Hands-on with OpenAI's Micro keypad: a pricey assistant for ChatGPT power users

OpenAI has launched its first piece of hardware: Micro, a small custom keypad designed to pair exclusively with ChatGPT and its agentic coding tool Codex. Developed with keyboard maker Work Louder, the device packs six frosted "agent" keys and six command keys, plus a voice dictation button that lets you speak requests directly to the AI. It connects via Bluetooth or USB, and users can customize key assignments and lighting inside ChatGPT itself.

Priced at $230, Micro is aiming squarely at developers and ChatGPT power users — the kind of people who might appreciate dedicated shortcuts for toggling between AI sessions. Micro's keypad layout is color-coded: white for idle agents, blue for thinking, green for completion, and red for errors. After some setup, I found it genuinely fun to use, especially for jumping between projects and firing off voice commands without reaching for a mouse.

But the reception from the coding community has been harsh. Redditors have called it "a prank," and independent outlet Aftermath titled its review "OpenAI's expensive macropad feels engineered to piss me off specifically." The criticism centers on the price — far above what a DIY or off-the-shelf macropad would cost — and the learning curve required to remember key mappings and color codes. Many question whether a dedicated keypad offers any real advantage over existing keyboard shortcuts or a second monitor.

For ChatGPT power users who can justify the expense, Micro delivers a polished, tactile shortcut system. For everyone else, it's likely a fun but unnecessary gadget.