There's a lot that goes into the best gaming keyboards, and switches are only part of the picture. The entire composition doesn't fall apart with a less than stellar switch in place, especially as so many boards are hot swappable. But if you're picky about typing sound, the search for your perfect key switch just got a little easier.

Switch Lab is a browser-based library of 100 switch sounds, collecting together switches from Cherry, Gateron, Outemu and more. Obviously, feel is just as important as sound, but we don't yet live in a cyberpunk dystopia that can transmit textural experiences over the net. Shame.

Anyway, after a brief introduction to how Switch Lab works, you can begin comparing and contrasting switch sounds. You can either hammer a solo switch with just your mouse, or load a full set into a virtual keyboard for a typing test where a cat pesters you. I have a pretty clacky keyboard in the office at PCG Towers, so this latter test did not give me the best sense of switch sound (and that fidgeting feline kept dragging down my accuracy score to boot).

Each switch enjoys its own detailed catalogue page, offering pointers on what sort of typist it's great for, alongside suggestions for switches in a similar ballpark if it doesn't quite hit the mark for you. There's weight, pricing information, and even links to extended sound test videos on YouTube.

As a huge fan of Be Quiet's silent switches (the Light Mount TKL remains my daily driver at home), I've disappeared down a bit of a rabbit hole on Switch Lab. I first loved the cozy vibes of the Keygeek Oat, but then stumbled upon the TTC Frozen Silent V2 which seems properly quiet. According to Switch Lab, the Leobog Silent cotton Candy is even more understated and—whups! I've just added more than 50 bucks worth of switches to my shopping cart.

The dangers to my wallet aside, this switch sound library isn't without its quirks. For one, you don't get to try out each of the 100 currently catalogued switches from the off. To unlock the first 40, you have to either review the site or share it with a friend. More switch sounds can then be unlocked as a daily login bonus.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting live service mechanics in this humble switch library of all things. Speaking of, there's a selection of lightweight games here too, including multiple speed typing tests with leaderboards and even a Taiko no Tatsujin clone. Who thought a switch sound library would be quite so extra?

Fun fact: All the good gaming keyboards I've ever owned, I bought on sale.

Let's face it, gaming keebs of the higher caliber don't usually go for cheap, and since I've had a few missteps with mine, I've probably owned more than the average person.

You can reap the benefits of all my shopping shenanigans, though, and instead buy something that's actually a good deal during this Amazon Prime Day. It'll save you the time, money, frustration, and whatever other nuisance you can possibly think of.

Check out all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here.

The three keyboards I've picked out for you below are all excellent. There are two wireless, smaller keebs for you to look at, plus one full-sized option that consistently ranks high on our list of the best gaming keyboards.

The deals are on fire right now, but they won't stay that way for much longer. Now's the time to treat yourself to a new keyboard so that you can spam WASD in your game of choice with extra pizzazz.

The deals

The information

Don't love these? It's okay, I'm not offended. Picking a gaming keyboard needs to be done right. I've given away more keebs than I care to mention because they didn't suit my exact tastes (although I'm pickier than most, what with the typing for a living).

Here are some of the other best gaming keyboard Prime Day deals we've rounded up for you.

👉Shop all of Amazon's gaming keyboard deals here👈

I'm here to inform you the wrist rest included with the new Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid is very good and very wobbly. Watch it wobble below. But more seriously, I enjoy this wrist rest so much that it's relegated my old HyperX one, which I previously swore by, to the floor. The giant and sturdy-but-slightly-wobbly silicon goodness that forms this one from Logitech is the best I've tried. It's hard, which is good ergonomically, but not quite as hard as wood. Perfect. Plus, wobble. Just a shame the keyboard that it comes with costs $230.

And here's a pic of it not being all wobbly:

Is this a piss take? Okay, this is definitely a piss take. Google Japan has posted a YouTube video showcasing the new Gboard Conveyor Belt Version. What we are talking about here, people, is "a keyboard whose keys are delivered straight to your finger tips." Literally.

