The Tiwaz, an open-source split keyboard from designer Timo Strube, is now on GitHub as a buildable DIY project, and a kit is planned for Crowd Supply. TechPowerUp covered it on 19 September.
Quick specs:
- 76 keys, 38 per half, in a split ortholinear layout, so straight rows and columns with no stagger
- Two thumb joysticks, one on the inner edge of each half
- Hot-swap sockets for MX-style switches, with per-key WS2812 RGB
- Gasket-mounted plate and internal damping between plate, PCB and case
- STM32F401 microcontroller running QMK firmware, configurable in Vial
- USB-C connectors, ideal-diode protection against dual-USB connections, a self-resetting power fuse and ESD protection on the data lines
Why this matters
Most splits subtract. The MoErgo Go60 and the ZSA Voyager give up keys and features in the name of ergonomics, and a count of 50 to 60 keys is normal for the category. The Tiwaz goes the other way: 76 keys, a gasket mount, and two joysticks that can output cardinal directions, analog movement like a gamepad, or plain mouse movement. Strube says each half works standalone as a one-handed controller or macro pad, which means the right half can drive a game while the left half stays a keyboard.
The catch:
There is no price and no release date. The Crowd Supply kit is described as coming in the near future, which is a direction rather than a schedule, and TechPowerUp does not say what joystick hardware is inside or how precise the analog output is, so treat the gaming pitch as a design goal for now. Building one yourself means a 3D printer, a PCB order from a service such as PCBWay, and a soldering iron. If you want it assembled, the kit is the only route, and the price will be set when that launches.
Would you use a 76-key split with a joystick per half as a one-handed gaming board, or does the idea only work if the keyboard stays small?