection w/data plan and no restrictions against using it for controlling unmanned aircraft. Talk about a sweet way to save your FIY drones when the programming fails.
But can't sony allow us to jack a simple usb or wireless keyboard for home chatting?
they do?
The PS3 supports most USB keyboards. There are even some wireless USB boards available now.
They do. They work just fine.
Sony has a fairly open peripheral strategy. For example, no $100 20GB HDDs.
MediaBoard Pro, Bluetooth Wireless, touchpad, and full keyboard.
For about the same price.
well, does it have to be connected to the controller? if not (cos im 14 and have smaller fingers) i can put it either on my lap or on the sofa next to me so there wont be a problem with reaching it.
That's a good question, since it's externally powered and doesn't seem to connect directly into the sixaxis/dualshock 3, I suppose it can be used as a wireless keyboard on the side, seems interesting!
I am guessing it needs to hook up to the controller because it might not have bluetooth on it implicitly.
I might be wrong however.
It's completely stand-alone, so if you wanted to use it unattached from the controller you certainly could. But, having to pick it up whenever you wanted to send a message doesn't sound particularly convenient, either ...
I thought all along that you were supposed to just store it on the PS3 controller and take it off to type - it looks absolutely retardedly difficult to use where it is now, and then what's the point of having separate bluetooth and battery if you're just going to keep it on a device that already has that functionality?
How easy is it to remove? A couple seconds, or is it a pain in the ass?
you can, but its really funny feeling to hold all alone.
and engadget... please don't hate... the chatpad does a FANTASTIC job of shutting itself off when not in use. I Had it the DAY it hit game stop (which was WAAAY early) and have only charged it 2wice since then... granted i havent been chatting it up crazy style in home, but i use it fairly often.
@TimStevens
I was thinking about getting the MediaBoard Pro, but got this instead. I don't plan texting to suddenly surprise me and force me to enter "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" in 3 seconds.
I've got a chatpad at home but don't use it. I don't even have a 360. I just use a 360 controller for some Windows games. I'm quite perturbed that MS hasn't released a driver for the chatpad. You plug it into your 360 controller and get the ba-dum tone from Vista that a new device has been added, then...nothing. Buttons do nothing in windows...booooooo.
Wow, thanks for the input.
I have a wired 360 'windows' controller I use for the rare PC gaming experience. But love the hell outa my 360 chat pad. Wonder if M$ is aware of the that issue.
ugly as sh!t!!!!!
Engadget photographer - I know that you're all giddy over the narrow depth of focus of your nifty-fifty, but this is a product shoot - we want to SEE the product, not guess at what's behind the bokeh....
My thoughts exactly! A smaller aperture would do wonders for the amount that is in focus.
I actually think it's a great shot. There are a thousand pictures of this thing all over the internet (including Engadget's own original post) but this is the first shot I've seen that actually shows not only how thin it is but that it isn't going to interfere with the front buttons or the sixaxis USB slot.
Thanks for the review. I wasn't expecting this to be particularly good, and it looks like my world won't be rocked.
The nice thing about this is that because it has its own battery you DON'T always have to keep it attached to the PS3 controller. And from the looks of it, might make typing easier if you just used the PAD itself. Plus its a little smaller than a Wireless keyboard if you don't want to keep one of those sitting on your lap, etc.
Just my $.02 since i have not tried said device out for myself. But i will probably buy one once they go down in price... to me that's the only downfall of the device right now.
somehow I doubt the price will move much in the future. If you're using it as just a keyboard, and not bothering to attach it to your controller (it looks too clunky to actually use on the controller anyway), then you might just want to save up some cash and pick up a Logitech Dinovo Mini keyboard.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126039
You can pick one up a little cheaper than that if you shop around. Thing is even made with PS3 in mind, with a switch on it to change to PS3 functionality. Trackpad takes a little getting used to, but still better than the really odd solution sony came up with on this one. Not a bad deal if you consider that you can use it with your PC too. Personally, I use a dinovo edge, but that's a bit larger.
I'm waiting for there to be an abundance of "just use a USB keyboard" comments.
I think this thing looks like a great product. Not perfect, but definitely a lot better for a console than a keyboard. Half, if not most of the reason I have a console, is to enjoy the ease of sitting back on the couch with a controller. Hooking up a normal keyboard (even wireless) to a PS3 takes away some of that simplicity, and makes the use of the system a lot more cumbersome. Although this lil guy might have some issues, it really looks like a great solution to kick back and send a few quick messages in-game without having the extra bulk of a real keyboard.
