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Keychron Launches Nape Pro, a Compact Trackball Designed to Sit Under the Spacebar

2 outlets8/8/2026

The short version

Keychron, best known for mechanical keyboards, has released the Nape Pro, a $89.99 wireless trackball built to sit beneath a keyboard's spacebar, offering six customizable buttons and a control dial aimed at programmers and productivity users.

via Tom's Hardware

Keychron, a company primarily known for its mechanical keyboards, has introduced the Nape Pro, a wireless trackball mouse with an unusual rectangular shape designed to fit comfortably underneath a keyboard's spacebar. The device is priced at $89.99 and is aimed at users such as programmers and writers who spend most of their time typing rather than using a traditional mouse.

The Nape Pro was first shown at CES, with Tom's Hardware noting it was unveiled earlier this year and TechPowerUp specifying CES 2026 as the reveal event. After being relatively quiet about the product for several months, Keychron has now made it available: Tom's Hardware reports it is listed on Amazon, while TechPowerUp describes it as open for pre-sale outside Asia, with shipping expected to begin in mid-August.

The trackball features six programmable buttons in total—TechPowerUp specifies two main mouse clicks plus four additional buttons—along with a control dial, all of which can be customized through Keychron's Launcher web app. According to Tom's Hardware, the device supports up to seven layers, allowing each button and the dial to be reassigned for different tasks, effectively letting it double as a macro pad. It can be placed to the left or right of a keyboard or drawing tablet, or centered if paired with a split keyboard, and used alongside another everyday mouse.

On the hardware side, TechPowerUp reports the Nape Pro is built around a 25mm resin trackball paired with a PixArt PAW 3222 sensor, and offers both Bluetooth 5.3 and 2.4GHz wireless connectivity via a USB Type-A dongle. It runs ZMK firmware aimed at wireless efficiency, and Keychron claims up to 50 hours of battery life from its 200mAh battery. The device is available in black and white color options.

Tom's Hardware points out that the Nape Pro's 25mm ball is notably smaller than rivals like the Elecom Huge Plus, which uses a 52mm ball and offers ten programmable buttons. However, that outlet frames the difference as intentional: while ergonomic trackballs like the Elecom are generally meant to replace a standard mouse, the Nape Pro is positioned as a complementary input device rather than a full replacement, fitting into small or portable workspaces without needing a mousing surface, as TechPowerUp also notes.

Tom's Hardware adds that Keychron has previously released various mice for basic use, productivity, and gaming without matching the success of its mechanical keyboards, and suggests the Nape Pro's hybrid trackball-and-macro-pad design could help change that. One tradeoff mentioned is that the under-spacebar placement may not suit users who rely on a wrist rest, since the device would get in the way.

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