Keyboard host to Keyboard input conversion

[robgarzon]

Problem

Some keyboards don’t work on certain consoles, such as the PS5, because they use an overly complex HID protocol.

Solution

It would be nice to have a mode where, by selecting a keyboard as the host and at the same time setting a keyboard as the input, the signal from one could be converted directly into the other.
What this would hypothetically do is convert any keyboard (for example, an NKRO keyboard with multiple complex HIDs) into a standard HID 6KRO keyboard to maximize compatibility, both with consoles and with older systems.

Looking at the code, I don’t think it would be difficult to implement.

Do you plan to work on this feature yourself?

I’m a developer, but I’ve never worked on this kind of project, although I don’t rule it out. I can help define the logic or the behavior.

[Pelsin]

I'm not sure that is entirely correct, i think PS5 titles don't support keyboard because they haven't implemented it (perhaps at Sony's behest?). As the PS5 supports keyboard and numerous titles.

I also think you might be confusing NKRO USB keyboards and "boot keyboard". It's not either or read, more here: https://www.devever.net/~hl/usbnkro. And i don't think it has anything to do with this?

To clarify:

1. you want the keyboard input mode to act as a Boot Keyboard?
2. you want the keyboard host to support Non-Boot HID Keyboards?

This also sounds like a job for: https://www.remapper.org/

[robgarzon]

Yes, thanks for the clarification — and yes, the answer to both questions is yes.

What I’m proposing is that the keyboard input side would act as a Boot Keyboard, while the keyboard host side would support non-boot HID keyboards.

To clarify my point about consoles like the PS5: I’m aware that the PS5 itself supports keyboards and that many titles do as well. What I meant is that, in practice, some keyboards are detected and work globally as peripherals, while others don’t work at all in many contexts. In my experience, this often happens with more complex keyboards — for example, keyboards that expose multiple HID interfaces, or include a mouse HID, vendor-specific reports, etc.

The idea would be to simplify any incoming keyboard — even an NKRO keyboard with multiple or complex HIDs — into a single, standard HID Boot/6KRO keyboard on the output side. The goal isn’t to replace NKRO or misunderstand how it works, but to deliberately reduce everything to the lowest common denominator to maximize compatibility, especially with consoles and older systems.