Credit to KhaosT's original post for inspiring this fork: https://gist.github.com/KhaosT/f1e0742872a4f7df5d32c1a7cfd61a8c
With visionOS 2, support for Bluetooth mice and keyboards greatly expanded.
But support for combination keyboard + trackpad peripherals is still flaky. While most keyboards worked, trackpads were hit and miss. In researching this, I stumbled upon KhaosT's post. It hasn't been updated since Feburary 2024, so I forked his gist. I continue to look for reports of other keyboard + trackpad combos that work, and will update this gist as needed.
Are you a peripherals manufacturer interested in having me test your keyboard + trackpad combo on Vision Pro? Email me at [email protected]. I'll add your device to this list if it works.
Based on my research, working AND affordable (sub-$100) keyboard + trackpad combos in the layout I prefer (keyboard on top, trackpad below like a laptop) are not easily found – but I have found two so far.
Disclaimer: I have zero affiliation with Inateck or Cooper. This is a fully independent review.
May 2025 update: I couldn't find the Nomad new online anymore. Maybe due to tariffs?
I saw some used white versions for cheap on Amazon, so I bought one. It works just as well but the space bar is a little stiff, meaning i have to press down a little harder on it to register. Im hoping that over time the stiffness goes away so it works as well as my original purchase.
Product Link Amazon
I'm typing this on a Cooper Nomad, which has a unique trackpad that folds out from the bottom.
To be honest, I didn't expect this keyboard to work, but I am very happily surprised. It is highly compatible with Vision Pro in ways I didn't expect. At its current price tag, it is hands down the best value out there for a Vision Pro user, if you don't want to shell out big bucks for a Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad.
Read below for a full review.
Product Link Amazon
This was the first working keyboard and trackpad combo that I found. It works, but the Cooper Nomad beats the KB04122-11 on multiple levels. This keyboard is a good choice if you're looking for something compact, lighter than the Nomad, and super slim profile. Read below for a more complete review.
For a while, I used a Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s with an old Apple Magic Mouse that required Mac Virtual Display to use.
However, I found that I liked the Mac laptop's keyboard and trackpad much better it terms of form factor. But, I didn't like having to open a laptop to use it. The black screen was not useful and took up extra space.
Unfortunately, the Magic Trackpad is very expensive. Lugging one around with a keyboard was not for me. Plus, it wouldn't give me the familiar layout of a laptop without a tray to house both.
I toyed with buying a broken-screen MacBook Air, but I couldn't find anything for under $100.
So I started researching third-party solutions.
- $100 or less
- One piece (no trays that held a keyboard and separate trackpad)
- Lightweight for easy travel
- Not extremely compact; typing must still be relatively easy; mainly full-sized keys
- Some level of trackpad multitouch support
- No dependency on Mac, but still works smoothly with Mac Virtual Display
- Must connect cleanly (some Bluetooth keyboards trigger a warning on visionOS that "Using this device will affect Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity")
- If part of a case (e.g. an iPad case), the keyboard should be removeable
Personally, I prefer a laptop/iPad layout with the keyboard on top and the trackpad below. I believe there are compatible keyboards (full and travel) that have working trackpads, but they are on the right. I prefer to have easy access to a trackpad from either hand.
For the purposes of this Gist, I will focus only on keyboard/trackpad combos that match the Mac laptop layout.
The Cooper Nomad is full-sized. I picked up on sale for $20. It retails for $30 or so on Amazon.
The Nomad has a gimmicky set up for the trackpad. It folds out when needed. I first thought I would hate this, only to love this feature after using it.
The keyboard is about 11.5 inches wide, 5 inches deep and about 0.5 inches tall. When the keypad is folded out, it is 4 inches wide and adds 2.5 inches to the depth.
Pairing works great. On Mac Virtual Display, it required a step to recognize the keyboard type, but once that was done, it worked fine.
While the Nomad is designed for iPad use, the iPad stand doubles as a removable keyboard cover. This cover makes it great for travel.
Unlike the Inateck KB-04122-11, the top row buttons all work as expected.
The trackpad has better multitouch capabilities, including a few surprises on visionOS! (Read the Issues & Workarounds section for more on this.)
The bottom 1/4th of the trackpad is marked with left and right buttons. While the trackpad supports multitouch, not all Vision Pro apps support all functions. For example, multifinger swipe left and right seems to work or not work depending on the app.
Once or twice a day, the keyboard disconnects. Reconnecting is a simple switch off and on and it reconnects easily. I am testing the Nomad on beta visionOS software, so it's very possible this is not a keyboard issue at all, I am sharing it for transparency.
It is possible that the disconnects are related to battery life, and that a recharge improves connectivity. The battery life overall is great, but the documentation lacks information on what the green vs. red battery lights mean. I've easily gone more than a week between charging. I'll update this as I do more endurance testing.
