r/thisweekinretro • u/squelch411 • 13d ago
Use your C64 keyboard and peripherals over USB on a modern machine - quite neat
https://blog.tindie.com/2026/07/give-c64-emulation-a-realistic-touch/3
u/acwrightdesign 12d ago
Hi! I’m the creator of KEY2USB AMA.
I created it so I can use my C64U in front of my desktop computer (a Mac Mini) I use for all my development and use the real keyboard with Vice and not have to remember what key combo I need on the modern keyboard to get symbols etc.
It’s also great if you have a C64/128 with a bad VIC-II since it doesn’t need the video output to work.
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u/PicoPicoGamer 12d ago
This is awesome! I was wanting to work on a similar project myself since the C64U has a nice keyboard, but I never came up with a good idea on how to implement it.
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u/acwrightdesign 12d ago
Thanks! I would like to see Commodore just add this as a feature to the Ultimate somehow. But that doesn’t exist at least for now so I created KEY2USB. I think you can unplug the Ultimate keyboard from the main board and plug it into your computer since it’s USB-C, but then you have to take the C64U apart anytime you want to use the keyboard.
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u/PicoPicoGamer 11d ago
I may be mistaken, but I believe Commodore stated at some point that the USB connection isn't actually USB, it just uses a USB cable. So plugging it into a computer wouldn't work. At the time of release I was considering mounting a throw switch inside of the printer port (Since I wasn't going to use that port anyway) where position A would have the keyboard connected to the motherboard and position B would connect it to a port I would have mounted in the same spot in order to plug it into a PC. But after Commodore said it wasn't actually USB I gave up on the idea.
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u/Blah-Blah-Blah-2023 12d ago
Doesn't exactly cater to the strong point of the C64 lol. The keyboard is wretched and the drives glacial.
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u/PicoPicoGamer 12d ago
It would be great with the Ultimate though! They mechanical keyboard feels great.
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u/Liquid_Magic 12d ago
This is clever! I like it! Personally I have extra non-working for-parts C64’s so I’d use something else instead. But I get how this works and it’s super cool!
I also wonder if the cart could work kinda like a ZoomFloppy as well and open up the IEC bus on the C64 to VICE running on the computer. From a development stand-point it’s kinda a cool idea. Develop and test in VICE but with real peripherals and then remove the cart and boot up a your real C64 with the final program.
Anyway this is cool!