Turns out, Google Japan has form with this kind of thing, what with the rotary keyboard and absurdly-long-stick-of-single-keys keyboard, er, keyboards they've done before. But this conveyor-belt board? This one might just be the best of all.

The keyboard has four columns of vertically stacked keys that rotate on a belt, the idea being that you don't move your hand, you just wait for the right key to arrive. As the video explains, "just as conveyor belts ramped up factory productivity, we wondered if we could streamline typing in the exact same way." Well, quite.

"This key advancement allows you to fluidly convey your ideas," Google's Japan team explains, adding, "with keys streaming under your fingertips, it ushers in a whole new era of touch-and-go typing. You touch. It goes."

Google Japan says it's working on further developments of the concept, including multiple colourways and a high speed mode "ideal for developing hand-eye coordination."

There are also swap-in cardboard key caps that enable daily nail care in the works. But my favourite planned feature? That'll be a new "voice guide" mode, where the keyboard reads out the passing keys aloud. Perfect. As the Japan team concludes, this is "a keyboard to come, built for the era to come."

Actually, there's a tinge of sadness to all this in that it's a reminder of what Google used to be like before it IPO'ed itself into the ruthless, humourless cyborg money-making machine the company has become today. Somehow, wonderfully, it seems Google Japan didn't get that memo.

The October Prime Day has been and gone, folks. Even after Amazon's Big Deal Days event, though, there are still discounts flowing in.

👉ALL of Amazon's keyboard deals👈
👉OUR favorite Prime Day PC gaming deals👈

We're constantly reviewing and picking out the best gaming keyboards for our guides, so make sure to check in with us throughout the year to find out which are the right ones for you. In the meantime, though, there are still plenty of tempting options below.

Where to find the best Prime Day gaming keyboard deals

• Amazon: All the gaming keyboards you could ever want
• Walmart: Quality gaming keyboards, superb savings
• Best Buy: Big name keyboards with big value discounts
• Newegg: Big savings on big brand gaming keyboards

Prime Day gaming keyboard deals

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Logitech G203 | Wired

Perfect as a starter or low-budget option with a list of useful features like 6 programmable buttons, Lightsync RGB effects and a ton of customisation via Logitech's G Hub software, this mouse proves that you don't need to go fancy to get a great gaming peripheral. Key specs: Wired | 8,000 DPI | Right-handed Price check:Best Buy $39.99

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$25.99$34.99

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Glorious GHS Eternal | 40 mm drivers

With a solid build quality, good compatibility and sweet design, the Glorious GHS is a thoroughly middle-of-the-pack budget gaming headset, but is a bit of a steal with a third off. Key specs: 40 mm drivers | 20 hz - 20 kHz | 255 g

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$26.31$59.99

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Logitech G305 Lightspeed | Wireless

The Logitech G305 Lightspeed is our favorite budget wireless mouse—it's nothing fancy, but it's lightweight, has great battery life, and uses a killer sensor. The only thing to note is that this deal isn't necessarily that out of left field—the G305 hasn't been at full price for a while, but it's still worth snagging if you need a nice budget option with no frills. Key specs: Wireless | 12,000 DPI | Right-handed Price check: Best Buy $49.99

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$29.99$49.99

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Logitech G305 Lightspeed

Already reasonably priced, who could say no to this charming rodent at a deep discount? Offering precision and durability with buttons rated for 10 million clicks—plus an array of fetching colours—this remains a great budget pick for good reason. Key specs: Wireless gaming mouse | Hero sensor | 12K CPI | 5 programmable buttons | 99 g weight | 200 hour battery life

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$29.99$49.99

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Razer Basilisk V3

This mouse might be a few years old, but we scored it highly in our review in part thanks to that lovely ergonomic design. It also has some lush underglow RGB that's sure to tempt even those who usually hate RGB lighting. Key specs: Wired gaming mouse | 26K DPI | 11 buttons | 100 g