The trackpad is pretty good. You can opt to lightly tap to click or press harder at the bottom. Unfortunately, there's no way to adjust this setting, so you may have to get used to being careful with tapping the trackpad.
After using the keyboard for a week, I found myself accidentally triggering the rescaling function (pinch and zoom with two fingers) with the keyboard set to iOS. There's no way to disable this, so I did a workaround. I switched the keyboard type to Windows, and then in the Vision Pro settings, remapped the keyboard Option and Command keys to flip them. This way they matched the Mac keyboard. With this workaround, pinch and zoom is no longer triggered. The main drawback to this is that you lose some trackpad gestures (e.g. swipe three fingers down for the Control Panel). That said, the trackpad works much better for me without UI zooming.
Pros:
- Very affordable for features/value provided
- Very responsive keyboard; no flakiness or missed letters while typing
- Trackpad works out of the box for basic functions
- Supports left and right click
- Ability to disable/enable trackpad
- No backlight (I put this as a pro as it helps with battery life, but this may be a con for you)
- Multi-device support for up to 3 devices
- All top-row function buttons work on visionOS! (Lock button activates the camera and takes shots)
- Better two-finger scrolling capability compared to Inateck KB04122-11
- Three-finger swipe down shows Control Center! Thought this was a nifty thing to support.
- So far, no issues with battery life
Cons:
- Biggest con is that trackpad is sensitive, so palm touches on the edges can trigger a tap. This may be an issue if you have larger hands. But for me I'm just a little extra careful while typing, so it doesn't bother me. Plus, you have the ability to disable the trackpad for keyboard-only tasks.
- Two-finger pinch/zoom may accidentally trigger excessively (see above workaround to fix)
- Requires a flat surface so the trackpad doesn't sag. (I made an inexpensive DIY keyboard tray that locks the trackpad in place so it doesn't sag, and also raises my palms to reduce accidental palm touching, which made a big difference.)
- Trackpad is on small side, if you're used to large trackpad size on Mac
- No settings on Vision Pro to customize trackpad gestures
- Keyboard does not get cut out in full environment (sometimes it barely shows, sometimes it doesnt)
- Caps lock indicator is sort of in a weird spot
Verdict: The Cooper Nomad is the first keyboard plus trackpad combo with a longer list of pros than cons. Combined with the very budget-friendly price tag, this is the best deal I've found so far for a decently working Vision Pro peripheral. Support for up to 3 Bluetooth devices adds even more value for multi-device users. That the iPad stand doubles as the cover for the keyboard, it also travels well. Since I was looking for a keyboard that closely matched the size of a Macbook Air, the Cooper Nomad is perfectly sized.
Highly highly highly recommend! There might be other better keyboard + trackpad combos out there, but none that'll match the Cooper's price-to-value ratio.
This keyboard is actually meant for iPad, but since Vision Pro seems to be heavily based on iPad, I picked up this keyboard on sale to give it a shot. And boom! It worked instantly once I paired.
The peripheral measures 9" wide and 7" tall excluding the strip at the top that holds the magnetic case connector (which I detached).
On Mac Virtual Display, it required a step to recognize the keyboard type, but once that was done, it worked fine.
This keyboard magnetically separates from the iPad case paired with it. While it may seem silly to buy an iPad case without an iPad, I realized it actually can serve as a protective cover for the keyboard while traveling. So I see that as a big plus.
Some of the visionOS interfaces require a double-tap from the trackpad to perform the equivalent of a pinch, e.g. closing a visionOS app.
Because it's an iPad keyboard, some top row buttons don't work or work unexpectedly. The search and keyboard emoji buttons work great, as well as play/pause. But the rest do not seem to work (or maybe they only work at certain times). The lock button actually activates the camera and takes photos, which is an unusual side effect.
Pros:
- Very responsive keyboard speed; no flakiness or missed letters while typing
- Trackpad works out of the box for basic functions
- Supports left and right click
- Super lightweight
- Ability to disable/enable trackpad
- Excellent battery life (I've gone for weeks without charging)
- No backlight (I put this as a pro as it helps with battery life, but this may be a con for you)
Cons:
- Trackpad presses are super stiff and require lots of press force
- This could be because the keyboard is very new
- As a workaround, I just lightly tap to press (which I personally prefer)
- Trackpad is on small side, if you're used to super large trackpad size on Mac
- Since keyboard isn't recognized by visionOS, there are no settings to customize the trackpad
- Doesn't seem like all iPad multitouch commands translate to/work with Vision Pro
- What works: Drag, Scroll, Secondary Click
- Doesn't work: Zoom, Expose, Swipe Between Apps, Show Desktop (but these probably don't work anyway in visionOS)
- Inconsistent: Swipe (e.g. works on app home screen, but not on mail swipe to delete message)
- Keyboard does not get cut out in full environment
- Caps lock indicator is sort of in a weird spot
- Peripheral is so light ... could it be too light?
