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Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:51 am
by retro
What is a recommended Keyboard and Mouse device to play computer games (i.e. Minimig, AO486 cores) from the couch?
I currently have an 8bitdo M30 controller as my main input for my MiSTer, which is inadequate for computer games.
Is there a recommended wireless device that can be a keyboard and mouse from the couch?
Also, can the menu button be mapped to both the gamepad and this keyboard/mouse simultaneously, so that I don't have to switch between input devices to change cores?
Thank you.
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 8:03 am
by ToothbrushThreepwood
Logitech K400.
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 8:25 am
by retro
Anything smaller? Looking for a form factor similar to the Xbox controller + chatpad
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 10:58 am
by grizzly
There is a bunch of mini keyboards you can find, most of them is in one of these formfactors.
- ea78688a-51b4-4525-b4f6-b3b88a2f31fc.jpg (1.15 MiB) Viewed 5293 times
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DL53HGK
- 5294e0ee-4e90-47bc-9d8f-06a06ed40f79.jpg (48.18 KiB) Viewed 5293 times
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I5SW8MC/
I had two off the first and one of the second from factor not Fosmon/Rii but the same formfactor.
Nr 1 was not good for me the mouse pad you had to stretch to far to reach and i have a bit bigger then normal hands.
And nr 1 has swampy buttons
Nr 2 was better on mouse part and slightly better when typing due to less swampy buttons.
But both are very far from good they are simply to small for me.
If you search for mini keyboard you find lots.
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:06 pm
by edr
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=124&hilit=show+us+your+keyboards
I use a Logitech kbd/touchpad and a Rii mini keyboard.
After you've mapped the controllers you use, the main need for a keyboard in console cores would be fast access to savestates (in cores that have them). I've been using a numpad for that instead and keep the keyboard in the closet. I tested a few numpads here
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=4155
If you're using any computer cores, you won't want to use a tiny mini keyboard for more than a few seconds
.
Random but interesting - with PS controllers like DS4/DS5, the controller touchpad works to move the pointer in the MiSTer shell (I haven' tried if it can work as a mouse in console games that use mouse input).
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:26 pm
by Wave
I can't recommend a remote-sized mini keyboard like the Rii for actual gameplay use; it simply doesn't work well enough for kb or mouse input. It can be handy for when you need to occasionally press a key or key combo, though, such as for menu stuff or taking screenshots. Or for very light OS mouse use like in Amiga Workbench.
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 1:06 am
by retro
Wave wrote: ↑Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:26 pm
I can't recommend a remote-sized mini keyboard like the Rii for actual gameplay use; it simply doesn't work well enough for kb or mouse input. It can be handy for when you need to occasionally press a key or key combo, though, such as for menu stuff or taking screenshots. Or for very light OS mouse use like in Amiga Workbench.
Not planning to mess with the OS, using direct boot HDF images for Minimig, and planning to create similar VHD images for AO486
I am hoping it's enough for Sierra On-Line or LucasArts adventure games
Ordered
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32992252032.html (looks like the Rii, may even come from the same factory in China). It's cheap, and if it doesn't work out I can always go get the Logitech K400 as recommended by @ToothbrushThreepwood earlier
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 6:12 am
by FoxbatStargazer
Maybe the point and click ones... I wouldn't want to play any text parser Sierras that way.
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:46 am
by akeley
If you're serious about computer-style games I'd recommend getting a wireless mouse even if you get one of these lil' keyboard+pad combos. Real mouse is just much better, for me at least. And the modern optical ones work well on just about any surface, evene rugged/uneven ones, so there's no need for mousepads and tables. I use mostly Logitech M185 ones, cheap & solid, but also had good experiences with some from the <5$ range.
Another thing is you can use the "Button/Key remap" function from the OSD to bind keyboard keys to your joypad. This works very well for computer games which used joysticks + some keys on the keyboard, or even only keyboards (eg Alone In The Dark). Sadly, there's no way to
save these binds...
And yes, you can evoke the OSD from a keyboard too (F12).
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 2:08 am
by retro
akeley wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:46 am
If you're serious about computer-style games I'd recommend getting a wireless mouse even if you get one of these lil' keyboard+pad combos. Real mouse is just much better, for me at least. And the modern optical ones work well on just about any surface, evene rugged/uneven ones, so there's no need for mousepads and tables. I use mostly Logitech M185 ones, cheap & solid, but also had good experiences with some from the <5$ range.
Another thing is you can use the "Button/Key remap" function from the OSD to bind keyboard keys to your joypad. This works very well for computer games which used joysticks + some keys on the keyboard, or even only keyboards (eg Alone In The Dark). Sadly, there's no way to
save these binds...
And yes, you can evoke the OSD from a keyboard too (F12).
It's just an experiment at this point.
I have an actual desktop PC with a Tecware mechanical keyboard and Logitech G502 Hero mouse in my home office, and I have Launchbox for DOS and Amiga games.
Just want to experiment playing computer games from the couch unencumbered by full sized keyboard and mouse
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 9:14 am
by GreyAreaUK
In case anyone is interested, I just bought a Keychron K2 wireless/wired keyboard:
- ssTKIBu.png (377.66 KiB) Viewed 4842 times
£80 on Amazon (
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NM8WM53)
Nicely clicky without being loud, it can run as either a wired or Bluetooth keyboard (and can be paired with up to three devices), has backlighting that you can configure, and comes with replacement keycaps so you can swap between Windows/Mac layouts should you choose (and there's a switch on the side to swap between Windows/Mac as well). Also includes a keycap-puller, which was a nice touch. And a braided USB cable.
While not strictly a retro keyboard, it's retro-ish enough for me.
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 5:02 pm
by Wave
Ah
75%, my favorite semi-uncommon keyboard layout. F-keys are not expendable!
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 8:36 am
by Bunker
I like the look of this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JQFLRCF/
- 51BNkHq6yLS._AC_SL1200_.jpg (43.78 KiB) Viewed 4841 times
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 8:50 am
by GreyAreaUK
Looks a bit similar to the Arteck Keyboard/Mouse combo:
- vAYH38m.jpg (14.17 KiB) Viewed 4839 times
I bought three of these for other PCs and I have to say they're very good. The keyboards are light but solid, the range is good, and the charge lasts absolutely ages. The mouse is a little light but perfectly good. They also do a fullsize keyboard version.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07Q93D73F/
Not bad for £28
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:56 am
by HerrBerzerk
GreyAreaUK wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 9:14 am
In case anyone is interested, I just bought a Keychron K2 wireless/wired keyboard:
Most important for me: Are the F1-F12 Keys working as default, with the fn key option for multimedia key? In most keyboards I've seen, default is multimedia keys and you can not change it for mister.
Thank you
Re: Recommended keyboard and mouse input
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 3:55 pm
by GreyAreaUK
HerrBerzerk wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:56 am
GreyAreaUK wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 9:14 am
In case anyone is interested, I just bought a Keychron K2 wireless/wired keyboard:
Most important for me: Are the F1-F12 Keys working as default, with the fn key option for multimedia key? In most keyboards I've seen, default is multimedia keys and you can not change it for mister.
Thank you
If I hit F12 in a core, it brings up the OSD. I don't have to hit fn-F12. Also in the BBC Micro cores the function keys work as expected without having to fn them.