Optimus Maximus Keyboard: What Happened and Display-Key Alternatives (2026)
Remember the Optimus Maximus keyboard? In May 2007 Art. Lebedev Studio opened pre-orders for a keyboard with a tiny colour OLED screen in every key (114 screens in all). Each key could show any symbol, icon or animation, changing instantly when you pressed Shift, switched to Cyrillic or opened Photoshop. It cost about US$1,564, and we expected pre-orders to sell out in minutes. Here’s what happened to it, and the display-key keyboards and keypads you can actually buy in 2026.
Quick answer: The Optimus Maximus shipped in small numbers from late 2007, but it was very expensive, slow to update and hard to type on, and it was discontinued years ago. Today the same idea lives on in programmable display keypads such as the Elgato Stream Deck, with LCD keys for shortcuts and apps, and the Logitech MX Creative Console for creative software. They sit beside your normal keyboard instead of replacing it.
Table of Contents
What made the Optimus Maximus special
- Every key was a small OLED screen showing a 48×48 pixel image.
- Key labels changed with the active app or layout (QWERTY, Dvorak, Cyrillic, Photoshop shortcuts).
- You could program keys to show icons and run macros.
- It was made by Art. Lebedev Studio, a Russian design firm famous for concept designs.
Why it didn’t catch on
- Price: roughly US$1,500 at launch, many times the cost of a premium keyboard.
- Performance: reviewers reported slow display refresh and a stiff typing feel.
- Durability concerns: early OLEDs dimmed with use.
- Niche appeal: most people touch-type and rarely look at the keys.
The studio later made smaller Optimus Mini Three and Optimus Popularis models, but the whole line faded out.
Display-key keyboards and keypads to buy in 2026
- Elgato Stream Deck: 6 to 32 customisable LCD keys that launch apps, run macros, control streaming software and smart-home devices. The closest thing to Optimus keys you can buy. See Elgato’s Stream Deck range.
- Logitech MX Creative Console: a keypad with display keys plus a dial, designed for Adobe apps and other creative tools.
- Programmable macro keypads: cheaper keypads without screens; you label keys yourself and program them with free software.
Who should buy one?
A display keypad makes sense if you stream, edit photos or video, or juggle many shortcuts. For everyday typing, a good regular keyboard is still the better buy.
Looking after the keyboard you already have? See how to clean a keyboard, or learn the trick for typing the hashtag key on any layout.
FAQ
Can you still buy the Optimus Maximus keyboard?
Only second-hand, occasionally, as a collector’s item. It’s no longer made.
Is there a keyboard with screens on every key today?
Not as a mainstream product. Display keys are found on add-on keypads like the Stream Deck instead.
How much did the Optimus Maximus cost?
About US$1,564 at its 2007 pre-order launch.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, QuickOnlineTips earns from qualifying purchases.
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Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your weblog with far more facts? It’s very helpful for me.
This will be the mother of all keyboards. It’s the start of what is to come.
This is truely beautiful, I hope it sells more than the Upod… ;)
Oh, you know in the beginning they’ll sell them all, but you know we’re still talking about a friggin keyboard people. The same device YOU and I have spilled on a countless amount of time.
If this was spill proof, I might consider it, until then I’m dropping $1500 for a friggin keyboard!
Feels wierd seeing this go into production, remember being at the very beginning and being amazed, should be interesting to see how many of them sell.