I would play PC games in the living room all day long if I could just find a comfortable, no-compromise solution for mouse and keyboard placement. Perhaps Roccat's Sova will do the trick.


When I do attempt PC gaming in the living room, I either use a gamepad or a tray table set up next to my couch to rest my mouse on, with the keyboard in my lap. I've also sat on the floor with my keyboard and mouse on my coffee table, but at that point I might as well be sitting at a desk. Roccat's new device, introduced this week at E3 2014, seeks to put an end to such compromises.


The Sova is not an Ikea bookcase. It is a platform with built-in illuminated wireless keyboard, wrist rest, and a mouse surface that can be extended off of the side for players with particularly long arms. It's got a pair of USB ports in the side, a cable channel to keep the mouse connector in check, and a removable battery pack that you'll probably want an extra of if you play on gaming for more than 10 hours at a time. There's even a clip for your mobile device, in case you're taking advantage of Roccat's Power-Grid second-screen PC monitoring app.

There's no price for the Sova (are they riffing on sofa?) yet — the product is still in development — but there's a website where folks can check it out and leave their feedback. The only issue I have with the unit, having only see it in pictures, is where to put it when I'm not using it — when it's not on my lap, it seems like it would just be a board with a mouse hanging off of it.

What I really need is a big boy version of a school desk, with some lovely padding, maybe some reclining action, but the Sova might do in a pinch. What do you think?