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$34.98$69.99

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Logitech G502 Hero | Wired

This is a substantial discount on a tried and tested Logitech gaming mouse, with a large amount of customisation. The G502 Hero uses the Hero 25K sensor for accuracy, 11 customizable buttons, and comes with five removable weights to adjust the feel for even the pickiest of competitive gamers. Key specs: Wired | 25,600 DPI | Right-handed Price check:Best Buy $69.99

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$37.99$69.99

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Razer BlackShark V2 X

The Razer BlackShark V2 X is a remarkably good gaming headset, so much so that we'd say it was absolutely worth its full asking price, never mind the $20 discount you'll find here. Razer's 50 mm titanium drivers are nicely punchy and capable of plenty of volume without distortion, it's well-made, comfortable to wear all day, and the mic is pretty good, too. Plus, it's got a green cable, and we all know that pop of colour makes wired gaming headsets better by default. Key specs:50 mm drivers | Wired | Cardioid microphone

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Logitech G432 | 50 mm drivers

Logitech has been cranking out decent budget gaming headsets for a while, but this one's actually more of a mid-range set with a very healthy discount. The black and blue colorway won't be for everyone, but with 7.1 surround sound, a flip-to-mute mic, and DTS Headphone:X 2.0 support, this is certainly a whole lot of headset for the cash. Key specs: 50 mm drivers | 20-20,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $49.99

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Razer Kraken V4 X | 40 mm drivers

If you're wondering why you might pay a little more than the Razer headsets above for, well, another Razer headset, the answer is comfort. Don't get me wrong, the BlackShark V2 X is a comfy thing to wear, but the plush, cushy memory foam cushions of the Kraken are well worth considering if you're looking for as much all-day usage as possible. It still sounds great, too. Key specs: 40 mm drivers | 20-20,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $59.99

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Turtle Beach Burst II Air | Wireless

We gave this mouse an 85% in our review, praising its very low weight, huge battery life, and super-responsive feel. It doesn't have quite as many fun extras as competitors and can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but it is a super solid choice at this price. Key specs: Wireless | 26,000 DPI | Symmetrical Price check:Best Buy $99.99

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$54.99$99.99

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HyperX Cloud III | 53 mm drivers

We found this headset to be very comfy in our review, with a balanced sound that still manages to keep a decent whack of bass. Our major drawback was the MSRP, but at $58 this set of cans is well worth a look. Key specs: 53 mm drivers | 15-25,000 Hz | Closed-back | Wired Price check: Best Buy $57.99

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$57.99$99.99

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Nothing Ear (a) | Bluetooth | 42.5-hour battery life (9.5 from earbuds)

These earbuds might not be ideal just for gaming (their low-latency mode is pretty poor), but for listening to music and more casual gaming, they're great. They have a great sound profile, sit comfortably, and look pretty snazzy, too. Key specs: Bluetooth 5.4 | 42.5-hour battery life (9.5 from earbuds) | 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response

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$59$79

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KTC H24V27

This KTC pick is a budget pick, and it knows it. The 100 Hz refresh rate is just okay; a VA panel means less good viewing angles and color accuracy, but it's a solid enough gaming monitor, and the cheapest I'd actually recommend right now. Remember to use the code "LDSF246" for the full discount Key specs: 24-inch | 100 Hz | 1 ms | VA

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$62.49$99.99

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Scuf Valor Pro

This controller is comfy, responsive, and all its various buttons, sticks, and triggers feel very high-quality. There's little to dislike about the Valor Pro unless you really don't want to keep that cable. This is a great price for a Scuf controller, too. Key Specs: Wired USB Type-C | Xbox, Windows | Hall effect thumbsticks

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$76.99$109.99

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Acer AOpen 24KG1Y X3bip

With a $50 discount, this is the highest refresh rate 1080p monitor you will find at its price point. It's also IPS, which offers better viewing angles and colours than VA and comes with a solid response time too. Key specs: 23.8-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

