OpenAI’s $230 Micro keypad is built for ChatGPT power users

OpenAI’s first hardware product is a $230 keypad designed to control ChatGPT and Codex. Developed with specialty keyboard maker Work Louder, Micro is a compact, premium accessory aimed primarily at developers and heavy ChatGPT users.

OpenAI sent TechCrunch a test unit. The keypad feels unusually solid—sturdy enough to serve as a paperweight if its AI ambitions fall short. Its immaculate white packaging also has an unmistakably Apple-like aesthetic, an awkward detail given that Apple sued OpenAI several weeks ago, accusing the company of trade theft. OpenAI is also reportedly developing another ChatGPT-connected smart-home product with help from former Apple engineers.

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How OpenAI’s Micro keypad works

Micro has six frosted agent keys along its top edge. Users can assign them to specific ChatGPT tasks or projects in ChatGPT and its agentic coding tool, Codex. Six command keys below them control those programs. The keypad connects to a computer over Bluetooth or USB.

A dedicated dictation button may be the most useful feature. Hold it down, describe what you want, then tap the adjacent “send” button to submit the request. A Micro tab inside ChatGPT lets users adjust key brightness and configure commands and projects.

Once configured, the keypad makes it easy to switch between ChatGPT sessions. Pairing those shortcuts with voice dictation can make juggling multiple projects faster and more enjoyable—but getting there requires a learning period.

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The keys use a color system that users must memorize: white means an agent is idle, blue means it is thinking, green indicates a completed task, and red signals an error. Users also need to remember which project is assigned to each key.

Micro’s price and target audience

The device has received a cool response from serious coders. Reddit reviews have largely been negative, with one user calling it “a prank and not a real product.” Independent outlet Aftermath argued that the $230 price is difficult to justify beside cheaper DIY and off-the-shelf alternatives, describing the product as an “expensive macropad.”

Micro’s value ultimately depends on how extensively someone uses ChatGPT. For occasional users, learning a new control scheme may not beat a familiar laptop keyboard and mouse. For ChatGPT power users who enjoy vintage-looking hardware and clicky buttons, the keypad could be a surprisingly fun—if specialized—purchase.