Someone on PS3Fanboy said it feels a lot like the G1 keyboard. If that's true, I'd be happy with it. I just got to try out a G1, and it was very comfortable. The device is just too expensive, though. That is the down side, and the biggest reason I can see people going for the USB keyboards instead. If I find myself completely addicted to a multiplayer PS3 game (I'm hoping KZ2 will fill those shoes), and also find the need to chat in said game, I can see shelling out the extra bucks for the comfort of a QWERTY attached to my controller.
There's always the possibility that a Gamestop or EB could get some returns and sell them in the plastic bags that used accessories come in... in which case we could give it a quick feel-up first.
Why do you want to love this device so much? It just seems a bit forced... I think the ideas for the keyboard was good, but just poorly executed. putting it on top of the controller instead of the bottom makes it seem awkward to hold. The mouse control idea was ok, but not the most elegant solution.
Point being, if you're going to do something, you should do it right. There are plenty of options for around $50 with superior functionality, they just don't snap on top of your controller. Actually, thinking about it, since this doesn't even use any of the controller for power, or sending a bluetooth signal, or anything like that... why even bother with this?
"Why do you want to love this device?"
(A) I just told you. It offers the ability to type with a full QWERTY keypad without the added baggage of a computer keyboard on your lap/couch/coffee table.
(B) Your definition of functionality in this case might not be the same as everyone else'. I'm pretty good at typing with a thumb pad, and I value the compact size and wireless nature of the controller. If you prefer typing on a full keyboard on your lap, then fine, this is more functional for you, but not for me. If I take your reply at face value, I do not see more functionality in a $50 wireless keyboard (if it were to be used with the PS3 only) than this device unless you just REQUIRE a real keyboard. I do not. The WHOLE POINT is that it snaps to the controller and is small. So when you say the other options are better but "just don't snap to the controller," then you are completely contradicting the point of the device.
(C) I already said the device is too expensive for me right now.
I'd rather get that little wireless keyboard Engadget showed the other day that had the blue backlight for the keys.
Not bad...
I know I'm gonna be called a fanboy fir this,.iPhone /touch offer this free app that allows u to send messages from ur iPhone to Xbox and view all yoour friends lists avatar n tells u what games the playing scores etc,.I think it's tight. I Xbox about 26 hours a week
I think this guy actually believes that iPhone is a game console lollolololololololololololololoololololololololololololol
@cj
It is,
http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/12/apple-the-iphone-is-a-gaming-console/
lol if Engadget says it's a console, I guess I can't argue... BiA is so terrible on it, and it had potential... Though, Sim City on the iPhone is a good plus for it.
Taking the OP seriously, that sounds really cool... like, you can use the app in conjunction with the 360 as a keyboard? Or just to send messages to peoples' Live accounts? If you can like type in-game messages with the iPhone and have em pop up on the TV screen, that would be about as awesome as it gets.
Make it compatible with PSP! Ppl will chat while playing! :)
Why do you think Atari-era gamers don't know about lots of buttons?
Did we forget about the keypad controller for the 2600? Or the standard Atari 5200 controller? Or the Colecovision and Intellivision controllers? Lots and lots of buttons.
It's NES-era gamers that were afraid of buttons!
It has nothing to do with fear. It has to do with the controller fitting squarely in one's hands so that your thumbs can reach every single button without re-positioning your hands.
That is how you make a non-awkward controller. That's why NES sold about 1000 times what the Atari 5200 did. And by the way, the Atari 2600, by default, had one button. And I liked that one better than any subsequent Atari controller.
that's why i didn't like the n64 controller. it was a bitch to hold.
how anyone can think that bastardized aftertought is "ok" is beyond me. fanboy or not, you'd have to be crazy to use that junk.
I've got one of these, and it works fantastically. It's extremely convenient, and very functional. The touchpad feature is really great, and it's no issue for me to browse the internet with it.
I tried it, navigating and typing, and it works okay for me as well. Not for typing your essays but is fine for a quick chat.
I just use a dinovo edge kb and a standard wireless mouse, seems to work fine.