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$79.99$129.99

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Asus ROG Pelta

With a strong battery life, super comfortable fit, and nice, airy materials, the Asus ROG Pelta is a bit of a belter. At its usual price, it's still a very good offering, but $45 off makes it an instant recommendation. Key specs: 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, and USB-C connectivity | 90-hour battery life

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MSI MAG 244F

With a hurtling-fast refresh rate and snappy response rate, this IPS panel from MSI is a solid competitive pick for just under $100. Key specs: 24-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

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MSI MAG 255XFV

You might not like the VA panel and its low brightness, but you'll surely like the speed and price tag. 250 Hz, 0.5 ms pixel time, and adaptive sync will all help to ensure you get super-silky gaming. Key specs: 25-inch | 250 Hz | 0.5 ms | VA Price check: Best Buy OOS | Micro Centre OOS

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Prime Day gaming keyboard deals in the UK

Where are the best Prime Day gaming keyboard deals in the UK?

• Amazon: Big discounts on top-brand gaming keyboards
• Overclockers: Over 100 gaming keyboards to choose from
• Scan: Gaming keyboards from just £18
• Box: Gaming keyboards from Asus, Logitech, and Razer
• Currys: Keyboards from as little as £25
• Argos: Good prices on budget to high-end keyboards

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Buying advice: gaming keyboards

Welcome to my own personal battle of the budget gaming keyboards, where I make two reasonably-priced input devices fight to the bitter end for my affections. Okay, so it's more about working out which one I'd actually spend my money on, but that hasn't got the same ring to it. Onwards!

In the left corner sits the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68, a keeb with the silliest name I've ever heard. Still, it's got a surprisingly good specs sheet for its $40 MSRP, although it's gone up since our review and is now often found for $50-$60 instead. It's been our best budget gaming keyboard pick for a while now, mostly because its value proposition is damn hard to beat for the cash—even with the price increase.

However, warming up in the right corner is the new kid on the block; the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% is so fresh to the market, it hasn't even started shaving yet. But, being a proper mechanical mini keeb with a $50 price tag, it's sure swinging for the fences straight out of the gate. Something like that, anyway.

The rules

I'll be judging this battle based on five rounds. The first will be specs, the second, build quality. The third shall be looks, the fourth will be sound, and the fifth will be a real-world gaming test—judged subjectively by me, a (very) non-pro gamer.

You won't find any esports-level, picosecond-measuring switch testing here. I shall use each keeb for a day in the games I usually play, and pick the one I would buy with my own cash.

I have 38-year-old reflexes and a tendency to leave a match because I want a cup of tea, or I saw a dog outside my window. There will be no questions taken about my judging ability at this time, thank you.

Without further ado.... Fight!

Round one: Technical specs

First up, let's take a look at the specs sheets. The first difference you'll notice comes in the form of the switches, which in the Gamakay's case are Hall effect, but are purely mechanical on the Razer. Beyond the extra durability offered by Hall effect models, this also means you can fine-tune the x NaughShark's switch actuation point, which is darn handy.

But before you go leaping for the buy button, it's worth mentioning that the NaughShark's Outemu Peach Magnetic switches have a 40 g actuation force, while the Gen-3 Orange Tactile switches in the Reclusa come in at 50 g. That might not sound like much on paper, but in practice it does make for a significantly different feel.

Then there are the keycaps, which are doubleshot PBT on the Gamakay, and doubleshot ABS on the Razer. I actually prefer the crisp-cut edges of the Reclusa's caps, but the NaughShark's feel fairly good under the fingertips, too.

The biggest difference, though, comes in the polling rate. The NaughShark tops out at 8,000 Hz, while the Reclusa X Mini falls behind with a 1,000 Hz limit. Your average gamer is unlikely to feel the difference with an 8K polling rate, but esports-level gamers may well appreciate the higher figure.

Looking at the specs alone, I think the Gamakay keeb clearly comes out on top. It's not a bad showing from the little Razer, but Hall effect switches and a higher polling rate wins the day for the notoriously good-value NaughShark.

