Lapboards aren’t necessarily new — Razer has a fancy one coming up, and Phantom Entertainment has a really nice one — but these are lap-friendly keyboard and mouse solutions, and they do nothing for the notebook user.
While the idea of a laptop computer for PC gaming seems nice, there’s one huge problem: What about the mouse? Playing an action-heavy multiplayer battle arenas like League of Legends or Dota 2 or a first-person shooter with a touchpad is next to impossible. This means that you’ll need to put that laptop on a desk or table and plug in a mouse, which kind of goes against the idea of a laptop computer in the first place.
A new creation called Hover X saves the day. Creator Nathan Mummert has seen his modest $5,000 Kickstarter for a lap-friendly notebook desk fund fully (and then some) in a day. Made of premium bamboo and featuring cooling vents, a mouse pad, and a mobile dock, the Hover X LapDesk can fully facilitate the couch gaming experience for notebook users. For some, this could negate the need for a living room PC as well as the required adapters and controllers.
Different builds of Hover X are available for 13- or 15-inch laptops and larger 17-inch models. Retail prices range from about $150 to $200, but early backers can get in starting at $88 as a pre-order.