Microsoft's line of PC peripherals is being revived in time for the incoming festive season, with a range reintroduced under the "Designed by Microsoft" brand.

The plan was first revealed by Onward Brands earlier this year in a deal that would see one of the company's subsidiaries, Incase, manufacturing and distributing previously discontinued Microsoft accessories, including keyboards, mice, webcams, headsets, and speakers.

It's been a while coming, and Incase has confirmed the launch date for some point in calendar Q4 2024. The intent is that Incase, already a vendor for accessories such as backpacks and sleeves, will produce and sell the suite of products, along with a new ergonomic keyboard designed by Microsoft but not made available before the company pulled the plug last year.

Microsoft discontinued its branded accessories, but retained the premium Surface peripherals, in early 2023. It was the end of an era for users. Although the Intellimouse will remain dead and buried, the Incase range will include the Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse and Ergonomic Keyboard.

The illusion is diminished, however, by the Incase logo as the range is marketed under the Incase brand as "Designed by Microsoft."

Marshall Clark, Onward General Manager of the Productivity Business Unit, expressed delight at resurrecting hardware that Microsoft had abandoned, and the company's CEO, Charlie Tebele, said: "We look forward to building on the more than 30 years of outstanding product development that the Microsoft accessories business was well known for."

If Incase sticks with its Q4 2024 availability estimate, it will be more than 18 months since Microsoft announced it was pulling the plug, meaning that fans of the Windows vendor's accessories will have an opportunity to update their keyboard and mouse supplies, assuming the quality of the Incase brand matches that of its illustrious predecessor.

Incase has long been associated with the Apple platform. There is no word yet on how much the revived Microsoft accessories will cost. We've asked and will update this piece should there be a response.

In the meantime, Brett Ostrum, CVP of Microsoft Devices, said in a statement: "Microsoft is excited to partner with Incase to bring Microsoft-designed PC accessories that our customers love to market."

A slightly odd decision to ditch them in the first place then, Brett. ®

https://www.theregister.com//2024/08/30/incase_designed_by_microsoft/