Using an Android tablet as a PC keyboard?

[Antiriad2097]

My thoughts in the Wii U thread have made another leap...

Can I use an Android tablet as a 'keyboard' for a PC?

I'm thinking of flight/space combat sims, where keyboard overlays for a mass of keys are the norm.

A cheap Android tablet would fit the bill nicely if I could create a graphic representation of my controls more befitting my craft and prod those to trigger the appropriate keypress on the PC (much like using JoyToKey to convert stick movements to keypresses).

I wouldn't need to remember that 'G' was the key to enable shields, I'd just press the 'Shields' button on the tablet display.

ideally I'd have togglable displays, so if I press the button to switch to another view (e.g. engineering), I'd get a control panel swap to match.

[kiwimike]

That's an angle I never thought of, and a great potential for tablets as control panels on the Enterprise on ST games etc. Although I do like 'response' from controls rather than flat pieces, but I'm not used to them.

[speedlolita]

You can use a PSP as a HID for a PS3/PC to play games with, I see no reason for this to not be possible.

[DreamcastRIP]

... I'm thinking of flight/space combat sims, where keyboard overlays for a mass of keys are the norm.

This isn't a million miles away from than for why the Jaguar controller's keypad made so much sense for certain games... despite all the disparaging 'looks like a telephone' remarks from certain people over the years.

[Antiriad2097]

This isn't a million miles away from than for why the Jaguar controller's keypad made so much sense for certain games... despite all the disparaging 'looks like a telephone' remarks from certain people over the years.

The theory behind the Jag pad is sound, its just the physical design that lets it down. The buttons are too small and fiddly and their location further hampers selection. I love my Jag, the dpad and buttons on its pad are fine, but that keypad is horrible to use.

A tablet as a controller may lack tactile feedback, but invariably in a flight sim you have to look at the keyboard to select the key you want anyway so this could be an improvement to aid speed of identification.

[DreamcastRIP]

This isn't a million miles away from than for why the Jaguar controller's keypad made so much sense for certain games... despite all the disparaging 'looks like a telephone' remarks from certain people over the years.

The theory behind the Jag pad is sound, its just the physical design that lets it down. The buttons are too small and fiddly and their location further hampers selection. I love my Jag, the dpad and buttons on its pad are fine, but that keypad is horrible to use.

A tablet as a controller may lack tactile feedback, but invariably in a flight sim you have to look at the keyboard to select the key you want anyway so this could be an improvement to aid speed of identification.

I can't say I share in your opinion that the keypad buttons are "too small and fiddly". They seem plenty big enough to me but, yes, I do find them a bit mushy (technical jargon there!) for button presses to be recognised sometimes. That's an interesting observation regarding their positioning. Maybe if the keypad were higher up, i.e. more central, on the controller then that could be seen as a minor improvement, albeit that I've no issue with where they are. As for the d-pad and face buttons etc, I use the much improved Pro Controller so any such potential issues fortunately don't affect me.

I definitely think your point about the Wii U Gamepad potentially being rather good as touchscreen keyboard for such games is a valid one.

A franchise such as Metal Gear Solid, with its arguably fiddly controls using a normal joypad, on Wii U could work very well indeed, imho. No more holding down buttons and/or cycling through menus to select the desired option - just a single press of a touchscreen 'button' with all the game's options (e.g. weapons, codec, et al) being present on the Gamepad's screen.

It's all about the potential though. For one, Kojima/Konami would need to bother actually implementing it all which isn't a given - they might just knock out a lazy 'port'. Secondly, the next proper MGS game will presumably be a PS4 and/or next-gen Xbox release. In itself that raises two separate issues. One, that Konami would even bother releasing it on Wii U given that it will be a relatively inferior system and may not be capable of replicating the game to a sufficiently high standard. Two, that the Wii U conversion may by necessity be so pared down relative to the 'real' version of the game that it pales in comparison.

Going a bit off topic there, sorry!

An Android tablet device used with a PC for flight sims et al could work very well I would have thought. As long as you found a way of positioning the device in such a way it's both easy to look at and press the touchscreen on without the need to physically hold it of course. Some sort of improvised stand might be the order of the day.

[tekaotaku]

something like this

http://www.touchpilot.net/

Seems an interesting idea, don't really do sims myself, but its a push in the right direction....

[Freestyler]

My thoughts in the Wii U thread have made another leap...

Can I use an Android tablet as a 'keyboard' for a PC?

Yes you can. Especially if it's an Android tab!

Two things to bear in mind though:
1) The Touchpad on my Tab is horrific for even medium data entry. Anything more than a paragraph and I want to kill people.
2) Make sure your Tab can support PC connectivity via USB. Some of the cheaper ones "pretend" full functionality but it's one-way only.

It's always possible to set up through Wireless/Bluetooth but USB is just easier in the long run, since not every program supports wifi or whatever. The PC can treat your Tab as just another custom Controller through USB.

Good luck!

[Antiriad2097]

something like this

http://www.touchpilot.net/

Seems an interesting idea, don't really do sims myself, but its a push in the right direction....

That's pretty much spot on.