Round two: Build quality

The first thing I do when I pick up a budget gaming keyboard (or almost any keyboard, for that matter), is to grab both sides and twist it to check for deck flex. This makes PR reps very nervous. However, both of these budget keebs have little movement in the chassis, which is usually a sign of robust materials.

That being said, in the Gamakay's case, this is likely because it has a substantial lower lip on the bottom edge of the chassis to stiffen things up. In terms of the plastic itself, it feels okay but there's a hollow quality to the whole affair that makes me wrinkle my nose. Only one of these keyboards betrays its cheap price through the materials, and I'm sad to say it's the NaughShark.

The Reclusa X Mini feels much more solidly built, despite having a smaller chassis overall. It's crisp-edged and remarkably robust for such a well-priced keeb, while the keycaps have very little wobble on top of the switches. That's unlike the Gamakay's, which rattle around a little too much for my liking.

I'm sure the NaughShark NS68 will last for a reasonable amount of time, but the Reclusa X Mini 65% is the winner for me here.

Round three: Aesthetics

Everyone's tastes are different, but I'm surprised by how much I like the Razer's white/green/black keycap combo. I normally abhor white hardware, particularly if I'm going to be touching it with my greasy mitts. Still, it helps the Reclusa X Mini stand out from the crowd, and the RGB lighting shines through with aplomb.

The NaughShark NS68 also has impressive RGB lighting, and I've grown to like the wave pattern over the top of the keycaps in combination with the shine-through lettering on the bottom side. There are a few details here, though, that I'm really not so keen on.

One, the stick-out lanyard strap on the left hand side. I don't know who's going to be wearing their keyboard round their wrist when they take it for a walk (?), but it's not going to be me. You can remove the lanyard itself with the help of a flat-headed screwdriver (or a thumbnail). Unfortunately, the ugly sidehook is integrated into the chassis. There it shall remain.

And two, there are some fiddly details in the chassis design that are more indicative of a budget product. The dipped-in sides with ridges are easy enough to ignore, but did we have to write "Naugh Shark" (with a space, no less) on the front, complete with a stylised graphic of a great white?

It's a bit... childish, I guess. I like a bit of fun in my gaming product design, but I think if I had the NS68 on my desk and there was company coming over, I might throw a magazine on top of it. The Razer, however, is more grown up. Other than the RGB of course, but isn't that the highest indicator of class? Another win for the Reclusa, in my book.

Round four: Sound

Tippy tappy, or clicky clacky? That's the question I find myself asking when choosing between these two keebs. The NaughShark NS68 belongs to the former camp, with a "tappity-tap" kind of ring to it that sounds perfectly fine while typing or gaming.

There's a bit of a hollow note to the whole affair, though, particularly underneath the delete key, which sounds markedly different to all the others. By contrast, the spacebar sounds much more dampened. It's an inconsistent tonal palette (if I'm allowing myself to be pretentious, which I am), but I still reckon the Gamakay is far from a bad-sounding keeb.

The Reclusa X Mini sounds much more like a traditional mechanical keyboard. There's a crunchy, self-assured click and clack to its output, which I usually associate with expensive, enthusiast-level keebs.

But while the Razer is quieter and more refined overall, the clicky top-end noise has a tendency to travel a bit further, as it's not caught by the Reclusa's dual-layer silicone sound dampening layers inside the board. I happen to enjoy said noise, but I fear a cushion being thrown at the back of my head any moment now.

Out of the two, I'll go for the Razer—even if the rest of my household might prefer otherwise.

Round five: Real-world gaming

I'm no pro gamer, and I get my arse kicked in seconds by younger players in esports-style shooters. No gaming keyboard is going to change that fact. I do knock around in Gray Zone Warfare, Borderlands 4, Ready or Not, and Helldivers 2 on a regular basis, though, so those are the games I decided to use for my real-world gaming tests.

