In a nutshell: OpenAI has announced its first consumer hardware product, and it's not the smart speaker or phone that some were expecting. The Codex Micro is a mechanical keyboard designed for use with the company's Codex coding agent – think of it as a Stream Deck for ChatGPT.
Late last year, OpenAI announced a partnership with former Apple designer Jony Ive to build a screen-free AI gadget. Details are still pending, but the company said the gadget would be equipped with multiple cameras and sensors for spatial awareness. This is not that, but something else entirely.
Built with help from the team at Work Louder, the keypad features 13 mechanical switches, a touch sensor, a rotary dial to adjust reasoning level on the fly, and an analog stick. All of the inputs are fully customizable to best fit your workflow, and the kit ships with a few dozen extra keycaps to further fine-tune it to your needs.
Aesthetically speaking, the peripheral looks great. The integrated RGB lighting is more than just a cheap party trick as it is used for various alerts and notifications. Connectivity options include Bluetooth or USB-C, and it is compatible with both Windows and Mac.
OpenAI is now accepting pre-orders for the Codex Micro. Pricing is set at $230, and the first units are expected to ship later this month. OpenAI told TechCrunch to think of the accessory as more of a limited-run project meaning it probably won't stick around long after launch. If you want one, it would be best to go ahead and toss your name in the hat sooner rather than later.
Some are already questioning the high price, and rightfully so – it is a lot of money for a handful of inputs. That said, if it can save you time as a productivity enhancer, it could be a worthwhile investment in the long run. Of course, that is assuming the AI bubble doesn't burst before you get your money's worth out of it.