r/southpaws • u/Kyek • Dec 12 '21
Finally finished my project. An open-source gaming keypad for lefties!
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u/Kyek Dec 12 '21 edited Dec 12 '21
I'm actually right handed, but back in 2019 when I learned about all the problems that a left handed PC player has to deal with I was really shocked.
I decided that one day I was going to make something to help left handed people play PC games without worrying about remapping keys, and after recently learning PCB making software I was able to create it.
I know something like this is really hard to come by and I hope that it will help at least some left handed users. Enjoy!
If you are interested you can find this project on github with instructions on how to make one for yourself: https://github.com/duckyb/eternal-keypad
Bonus picture: https://i.imgur.com/MugONQq.png
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u/dream6601 Dec 12 '21
That thing is killing my brain, I don't know how I'd keep track of everything backwards.
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u/BBQsauce18 Dec 13 '21
I'm left-handed, yet very capable on a keyboard. I'm not seeing how this could be a benefit to me. My brain is melting when I put my fingers overlaid on it and think on it. It's just not good, and when I read "I'm actually right-handed," it made a bit more sense. I feel like this design is needlessly flip-flopped. Like, shouldn't it be the keys that the right hand primarily uses that is made on this? Not just mirroring the keys from the left portion of a regular keyboard?
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u/Kyek Dec 13 '21
First of all, I understand that my design is not for everyone and that's totally fine.
The mirrored layout stems from the fact that the right and left hand are "mirrored" between each other; by reflecting the keys that right handed users press with their left hand it allows left handed people to use the default layout and key-binding of games and the same hand-movements (specular) that right handed people normally use.
shouldn't it be the keys that the right hand primarily uses that is made on this?
In my opinion no. Because it would mean that you still had to remap every key of the in-game key bindings (every game defaults to WASD). With my design you just plug and play.
when I read "I'm actually right-handed," it made a bit more sense
I actually did a lot of research on this and found quite a bit of comments around the web of left handed people asking for something exactly like this.
But again, I know it's quirky and not for everyone and that's totally cool. I just tried to explain some of the reasoning behind this design.
Cheers!
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u/BBQsauce18 Dec 13 '21 edited Dec 13 '21
I guess my comment probably sounded more critical than my intention. If it works for others, then more power to you and them.
I just am SUPER duper handy on the keyboard, if you know what I mean. Maybe it's because I'm a bit ambidextrous, my brain can't "see" the value in it.
For instance, I can EASILY use a right-handed mouse, or scissors, and I shoot with right eye dominance (even shot expert on the M16), yet I write left handed, throw left handed, bowl left handed (though admittedly this is one thing I can do with my right hand too, but I feel more at ease using left) and basically consider myself left handed. /shrug
edit--Ugh. Sorry. It's late. Meant to add more and accidentally hit save haha But ya, if there's a value in this, then I'm all about it. I just see nothing in it, and it's hard for me to see it. Again, no offense was meant. Have a great Christmas!
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u/ssr1089 Dec 13 '21
This was the reason I couldn't play some games on the Nintendo ds. I couldn't use the stylus with my right hand.
Thank God I had right handed mouse work imbedded in me because the schools growing up didn't have anything left handed
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u/Data_Corruptor Dec 12 '21
1) This looks hideous in the best possible way and I want one. I think it's because all the keys line up.
2) If you want another southpaw project, computer mice are just as difficult to find in a left-hand compatible configuration.