And in terms of responsiveness, perhaps, just perhaps, I could feel a touch faster reaction from the NaughShark NS68 at its full 8K polling rate. It's such a close-run thing, though, I'm still not entirely sure. The Razer certainly doesn't lag, I can tell you that much.

I also like the Gamakay keeb's adjustable actuation point switches, which give me scope for customising my input distances in a very direct way. What I don't like, however, is the switchfeel underneath my WASD hand.

It's a bit spongy, and the slightly rattly keycaps remind me that I'm using a very fast, but also very budget input device. The Razer feels rock solid by contrast, and the heavier switches make me feel like I'm more in control. Even if, technically, the Gamakay is quicker on the draw.

In terms of software features, the NaughShark NS68 has plenty of them. In terms of making them work, though, I've had a pretty inconsistent experience. The options are confusingly labelled, and some settings have a tendency to change behind my back for reasons I can't entirely explain.

Still, top marks go to the Gamakay software's switch simulation feature, which lets you see switch actuation in realtime to decide on the right distance for you. There's also rapid trigger support, alongside Dynamic Key Stroke, Press and Click, SnapKey, and various other confusingly-named options.

Speaking of rapid trigger, I've really tried to get on with it, honestly I have. But ultimately, I don't think it makes a big difference in the games I play. Anyway, the NaughShark NS68 has it, the Razer doesn't, and for some it'll be a make-or-break feature.

Back to the software. Razer Synapse is much better at handling the Reclusa X Mini's software features, with clearly-labelled menus and much less fuss. I was left scratching my head as I tweaked the Gamakay keeb's various options, while Razer's menu system lets me get going with its Snap Tap, Snap Flex, and Dual-Keypress priority features with little fuss. The menus are a bit basic, sure. But they work well, and that's all that really matters.

Beyond that, the Reclusa's straightforward recipe of satisfying switches, crisp keycaps, and solid build quality really makes the difference to me when I sit down for a Sunday afternoon of gaming. Or a Wednesday evening, for that matter. The Gamakay is a very good gaming keeb, but given the Razer is nearly the same cash, I'll take the features I can feel in my fingertips over the ones I can fiddle with deep within the software.

The winner

For those of you that made it this far, it'll be no surprise to learn that for me, the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% wins the day. Sticking the two keyboards side-by-side, the many differences between the two are kinda interesting to see.

Internally, the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 is full of cutting edge features. When it comes to actually using them (and the keyboard itself), though, its budget concessions make themselves known more often than I'd like.

I can absolutely see why we've kept the NS68 in our best budget gaming keyboard spot for so long. Traditionally, it's been very difficult to find a good gaming keyboard for $50 or less, never mind one stuffed full of the latest tech.

But while the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% doesn't have the same fancy specs sheet, it's the nicer to use device of the two. It's much more solidly built, it's got better switchfeel, it's great to type and game on, and it looks grown up enough that you won't be embarrassed if someone spots it on your desk before a night out.

And as for that polling rate difference, and the Gamakay keeb's Hall effect switches and many, many software options? Well, proper competitive gamers may consider those grounds for an overarching win, no matter the rest. And god bless 'em, that's what I say.

For a regular ol' gamer like me, though? I'll take the Reclusa X Mini 65%, please. And I think I might be far from alone on that one.

While Razer makes some excellent headsets, laptops, and gaming mice, I've never been particularly keen on its keyboards. They tend to be decent devices overall, but are usually expensive enough that you can get more bang for your buck from the competition. However, there's a new budget offering in town from the big green snake, and it's called the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%.

Those of you familiar with keyboard percentage figures (and the term "mini") will likely deduce that this is a small keeb. There's no numpad to be found here, but at least you get all the main keys needed for day to day usage. It doesn't feel constrictive to type on, and it sure is a good-looking device—but the main thing that impresses me is the build quality, especially given the MSRP.

This is a $50/£60 gaming keyboard, but it feels more expensive than that. The doubleshot ABS keycaps are crisp, the switches are meaty, and its diminutive frame resists flexing to an admirable degree. If you told me this sharp little keyboard retailed for $80, I would absolutely believe you. For $50 at full price? I think it's a damn good bit of gaming hardware for the cash.

