Keychron is experimenting with an unusual way to combine keyboard and pointer control: placing a trackball directly inside the spacebar.
Greenkeys tested the development sample at a hands-on event in Tokyo. Built around the Japanese-layout C3 Pro 8K, the prototype uses a small trackball in the center of a 4.5u spacebar, with split space keys on either side.
On August 30, 2026, a Keychron Orca echo preview hands-on event was held on the 6th floor of Mediagene.
Orca echo wasn’t the only thing drawing attention at the venue.
A sample unit with a trackball mounted in the center of the Keychron C3 Pro’s spacebar was on display, and it was turning heads.
The unit on display was the C3 Pro Japanese-layout model.
A small trackball that fits within a 1u footprint is installed in the center of the 4.5u spacebar.
The diameter is likely around 14 mm.
Both ends are split spacebars, which appear to be 1.75u × 2.
The trackball movement was extremely smooth.
KawamuraIf you place the Nape Pro toward the front edge of the spacebar and use it, the button can sometimes interfere with the base of your thumb.
It seems like embedding the Nape Pro into the desk would solve it, but that’s not exactly easy to do…
In that sense, this idea felt exceptionally well thought out.
At this stage, it only had a trackball built in.
Since it’s strictly a sample still in development, the base holding the spacebar and trackball was also 3D-printed.
As for other buttons such as click actions, we were told they’re still “undecided.”
KawamuraLike the HHKB Studio, having click switches on the front side is a nice option, but interference while typing is still a concern.
I’ve personally been thinking for some time about placing switches on the sides, but it seems difficult—there are conflicts with existing keyswitch sockets, and you’d also be looking at the effort and cost of redoing the case mold itself.
With Orca echo becoming a major hit, interest is growing in input experiences that bundle cursor control into the package.
This development sample can be seen as an attempt to generalize the insights gained from Orca echo: “keeping your hands in the home position while also completing mouse control.”
Keychron is known for its extremely fast development pace.
And the fact that this idea looks like it could become reality without even waiting until next year is yet another impressive thing about Keychron.
More updates are eagerly awaited.
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- Reporting method: Independent reporting
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- Exclusive reporting
- Conflicts of Interest: Product Offering: None Monetization Link in this paper: Yes
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