- A Reddit user has created a touch-sensitive mouse mat with built-in buttons
- The Kage GhostPad device can be programmed with different functions
- It will enter crowdfunding soon, but already looks to be expensive
Over the years, there have been various devices that put quick computing controls at your fingertips — think the Elgato Stream Deck, for example, or standalone numpads built for your keyboard. But all of these things take up space on your desk, quickly making it crowded and cluttered. Now, though, one enterprising PC user thinks they’ve come up with a solution.
Posting on Reddit, user cmajmus revealed a mouse mat they’ve apparently been working on for the last two years. Dubbed the Kage GhostPad, this isn’t just any old desk pad — this one is equipped with 16 touch-sensitive buttons that put quick PC controls at your fingertips.
The buttons are built into the pad and sit under its surface, something cmajmus says means there are “No buttons, no bumps.” Once you press one of the active zones, “it triggers whatever you’ve mapped to it: keyboard shortcuts, macros, media keys, MIDI notes, gamepad inputs, even launching apps,” the creator says.
You can customize what each button does using a browser-based companion app once the desk pad is plugged into your PC using a USB cable. You’ll be able to drag and drop functions onto each zone, set pressure thresholds, add custom icons, and more.
And on the side, you’ll find a detachable LCD module that shows the device’s active mode, assigned shortcuts and any status indicators, helping you see what the GhostPad is up to at a glance. And you can “divide the surface into programmable zones,” cmajmus states, each with its own set of controls that can be switched between as needed.
Convenience at a cost
The GhostPad’s creator explained that they were motivated to create it due to “frustration with…