The specs sheet isn't particularly impressive, I'll give you that. 1,000 Hz wired polling, no Hall effect switches, no dedicated multimedia keys. And there's no height adjustment. But if what you're looking for in your next gaming keyboard is something that doesn't take up much room on your desk, feels great to type and game on, and doesn't break the bank, I reckon the little Reclusa is very hard to beat.

Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%: Features

The Reclusa X Mini 65% is a small keyboard. That's the first thing you'll notice when you pull it from the box. The second thing is the white, green, and black colour scheme, and its reasonable weight. It's around 700 g according to my miniature scales. That's positively featherweight compared to my brass-plated custom Glorious GMMK 3, but thanks to the robust-feeling chassis, it's not light enough to cause immediate concern.

It's got lovely crisp keycaps, too, being of the doubleshot ABS variety. The switches underneath are Razer's Gen-3 Orange tactile models, and they're also pretty snappy—although you can hotswap them out for your preferred three-pin or five-pin models if you wish. Inside, the Reclusa X Mini has dual layer silicone sound dampening sandwiched within its frame.

Esports-fuelled, 8,000 Hz polling enthusiasts won't be blown away by its 1,000 Hz rate, but the rest of us will likely find it plenty speedy enough. It's also a wired keeb only, which I actually prefer. Wireless keyboards have a tendency to end up plugged in all the time on your desk, as having another device to charge usually creates more hassle than it's worth. Plus, eschewing a wireless receiver keeps the price down.

Software feature-wise, you get Snap Tap (Razer's name for SOCD), Snap Flex for assigning specific actions to a key release, and Dual-Keypress Priority, which aims to make game movement more consistent by only registering a new directional input once you've let go of two previous ones. All via Razer Synapse, of course, which is where you can also control the lighting.

And rather impressive lighting it is, too. The LEDs are south-facing, which should mean the glow shines properly beneath a wide range of keycaps. It's currently lit up in an icey blue as I write this review, and it's a sharp-looking effect. Admittedly I can spot a bit of light escaping through the bottom of the keycap material, but it's no big deal.

Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%: Ergonomics

I used to be a full-size keyboard enjoyer, but every time I see one these days they look increasingly desk-dominating. Even by 65% keyboard standards, though, the Reclusa X Mini is diminutive. It's a teeny little keeb, but that doesn't mean that typing on it feels constrictive.

Quite the opposite, in fact. The keycaps are full-sized, the layout is comfortable, and the crisp edges of both the chassis and the keycap design make for a precise-feeling experience. The effect is enhanced by the Orange tactile switches, which have a meaty 50 g actuation force and 3.5 mm travel distance.

I've found my typing accuracy to improve with these accidental-keypress-resistant switches, although they won't be to everyone's taste. They also feel nicely weighty for gaming inputs, which makes this keeb a genuine joy to play shooters on. Plus, given the smaller sizing, there's plenty of room left on your desk to position this keeb exactly where you want it.

If you're a desk mat user, your gaming mouse will have lots of space to roam around on. Or if you're me, there'll be more room for snacks. Razer's keyboards might be getting smaller, but I'm getting l-l-l-larger.

Anyway, while the Reclusa X Mini might not have anything particularly special going on in the ergonomics department, it's got most of the things you reasonably need, implemented in very tactile, satisfying ways.

My one hang up is the lack of feet on the underside for height and tilt adjustability. The Reclusa's chassis is already tilted towards you quite significantly, and for me, it's pretty much perfect. However, those that like a more aggressive tilt (or a flatter typing experience) have no built-in option to change it. May I suggest, err, propping it up with a coaster?

Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%: Aesthetics

I tend to like my hardware fully stealthed-out in black, wherever possible. And I usually hate colour mismatched keycaps. However, the Reclusa X Mini's black/green/white colour combo is very aesthetically pleasing in person. Add some RGB lighting underneath to taste, and you've got yourself a seriously stylish input device.

