The folks at Valve definitely hit the mark with the Steam Deck. Its hardware may suffer from some performance issues in more demanding games, but the public feedback and the huge number of compatible accessories suggest that the console is a success. It also gave rise to all kinds of crazy mods, and one of them is the Keysheet, an ultra-thin keyboard with dimensions similar to those found in the original shell.
The Steam Deck is a very different creature when compared to other consoles. We can change the operating system, easily expand its capacity, connect all sorts of accessories, replace its battery, and make repairs without extreme surgery sessions.
Added to this are cooling mods, alternative shells, Hall effect controls... and the list goes on. However, today we discovered the Keysheet project created by Kārlis. If you have ever seen the membrane keyboard used by old ZX Spectrum, then you already have an idea of how this works...
Keysheet: A 'non-keyboard' for Steam Deck with a Raspberry Pi soul
One of the goals of the Keysheet project is to test if there is any possibility of manufacturing a keyboard with the same size as the original shell, and in general terms we can say that it has achieved it. In a parallel world, if the Steam Deck loses its screen and the two trackpads, the truth is that it could incorporate a QWERTY keyboard optimized for thumb use.
Obviously, the Keysheet uses a membrane for its circuit, which leads us to Kārlis's second goal: to test how viable DIY manufacturing of a 'flex PCB' is. All connections end in a Raspberry Pi Pico, which stores the necessary firmware. The prototype connects to the USB port of the Steam Deck, but if this were to become a product, the internal connection would be inevitable.
Finally, Kārlis admits that the typing experience on the Keysheet is horrible, but we cannot help but recognize his work. Kārlis did not use any external service, and what we see here is pure copper tape, Kapton tape, and a lot of patience.
Official site: Click here
