Wordplay

We are long past the point in console gaming when the ability to enter up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A was all a gamer could want. These days if your controller doesn’t have at least seventeen buttons and two analogue sticks it’s a Wiimote, PS Move or Kinect almost useless.

It used to be the case that the only text entry you were required to be able to do while playing games was to enter three letters to identify your latest attack on the high score table.  Nowadays you are reasonably likely to spend some of your console time surfing the ‘Net (unless you’ve only got a 360) or rattling off a stream of text messages to your online friends and foes.

With a diminishing number of days (or sleeps, depending on your preferred method of counting) until Christmas I thought I would take a look at some PS3-compatible keyboards.  In addition to some that I use anyway I have picked up a couple more to fill out the range of prices.  There might still be time to get one on your Christmas list or if you are given some money it might give you another idea on how to spend it.

£0-£5: Your existing computer keyboard

If you have a desktop PC at home it is likely to be sporting a USB keyboard.  There’s even a good chance it is a wireless keyboard.  Your PS3 should have no trouble supporting it and if it is a Bluetooth keyboard all the better as you will not need a wireless dongle.

Should you only have a USB keyboard available then you may want to sit further from your PS3 than the short cable allows.  In which case for a few pounds you can pick up a USB A extension cable.  Then only thing you need to be aware of are the USB guidelines on cable length.  For USB 1.0/1.1 devices the total cable length should not be more than three metres.  USB 2.0 devices are happy with cable lengths up to five metres.

£10-£15: Logic3 PS3 Wireless Keyboard

Unlike all the other keypads and more expensive options I will look at below this is solely a keypad rather than also providing some method of ‘mousing’.  This might be a keypad to look at if you find the keys on Sony’s official one a little small and fiddly.  The larger rubber keys on this are easier to hit in a hurry but have a little too much travel for my liking and do not provide tactile or audible feedback when registering a press.  As a result I often found myself going back to fill in missing letters when I had been typing.

This keypad connects to your PS3 via a USB dongle and draws its power from two AAA batteries.  It comes with a plastic clip to attach it to your DualShock 3 but unlike the Sony’s sprung-loaded integral clip, this one relies on the spring in the plastic itself to provide the give when attaching and removing.  Obviously that has implications for its longevity.  Perhaps as the clip can be detached from the keypad the best solution would be to leave the clip attached to the DS3.

When attached to your DS3 this larger keypad has a correspondingly greater affect on the controller’s balance than Sony’s.  So much so that I would actually recommend that you don’t attach it.  It’s quite a nice size to just hold in your hands and tap away on with your thumbs.  Unfortunately, as the keypad has no ‘Escape’ key (the equivalent of pressing ‘O’ on your DS3) so if used like this you may find yourself often reaching for your DS3 to back out of something.

If you can find it at the lower end of the above price range it is difficult to fault for the cost.  If your budget is only a tenner, this is a reasonable keypad.  At its RRP of £15 I would suggest spending a few extra quid on the Sony one.

£18-£25: Official Sony PS3 Bluetooth Keypad

This is the lazy bit where I can just recommend that you go and read Michael’s TSA review of Sony’s official keypad.  Just please remember to come back when you’re done.

£30-£40: Wireless Micro Keyboard and Touchpad

Intended as a small keyboard and touchpad for use with media centre PCs I saw this in my local Maplin and thought it was worth a look as a possible keypad for use with a PS3.  While the one I found requires the use of a USB dongle to connect to your PS3 I have seen similar devices that use Bluetooth instead.

When you pick it up it feels like the somewhat cheap Chinese plastic device it is.  It is perfectly functional though and the small keys have a surprisingly satisfying click to them in use and the touchpad works just fine.  It has a built-in rechargeable battery which is charged via a mini-USB connector, the same as all your Sony PS3 peripherals so you will never be short of a charging lead.

Perhaps its key advantage over all the other keyboards here is that it is backlit.  For some reason known only to the Chinese manufacturer the backlight button is labelled ‘RF’ though that does not make the feature any less useful in a darkened room.

£90-£150: Logitech diNovo Edge™ Keyboard

This is without a doubt the best keyboard I have used in my many years of computing.  That mine only gets used with my PS3 seems like something of a waste.  When I used to run the Burnout meets though having a full size keyboard on which I could type quickly was a great boon as all communication was by PSN message and my diNovo Edge put in many long evenings and afternoons of sterling service.

Not only is it great to type on, it also has stunning battery life from its built-in lithium ion cell.  Its stand doubles as a charging base which holds the keyboard almost vertical.  Not only does this help to keep dust off (vital for the shiny surface) but it displays the keyboard like a piece of art with its laser-cut Plexiglas panel and brushed aluminium palm rest.  The light show you are presented with when you switch the keyboard on also contributes to the wow-factor.

There are some wonderful functional touches too.  One I have found particularly useful for a keyboard which often find itself being operated from my lap is the second left mouse button.  This is actually on the far left of the keyboard and you can see it in the picture above on the left of the Caps Lock key.  When holding the keyboard to support it while using the touchpad it falls nicely under your left thumb.

Unfortunately, that touchpad is the keyboard’s Achilles heel and could do with being a touch more responsive.  That said the diNovo Edge is good enough that I am considering getting a second for my desktop PC (unless my willpower fails and I succumb to buying one of Razer’s Tron keyboards).

£500-£2000+: Sony VAIO Laptop (with Bluetooth)

Okay, I freely admit this should probably come under the £0-£5 heading of using your existing computer keyboard but it is far more attention grabbing to suggest spending £2000 on a Bluetooth keyboard for your PS3.  When my VAIO is not employed browsing TSA or (much less frequently than Peter would like) writing and researching articles for the site it sometimes gets pressed into service as my PS3’s keyboard.

Owners of Bluetooth-sporting VAIOs can visit Sony’s support website and download the Remote Keyboard application.  While there you could also see if the Remote Play application is also supported for your particular model.  With the Remote Keyboard application running keyboard and touchpad input is sent to the paired PS3 and work as well as they do when controlling the laptop itself.

That wraps up my suggestions for having great text with your PS3.  Obviously, some of these will/should also work with other consoles but I haven’t tried them.  I tend to use an old USB keyboard for those rare times when I really need one for my 360 and Wii.  Have you got any console keyboard recommendations of your own?