There are only so many points of fine articulation the body is capable of for the sake of maximizing gaming. We’re limited to a measly 10 digits when modern games may demand many more controls than that. So what’s there left to do but shove a gamepad under our feet and execute expert esport-level inputs with our southern appendages?
I’m not suggesting you’re going to need a foot pedal to maximize your competitive gaming experience. However, I am telling you it’s an option, one I’m sure you didn’t see coming. Keyboard maker Varmilo (via VideoCardz) is set to launch a range of so-called “Foot Keyboards” for PC gaming. These contain Cherry MX Silent Black switches with models ranging from three to four buttons. The actual base itself is 3D printed, though it appears Varmilo included a raised section that supports your foot arch. The base model starts at $50 on sale for preorder. Just make sure you’re going to be gaming when barefoot or in your socks.
Yes, apparently, users are expected to hit the 25mm diameter-sized ABS cap on either side with their big toe and pinkie toe, respectively. It supports either wired, Bluetooth, or 2.4GHz connections. Varmilo indicated the controller is suitable for fighting and first-person shooter games, and not just in racing titles like you may already get with any number of driver’s seat simulators.
The device supports a 1,000Hz polling rate, which determines how fast the controller sends data to the PC. It has a response time of 10ms or less, which taken together does make it seem like it’s built for competitive gaming, so long as it’s working alongside a quality gaming-ready keyboard and mouse. I can actually imagine it may add an ounce of immersion in some first-person shooters that ask players to lean around corners, or in third-person action games where you roll to avoid attacks.
This isn’t one of the many varieties of accessibility controllers, though the foot controller may find potential applications for gamers who don’t have fine dexterity in their hands. Believe it or not, major PC gaming brand MSI previously crowdfunded its own range of foot controllers, called the Liberator. That controller has three buttons you press with either side of your foot or by kicking forward as if you were putting the pedal to the metal. The Liberator contained Japanese Omron switches rather than anything ripped out of a keyboard. It also cost between $140 and $160 during its original Kickstarter back in 2022. It’s still possible to get it through MSI’s Taiwanese shop selling for around $180 when converted from Taiwan dollars. Whether MSI still supports that device with firmware updates is another matter entirely.
There have been multiple attempts to make foot-based controls work for today’s modern gamer landscape. Back in 2013, the Canadian company SteLuLu Technology tried to push its Stinky Footboard (that’s the real name they went with), which used springs and Cherry MX switches to let users rock their ankle side to side to generate inputs. That device became real thanks to yet another Kickstarter, but its empty website and social accounts hint the company is now completely defunct. If you’re looking for something a little less gamer fueled, Elgato sells a $90 Stream Deck Pedal, which I can imagine you may be able to bind for in-game controls as well.
Perhaps the Foot Keyboard is cursed in two ways: by the very appearance of its unholy design, and two, by whether the concept will eventually tank. You may be much better off keeping your feet free of controls. Still, when I see an MMO mouse with an ungodly number of macro buttons on its side, I can’t help but wonder if a foot pedal may somehow seem less excessive.
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