I just use a wireless keyboard that I found lying around the house, far easier, just have it sitting next to me, when I want to send someone a message, boom! It's there ;-)
i love the xbox chatpad
lights up, great feedback from the keypresses, and more than anything it actually feels good with the controller.
This makes me want to bust out my Jaguar...
I think I lost the power cable for it though...boo.
Too much bokeh. I noticed you used an f-stop of f/2.2. Maybe f/4.5 or f/5.6 to bring a better focus on the rest of the controller.
Meh, I like it. Gives it depth and highlights the pad specifically.
+1 to whomever took the photo.
Now while I do have a ps3, I don't have Home installed, so hopefully someone can answer this for me:
Can home use voice messaging? As in, can I pre-record a message with a microphone and then send it to someone like on XboxLive?
If so, why would anyone really want to shell out $50 for one of these when they can just spend around the same amount of money for a bluetooth headset which can function in games and (possibly) in home.
I still can't get over it being on TOP! Wouldn't you be hitting buttons by mistake while trying to hold it still?
I have no idea why they included it on top when on the bottom is so much better.
So one ommision I've notice with this pad is that the Friends and Messaging buttons don't seems to work at all times. You have to bring up the in-gam XMB first and then hit the buttons. What a waste! I might as well keep my fingers down on the controller and scroll across the screen.
Why is there no mention that the ps3 chatpad uses Bluetooth to connect to the ps3?
Also, It is recognized as a normal Bluetooth Keyboard so it can easily connect with anything that allows a bluetooth keyboard (including cellphones).
I can't imagine the touchpad being useful for a ps3 but it helps a lot when you are connected to a computer. Generally I get on my ps3, play a few games, answer a few messages. Then I turn off my ps3 from the controller, switch my video input to my macbook and control it with the same chatpad.
I have the chatpad and while it is a bit uncomfortable to type on (very small keys) it is an improvement over using the onscreen keyboard. The one thing I hate about the chatpad is NO BACKLIGHTING. I can't believe Sony released this device with non-backlit keys, especially given the fact it has its own battery. This thing is nearly impossible to use in a dimly lit room.
Xbox 360 chatpad is much better
This is probably like any product on Engadget. It works for some people, and for the people that it's inappropriate, a lot of them can't understand how it would ever be possible that someone else might find it useful.
For me, it works great. I used a Bluetooth keyboard before but didn't like having the big thing sitting around. So I left it near the console, and it was inconvenient to get when I actually needed to type something. Having it attached to the keypad where it doesn't affect my normal play is convenient (the 360 one rests on my leg because I'm a lazy gamer). I can type out short messages faster than with the virtual keyboad--a dissertation would be easier on a full keyboard, yes. The one impact it does have is that the start/PS keys aren't in the same place anymore, so I usually miss them on the first try. I don't use the mouse cursor feature too much, because the analog stick still functions for precision-ish work. But... the one-touch access to the friends list is almost worth the extra cost (I told you I'm lazy). Oh, and I never forget to turn it off, because like a full keyboard, you don't need to.
I was really interested in it, especially since I'm already used to typing on my Curve. The keys look about the same size, but I'm not 100% sold on it being above the controller. But I guess there are only so many places you can put it.
Now my other option I was thinking about was using my wireless keyboard for my desktop. My computer and my PS3 are in the same room, and I think if I bought another wireless adapter I think it would work just fine. I would just have to watch when I have both machines up and running to ensure I'm not having messages typing all over the place.
But I'm not even sure if it would work with 2 receivers, but I don't see why it wouldn't.
But if I can get a good deal on one (used at the local gamestop) I might pick one up.
I can still use it stand alone and type me messages just like I would on my Curve.
A USB Keyboard is hands down the best way to communicate so long as you aren't doing FPS, and if you are playing FPS, get a bluetooth headset as that would be better anyway.
Obviously but a lot of us don't want a full size keyboard sitting on a coffee table. The chatpad is not as easy to use but the tradeoff for the small form factor is ok with me.
Even though I'm an XBOX 360 Gamer.
Not a bad idea Sony.
http://www.MJDhitekgear.com
interesting site, but i don't think i could order from there, considering prices weren't anything to swoon over, and i have never heard of them before.
Who cares about a comparison about Chat Pad. If I am reading about this, I already I have a PS3.
What good it would do knowing if ChatPad is better or not?
I'm not THAT wizened! And we had Intellivision, which had the 10 key keypad, 4 buttons, and that stupid disc... We aren't unaware of too many freaking buttons!
