MX Keypad: How Logitech designed a new micropad for the age of AI coding

Monitoring multiple AI agents

“I think when it comes to AI and monitoring those agents, we noticed that there is an opportunity for us to play with, especially with the display keys being dynamic and able to showcase different statuses of those agents. Since it’s a lot about multitasking and agents are replacing much of the work that was previously done manually through coding, developers can now focus on other tasks,” Kostyukovskaya told indianexpress.com in an interview via video call from Helsinki, Finland.

The MX Keypad provides shortcuts across 15 pages, with nine LCD buttons on each page, for 135 customisable shortcuts. Users can configure commands by dragging and dropping them onto different pages or buttons, such as adding voice dictation or screenshot functions. The system supports simultaneous monitoring and control of multiple AI agents through the hardware interface, while each application can be linked to a customised plugin, allowing button functions to be tailored to specific workflows.

“If the agent is running in the background, developers can do something else in the meantime. They can document, they can research, they can communicate, or have a meeting. And because the keypad is a standalone device with visual feedback, it can notify them when something is wrong or when something requires their attention,” Kostyukovskaya said.

“Because you work across different applications, there may be shortcuts that you need to juggle and remember. With the keypad able to change the tools depending on the app that you have active, you don’t need to remember those shortcuts. The icons display exactly what you need to press, making it much easier to have an emergency button or quickly access a tool that you need, especially during meetings,” she further added.

Logitech highlights the MX Keypad’s broad app compatibility and customisable controls for personalised developer workflows. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Resemblance to MX Creative Console

MX Keypad’s design bears an uncanny resemblance to MX Creative Console, a two-piece setup consisting of a nine-key LCD keypad and a wireless dial pad. MX Creative Console was launched in 2024, a year after the company acquired Loupedeck, known for its popular programmable devices designed to streamline workflows for professional creatives and streamers.

This time, the nine-key LCD keypad remains, while the wireless dial pad is gone. After all, the MX Keypad is targeted at developers and coders, and its launch in India as a test market—given that the country has millions of software engineers—says a lot about the potential scope of a device designed for the AI era from the ground up.

“When we launched that product, we instantly saw so many different use cases for the keypad. It was clear that the dial was particularly useful for creative workflows, but the keypad alone was so capable. When we started digging into the use cases, the number one, of course, was developers, because the MX series is our core audience and is meant for creative professionals and developers. That’s where we went first. We started working with our community,” she explains, adding that the MX Keypad idea had been around for many years.

“We had a hackathon that we hosted in Switzerland, and those AI tools started popping up. Things were moving faster and faster, and we didn’t want to delay any longer. We wanted to bring all of the functionality we had developed and package it into the current hardware,” she recalled.

The keypad’s customisable display keys automate prompts, code refactoring, and commands across GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, VS Code, and IntelliJ IDEA. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

A dedicated control centre

Pressing a button sends commands such as tab completion, which automatically triggers AI-generated content and streamlines input. The keypad displays live status updates, such as “thinking” or “complete,” providing transparency into the various stages of AI processing. Users can then navigate AI prompts and responses, including yes/no confirmations, directly through the hardware controls without shifting attention to the computer screen.

“The form factor is very simple. We don’t want to introduce anything too complex, especially for developers who are used to their existing workflows. I think introducing something that simple, with relatively small screen buttons, means we don’t take up too much space on the desk. I think it’s a good product, and it’s also coming at the right time,” she said.

MX Keypad acts as a dedicated control centre, improving workflow transparency and control while reducing the need to switch between screens. This is particularly useful for developers, who can use the dedicated hardware to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Not only does the device look cool on the table, but it is fully controllable and customisable.

“At the moment, those plugins and integrations are definitely accessible through the Action Ring, a customisable virtual interface. But when it comes to specific integrations, such as working with AI agents, and the fact that you need to be able to monitor them somehow, having this additional layer on your screen as another tab doesn’t solve the problem. The friction is still there. You have so many tabs, and if you still need to remember to call up the Action Ring to check, that can be a challenge,” Kostyukovskaya responded when asked why a software-only approach cannot provide visual feedback and multi-agent control required for advanced, multitasking environments.

“With the MX Keypad, it’s our first step for the true AI control centre and our first hardware that brings those AI controls to the fingertips, and we still believe that it’s the right choice,” she said. The visual richness and physical feedback are benefits that standalone hardware can provide and are central to MX Keypad’s design. Kostyukovskaya said the device’s support for a wide range of creative and technical applications expands its potential customer base.

Valeriya Kostyukovskaya is the Global Business and Marketing Manager for MX at Logitech. (Image credit: Logitech)

Wave of AI-first devices

In July, OpenAI also launched a similar device, a keyboard designed to let users monitor and quickly interact with multiple agents at a glance—with just a few clicks. However, it is designed specifically to work with its AI coding assistant, Codex. Logitech’s MX Keypad differs from OpenAI’s Codex Micro as it supports multi-app, multi-agent workflows and a wider range of shortcuts and tasks.

“The trend has started,” Kostyukovskaya said when asked how AI is forcing companies to think differently and design products catering to users in the AI era. “We still think we are entering this category at the right time because we have superior functionality and integrations. We definitely offer a vast selection of AI tools, and I think our partnerships, especially with GitHub, put us in a stronger position and give us a very appealing commercial bundle for our target audience. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more devices like this coming out,” she said.

The MX Keypad’s launch comes at a time when a new crop of devices has entered the market, designed specifically for the AI era. Think of the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses or the Plaud AI note-taking device, for instance. Standalone AI devices are back, and AI is driving a major shift in the way we think about everyday tech products.

“I think, for us, when we think about hardware, we are of course thinking about the user, the current tools and the workforce. When designing hardware, we think about the current setup and use cases, but we’re also thinking about the future. For us, it’s very important to map out scenarios for how the future might evolve, what the tools might look like, where they might be used and what directions we’re taking,” she said.

Although MX Keypad is specifically designed for developers, Kostyukovskaya said anyone can use the device. “It supports a lot of consumer applications as well, so anyone who isn’t a developer can benefit from it. I am not a developer, but I have templates saved on the keys, along with simple prompts and shortcuts, such as taking screenshots,” she said.

“In fact, the plugin I created myself was for screen recording and screenshots, which are things I do often. For me, it was a bit of a bottleneck. I am also somewhat of a creator and use Adobe applications, so I have some shortcuts set up for those as well. It definitely helps a lot in my day-to-day work. I can see many consumers benefiting from the device as well,” she added.

For Logitech, says Kostyukovskaya, customisation of its devices and expanded developer support are the key focal points that are changing how it designs its products. “We believe advanced users are benefiting from customisation. We see that users of the MX series are the ones who are changing settings the most,” she said, adding that the company is focusing on the plugin marketplace and increasing developer creativity and engagement. “We are trying to make it easier, faster perhaps, with some rewards programme for developers contributing to plugins,” she said.