IKEA has just announced a new range of gaming accessories which are 3D-printed, including a wrist support that can be tailored to fit your own personal size. The idea with these goodies is to help you play better, offering accessibility and ergonomic improvements not normally seen at a relatively affordable price level.
Specifically, IKEA is introducing the Uppkoppla range, developed in conjunction with Unyq and Area Academy, with three initial prototype products having just been revealed. Unyq is on-board, thanks to its expertise on the customization front, with experience in producing medical wearables, like custom-made scoliosis braces.
- Logitech's wireless gaming mouse is faster than wired?
- These are the best gaming mouse pads
- And here are the best gaming PCs of 2019
IKEA observes that this is a neglected area – there might be plenty of choice in terms of gaming mice or keyboards, but not accessories related to supporting these peripherals – and thus it’s offering the wrist support alongside a mouse bungee and customized key caps.
As mentioned, the broad idea is that these products are going to be priced affordably, so the everyday gamer or computer user can benefit from the sort of costlier innovations normally reserved for the likes of esports pros.
The wrist support is the most interesting offering, as it provides a platform for your wrist while mousing, keeping it in a more ergonomically suitable position. The idea is to increase your comfort levels, and hopefully defend against potential strain.
As mentioned, the support is manufactured to suit your wrist perfectly, with an app provided that scans your hand via the phone camera to obtain the correct dimensions.
Taming the cord
The mouse bungee, if you’ve not heard of one, is essentially a stand which holds the mouse cord, and keeps it out of the way. This will be appreciated by those who play the likes of frantic shooters, and have felt the annoying drag of the cable on the mouse as they scoot it sharply around the mat.
That said, there are already affordable mouse bungee products out on the market, such as the one offered by Razer at $20/£20.
The other innovation is the key caps, which have a textured surface to help prevent your fingertips slipping on the keys.
These gaming products will be sold online (and not in IKEA stores), and you’ll be able to order through a special app, which is in the pipeline.
As you can see from the above video which shows the app, it’ll also be possible to personalize these accessories in ways such as adding your nickname or clan name for a couple of extra bucks.
While IKEA hasn’t officially announced pricing for the Uppkoppla accessories, which won’t go on sale until 2020, the app seems to indicate that these products will range in price from $25 (around £20, AU$35) to $50 (around £40, AU$70), with small additional charges for extra customization as mentioned.
- We've chosen all the best gaming laptops of 2019
Via Engadget
