Fans of the ZX Spectrum’s spongy keyboard are one step closer to typing on it again.

Steve Wilcox, who ran a crowd-funding campaign to recreate the rubbery keys, told the BBC his team had received what was likely to be the final product.

He said the project had been delayed after the team decided to support Android tablets as well as Apple’s iOS devices.

The new keyboard can be connected to a tablet computer with Bluetooth and used to control retro gaming apps.

A majority of the computing is done by the tablet, not the keyboard.

Mr Wilcox said the company had the necessary licence to use the ZX Spectrum name and the software it was offering in the keyboard’s companion app.

He said he hoped the finished keyboards would be delivered within six weeks and sent to those who had backed the project.

The initial production run of 5,000 units has already sold out.