OpenAI’s foray into hardware has fascinated tech enthusiasts for more than a year, and speculation about the AI company’s upcoming mystery gadget ranges from a Connect smart speaker to a portable device.
It turns out that OpenAI’s first hardware device is a little more prosaic: a keyboard.
On July 15, OpenAI introduced the Codex Micro, a $230 square keyboard with a 12-key pad, a joystick, and neon lights. The microkeyboard is specifically aimed at computer programmers who use OpenAI’s Codex tool. It is a one-off project that OpenAI developed with boutique keyboard company Work Louder. It is completely separate from the consumer gadget – the so-called AI companion – which is expected to hit the market sometime next year.
However, that hasn’t dampened demand for the Codex Micro keyboard.
On the day it went on sale, it sold out in about 12 hours, and some of the lucky few who snagged one are now reselling it on eBay. One is now listed for $1,850although the seller is unlikely to make the sale. Looking at previous sales on eBay, the highest bounty was $1,250 and was listed on July 16, the day after publication.
Since then, prices have steadily fallen, selling for around $800 to $1,000 in the next week of release. Today they are around $450, which is still well above the list price. Most sellers are in the US, but others come from France, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Work louder
The device is intended to make it easier for developers to track their progress in Codex, OpenAI’s flagship coding assistant that competes with Anthropic’s Claude Code. An LED ring around the keyboard lights up red, orange, green or blue to signal, for example, whether there is an error or whether the AI agent is still working on a task. By turning the wheel, the AI’s effort for a specific task is adjusted. The joystick initiates common tasks like debugging a bug or refactoring code.
Still, $450 for a tiny keyboard isn’t exactly a bargain. Some of the product’s target audience – programmers – were quick to call it unnecessary. “For $18 you can get a programmable keyboard with a rotary knob.” said a Redditor. Another commenter posted a link to open source software to program any keyboard with similar functionality.
Of course, anyone who buys one probably considers it a collector’s item – an artifact from the early days of the AI age, when OpenAI was considered one of the pioneers of the new technology. OpenAI has no plans to restock the device, but Work Louder, the company that made the product in collaboration with OpenAI, is selling a version of it website which has Codex integration (but does not carry the OpenAI branding).
Due to a lack of hardware experience, OpenAI relies on Work Louder
The idea for the Codex Micro came from OpenAI’s merchandise team, which wanted to sell the product on its online store Supply Co. The store started as a private place for OpenAI employees to secure corporate gifts. But in December 2025, OpenAI briefly opened it to the public in honor of its tenth anniversary, Quartz Reports.
Social media immediately did what social media does best and made fun of the articles. Some people called the minimalist, streetwear-inspired hoodies and tote bags “tasteslop” and “nerd merch.” accordingly The Wall Street Journal.
“OpenX got a bit of a spotlight on its merch products,” said Mike Di Genova, co-founder of Work Louder. This prompted the OpenAI team to “step up its merch game.”
OpenAI approached Di Genova later that month with the intention of building a product aimed at developers, which the company sees as an early adopter group.
OpenAI and Work Louder completed their concept within a few months and OpenAI placed a large order of the devices. “I thought it would take at least a month to sell off the inventory,” Di Genova said, laughing in disbelief. “Supply was limited, but they bought a lot.” (Neither OpenAI nor Work Louder were willing to reveal the exact number.)
A testing ground for future OpenAI devices
The microphone is not directly connected The popular upcoming hardware device from OpenAIthat is currently cooking with ex-Apple Designer Jony Ive. But it’s a proving ground that proves two concepts critical to this effort: hardware (a physical way to interact with OpenAI’s software) and voice. With all Micro devices now in circulation, OpenAI is monitoring user feedback and discussing it regularly in a Slack channel that Di Genova is also a part of.
The microphone has a microphone button. By pressing this button, they can easily talk to the AI and give it verbal instructions. OpenAI last week released a digital microphone button for ChatGPT Work, a desktop app that merges ChatGPT and Codex.
Greg Brockman, co-founder and president of OpenAI, called voice the “interface of the future” for computers because “it means the computer moves closer to you instead of you having to contort around the machine.” He predicted that one day we will look back on “clicking and typing” as a “phase.”
It remains to be seen whether Brockman’s prediction is correct and whether it is possible to complete detailed computer tasks, such as detailed editing and prompts, using only the voice. But right now, many in the AI industry see hardware as a way for companies like OpenAI to differentiate themselves.
“There’s this quote from Steve Jobs where he says, ‘If you want to make great hardware, make software,'” Di Genova said. “I think we’ve literally reached the point where we’re now on the backswing of that pendulum. If you want to make great software, make hardware, because there’s basically no moat anymore.”