This device annoys the cr@p out of me due to the fact that it has its own battery and Bluetooth. Not only is this the reason that it costs so much, but it’s going to be really annoying when only one or the other of the sixaxis/keypad needs charging. How much power does a keypad really need? It’ll be OK if it never discharges itself, but if it’s anything like my PSP, every time I’ll want to use it after a period of inactivity it’ll be totally flat. (This is in contrast to my DS that I rarely ever use, but even after a year of it sitting unused in my drawer, it will still be fully charged).
You can get these in England for 18 pounds including tax ($27). Half the price of the $54 (inc tax) they in the US. I guess that’s a small consolation considering the UK has had to pay twice as much for Rock Band and just about every other electronic good for the last couple of decades.
As much as it annoys me though, I’ll still be picking one of these up next week sometime. I hate myself. But then I did buy a totally pointless xbox 360 webcam too for about the same price.
I'm looking down at my red 360 controller right now, chatpad docked.. $30.00 AND it came with a headset... I see this ps3 attachment as an afterthought.. Just like most of the things sony Japan is putting out for the ps3.. $50 bucks?? LOLZ!! wow...
Interesting to see something for the ps3, I dont own one; hoping down the line i ll pick up one.
Some gamers ll surely find this cool, and way better than full usb keyboard, i still ve to chip in d fact that those buttons re crazily small
Hmmm I think MS has the right Idea. The PS3 text pad looks out of place at the top of the Controller. I could see the rest of the controller getting in the way.
I really like the 360's Chatpad, but the standalone battery kills this thing. They didn't even put a passthrough so you could charge the keyboard and the controller at the same time, you actually need to hook up two separate wires to the controller to charge it now. Ridiculous.
I think this is further evidence that the PS3 controller was designed in an extremely short timeframe, you know if that USB port was capable of being used this way, it would be.
wow the 360 controller looks better just like the 360 is better than the ps3
stupid fanboy
Stfu.
You've won the award for outstanding irrelevance 2008.
Engadget photographer = FAIL
I can barely see all the keys. Try messing with the aperture settings a bit!
But will it blend?
Given the design of the ps2 controller I can't imagine anything more sleek, I think anybody bothered will just use a keyboard.
Excuse me while I troll. ESSENTIAL FOR HOME.
Does this thing come in a dvorak layout?
is this using bluetooth? if it is, can i use it with winmo?
I don't get it....
why spend $50 this...when you can spend it on the bluetooth headset for roughly the same price...
=/
So can the keyboard be used without being attached to the controller?
I have one already and have found it light weight and quite useful. One good point made above, and something that I think should be noted is that because it has a separate power source, it allows you to use the keypad independently of the controller and I've found this to be valuable and although I haven't yet made up my mind, I'm thinking of using the keypad separate to the controller more often than having it connected.
Game on!
If I had a PS3, I wouldn't get this keypad. It seems so stupid up on the top, and hard to use that way. I could be wrong, but that's what it looks like. Having to charge up both it also kind of LAME. You might as well get a real keyboard to plug into the PS3 wired or wireless would just seem better.
I have the Chatpad on my 360 controller. It snaps on/off easily. It's pretty easy to type on and really isn't in the way when your gaming at all. I barely can tell it's there. My battery life in the control really hasn't dropped that I've noticed. MS got this one right and Sony, well to me it's just wrong for several reasons. Do you see any cell phones with the buttons on the top of the screen? NO, they are always on the bottom. Wither it's Pop Out keyboard or not. Always on the bottom. Since this Sony one get nothing from the controller, I see no reason why it shouldn't have been designed to be on the bottom. It would have been better that way. Is it Sony trying to be different from MS, when really it's Sony being different from everyone else?!?!
A full size keyboard on your Lap would be better they trying to use this thing!
360 chat pad is soo much nicer looking! And looks like it would be easier to use.
BASH $ony!!!
1. Go to Internet Browser
2. Activate Touch pad (the hand with index finger pointing)
3. Hold blue and orange shoulder buttons for 2 seconds until the light flashes
Now your touch pad should be calibrated. ENJOY!
You have to calibrate the Mouse functionality separately
If they are going to make keys that small, it would have benefited them to license the jellyfish key technology from Palm. It has work well for the Treo. Gives good tactile feedback.