- No button to pair to multiple devices (e.g. an iPad and Vision Pro)
- Keyboard retains strip and magnet on top (you may be able to cut off; I am keeping to use case as protective cover for keyboard)
- Not all top-row buttons work on visionOS (notably the delete button does not seem to do anything)
How I Use: The trackpad is most useful on web pages and iPad apps where it is difficult to gaze and pinch accurately. I tend to use it less in most visionOS apps. So I treat the trackpad as a secondary input mechanism. That said, I find myself mixing and matching a lot between gaze/pinch and trackpad tap.
Verdict: If you want a keyboard that's lighter and more compact than the Cooper Nomad, this is an option to consider. Part of me is torn on size: I like the compact size as it travels well, but I'm wondering if it's just a touch too cramped; would a larger iPad keyboard be better?
👎👎👎 Inateck Bluetooth Keyboard with Touchpad, Ultra-Light&Silm Tablet Keyboard Wireless, Compatible with Windows, iPadOS, Android, and iOS, KB01103 Amazon
Darn! For the low price, build and size, I really wanted this keyboard to work. But sadly, the trackpad was DOA and would not connect to Apple Vision Pro. I know this was an older model, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
👎👎👎 Magitype Case with Keyboard Compatible for iPad Pro 11 inch(M4, 2024): Bluetooth Wireless Detachable Magnetic Stand Rechargeable Keyboard with Removable Cover with Trackpad, White Backlit (Grey) Amazon
For the purposes of my research, I'll assume that any Magitype brand will fail in visionOS.
👎👎👎 XIWMIX Ultra-Slim Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard - 7 Colors Backlit Universal Rechargeable Keyboard Compatible with iPad Pro/iPad Air/iPad 9.7/iPad 10.2/iPad Mini and Other iOS Android Windows Devices Amazon
Initially, I had high hopes for the XIWMIX as the trackpad did connect, but the device triggered the connectivity warning. Multitouch gestures didn't work on the trackpad. When typing, the keyboard cursor jumps randomly so typing is utterly wrecked. For the purposes of my research, I'll assume that any XIWMIX brand will fail in visonOS.
👎👎👎 I assume that any keyboard struck out in KhaosT's original post still does not work today (although I do hope to test another Inateck model in the future).
👎👎👎 Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad and iPad Pro: This would've been an ideal solution, but it uses a proprietary connector instead of Bluetooth. Apple team, if you read this, sell a detached standalone version of Magic Keyboard for iPad for use in visionOS.
🤞🤞🤞 Obviously, Mac Virtual Display is an ideal way to get first-class keyboard and trackpad support. Unfortunately, that option does not fit in the sub-$100 cost requirement I have for finding. That said, on Reddit someone posted the idea of getting an older Mac for cheap, and using that as the keyboard plus trackpad combo.
It appears that the oldest compatible and smallest MacBook Air that runs Sonoma (the minimum requirement for MVD) is a 2018 13" model. Unfortunately, you can't use it for ultrawide. The cheapest MVD with ultrawide is a 2020 M1 13" MacBook Air. It's an intriguing idea but makes travel a bit more complicated. While it's easy to travel with an Air, you still need to haul a separate charger for it (or get a dual charger).
🤞🤞🤞 I spoke to some representatives from Brydge who said that their new MAX+ keyboards should work with Apple Vision Pro, as they have the latest firmware. Unfortunately the cost breaks my $100 self-imposed limit, so I have not tested them yet.
🤞🤞🤞 One person has reported that the ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard II is compatible Lenovo
I have not tested the above. I am not a fan of trackpoint (a little nub in the keyboard) but am sharing here for completeness.
🤞🤞🤞 iClever Foldable Keyboard, BK08 Bluetooth Keyboard with Sensitive Touchpad, Multi Devices, Pocket-Sized Tri-Folding Portable Keyboard for iPad, iPhone, Smartphone, Laptop and Table Amazon
Earlier in 2024 I did test the iClever keyboard. It worked OK but sometimes it would drop the connection to the Mac on Mac Virtual Display, and type slowly/miss characters at times. The trackpad was a bit too tiny for what I needed it for and it was to the right, which I do not prefer. I wound up not liking the keyboard enough to keep it.
🤞🤞🤞 Another report of a working keyboard with right-side trackpad. I have not tested this one either: seenda Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard for Travel, Tri-Folding Wireless Portable Keyboard with Touchpad, Rechargeable Multi-Device Small Keyboard, for Laptop Tablet PC Smartphone Windows iOS Android Amazon
Here's a Reddit thread that discusses various options in more detail:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VisionPro/comments/1ddakwr/3rdparty_portable_bluetooth_keyboardtrackpad/