Roccat Savo mech lapboard cuts in place of absent Steam Controller

Steam has a tricky job on its hands. Somehow it has to convince long-serving PC gamers to use the Steam Controller in place of the usual mouse and keyboard combo. Has Roccat got the answer with the Savo?

You see, PC gamers have been brought up on WASD – the common keys for up, left, down, right – not only are button strikes more accurate, especially if you’re using a mechanical keyboard, but this is something that has been with gamers since they first loaded up a cassette hooked-up to their Vic 20 or ZX80.

Roccat agrees with the fact that Valve does indeed have quite a task and, judging by the Steam Controller’s delay, they are taking this very seriously.

Roccat has gone a different route and developed a solution that it says can put the control of a mouse and keyboard setup into the living room (perhaps mated with a Steam Machine).

Roccat describes the Sova lapboard as a “highly modular wireless keyboard and mousepad combo, designed with extreme durability, for extreme play, in the comfort of your living room.”

It combines a Roccat mechanical keyboard with an extendable and retractable mouse pad on a board that rests on your legs, letting you play PC games from a couch with the desk-top setup we have all come to get comfy with.

Roccat says the padded leg rests and ergonomic palm rest “ensure that three hours of gaming are just as comfortable and fun as fifteen.” They don’t include refreshments or a toilet though 😉

The Sova will also sync with your smartphone and integrates Roccat’s Power-Grid software.

Roccat founder and CEO René Korte explains that the Sova was designed specifically with an eye toward PC gaming’s move to the living room and Valve’s Steam Machine initiative. “We believe platforms like the Steam Box are fantastic,” he writes, “and we want everyone to be able to access them equally.”