Diehard fans of Microsoft’s peripherals have reason to rejoice, as the decades-old lineage of products will live on after being scooped up by a partnership with accessory company, Incase.
An announcement that Microsoft-branded accessories including mice, keyboards, and webcams were to be discontinued was made by the company last year, as the tech giant intends to focus on growing the Surface brand of peripherals. Since then, Microsoft has made a partnership with Incase to continue their popular accessory line, albeit under a different name.
In a discussion with The Verge, Onward Brands (parent company of Incase) CEO Charlie Tebele explained, “The products will be the same products, but instead of saying Microsoft they’ll say Incase, designed by Microsoft[…]The products that we make will be the same products that were on the market before, so it’s not a license in the sense where we’re just getting the name to use, we’re continuing the exact same products.”
In addition to tried-and-true products, Tebele reveals that the line will also include products that have never been released, but had been under development by Microsoft in the past. “There’s a new product coming out that Microsoft had under development,” said Tebele. “It’s a new ergonomic keyboard that’s very exciting and we’ll be announcing that under designed by Microsoft as well.”
The following was originally published May 3, 2023:
Microsoft sold its first computer mouse in 1983, and now, 40 years later, the company has announced that it will no longer be selling Microsoft mice, keyboards, or webcams. The company explained to The Verge that, due to a series of layoffs that had an impact on their hardware division, those products will be ending their availability.
However, this doesn’t means you won’t be able to buy any PC accessories made by Microsoft. While the Microsoft line of accessories will be going away, the company will still be manufacturing and supporting peripherals under the Surface brand name. It seems that the company is forgoing their less-expensive products for the more high-end Surface line.
“Going forward, we are focusing on our Windows PC accessories portfolio under the Surface brand,” Microsoft’s Dan Laycock told The Verge. “We will continue to offer a range of Surface-branded PC Accessories—including mice, keyboards, pens, docks, adaptive accessories, and more. Existing Microsoft-branded PC accessories like mice, keyboards, and webcams will continue to be sold in existing markets at existing sell-in prices while supplies last.”
See also: Next update to Windows 10 will be the last
