Peratech x Lenovo Force Sensitive Laptop Keys

Peratech have teamed up with Lenovo to bring their force sensitive technology to Legion 7 and 7i laptops. The WASD keys found in the laptop we're looking at today are fully analog, pressure sensitive and fully customisable. Both Peratech and Lenovo are aiming to open up new ways to interact with the humble keyboard key, so today we'll look at what they are, how they work and find out if they bring anything new to the world of gaming laptops.

Watch via our Vimeo channel (below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:26 Intro and laptop spec
01:32 So who is Peratech?
02:00 Force-sensing WASD keys
03:01 How is this different to optical keyboards?
03:51 Hydra software
06:43 The gaming experience
08:23 Is it a gimmick? Mat’s thoughts
09:30 What’s next from Peratech

Laptop Specifications:

• AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX Processor
• AMD Radeon RX6850M XT 12GB GDDR6 GPU
• 16GB 4800MHz DDR5 Memory
• 16″ WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 240 Hz IPS Display
• 2 x 2W Harman Super Linear Speaker System
• Per Key RGB Backlit Keyboard  with Peratech WASD Force Sensors
• 99.99Whr Battery
• Connectivity
  • Left Side
    2 x USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4)
    1 x USB Type-C (USB4¹⁴, DisplayPort 1.4)
  • Right Side
    1 x USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
    1 x E-Shutter Switch
    1 x Audio Combo Jack
  • Rear
    2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (1 x Always-On 5V)
    1 x USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen2, DisplayPort 1.4, up to 135W Power Delivery)
    1 x HDMI 2.1
    1 x RJ45 Ethernet (2.5G)
    1 x DC-In
• Dimensions – 358.1 x 263.5 x as thin as 19.4mm
  (inches): 14.1 x 10.37 x as thin as 0.76in
• Weight – <2.5kg (5.5 lbs)

The Hydra Force sensitive keys can be purchased only within a Lenovo Legion 7 or Lenovo Legion 7i laptop, starting at £2016 HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

• Innovative idea, executed quite well.
• Makes playing racing games on a keyboard enjoyable.
• Keys feel no different to a regular laptop key.

Cons:

• Software has a small learning curve.
• Sub-optimal performance until properly configured.

KitGuru says: This brings a new level of control to using a keyboard, especially when playing a racing game. The software, after a small learning curve, is intuitive and works well. Overall, the Peratech and Lenovo collaboration to bring this technology to life is a great thing for the industry as a whole and it is this sort of thinking that drives innovation and leads gaming and computers in general to new places. I'm personally excited to see what else is brought to the table in future offerings!

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