It looks (and as I've pointed out above, feels) like a better keyboard than its $50 price tag suggests. I particularly like the defined edge running around the top of the outer chassis, which is tucked in enough that it doesn't interfere with my palms or dangling fingers when I'm gaming/typing, but gives the whole thing a crisp, edge-cut look.

To misquote ZZ Top, this is a sharp-dressed keeb. And should you wish to customise it to your tastes later on, the swappable keycaps should make the whole process reasonably straightforward. I want for little else in the aesthetics department, that's for sure.

Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%: Sound

Ah, keyboard sound. The most subjective of subjects. I first heard the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% in a crowded booth at Gamescom earlier this year, and it had a crispy, crunchy quality to it that I rather enjoyed.

Typing on it in my quiet front room, I think it's perhaps a little more divisive than I initially realised. Still, I personally like the way the Reclusa sounds. The internal deadening layers (in combination with the slightly-crunchy switches and the thick keycaps) make for a satisfying aural experience, although it's far from the quietest.

(volume up!)

One person's crispy, crunchy delight is another's ear-annoying nightmare. However, there's a slight weightiness to the typing noise that again makes the little Razer more reminiscent of a high-end, enthusiast-level product. It's a sort of… self-assured sound, with no distracting switch-pinging.

Crispy, crunchy, and clean. That's about as far as I can go via the medium of text to describe such a sound, so I'll let you be the judge for yourself by listening to the video clip above.

Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%: Software

Razer Synapse is not my favourite piece of software, but at least it's fairly straightforward. Select the keeb within the homescreen menu, and you've got gaming mode to play with (in which you can disable the Windows key and any annoying key combos for a less frustrating experience), polling rates to play with (why you'd turn the rate down on a wired keyboard is beyond me) and various other goodies.

And yes, the controversial Snap Tap feature lives here. I personally find that assisted counter-strafing doesn't improve my K:D ratio very much, so it's not exactly a game–changer for me. However, I'm also old and tired. Younger, more esports-level players may well find some benefit—although you should definitely avoid it in Counter Strike 2.

Then there's Snap Flex, which allows you to assign up to four individual keys to perform two separate actions when pressed, then released. So, jump+grenade, that sort of thing. I haven't been able to find much use for it in everything I've played on this keyboard so far, but then I'm more of a slow-paced tactical shooter sort of guy than a Valorant fiend. That's what they're called these days, right?

You can also assign macro and keystroke interruption to a dedicated key, which will come in handy for MMO-ers, or activate the Dual-Keypress Priority feature, which lets you set pairs of keys that will stay active when others are pressed for more consistent movement if you accidentally press the wrong direction key.

These are all nice-to-have features, but are far from necessary for a good gaming keyboard. Still, Synapse does a good job of organizing them, and the more competitive gamers among us will likely find some good uses. Or ignore them entirely, and simply get on with the business of enjoying a really nice budget keeb. One of the two, at least.

Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%: Value

It feels like every review I write these days ends with the phrase "...it's a shame it's too expensive." However, in the Reclusa X Mini's case, I think its $50 price tag is darn impressive given the stout little keyboard you end up receiving.

Its main competition in this price bracket comes in the form of the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68, a miniature keeb that has reigned supreme as our best budget gaming keyboard pick for some time now. It's got PBT keycaps, 8,000 Hz polling, and powerful Hall effect switches, all for a $40 MSRP.

Which you prefer will likely come down to what features you value the most. While the NaughShark NS68 has a much better specs sheet, sticking the two side-by-side and using them for a day reveals something that surprises me. Out of the two, I'd happily pick the Razer without a second thought.

It's a super-subjective thing, of course. And perhaps the NS68's cheap-feeling plastics (and to my eyes, ugly aesthetics) have caused me to misjudge it, given the technical hardware benefits inside. But typing and gaming on the Reclusa X Mini, thanks to those crisp keycaps and weighty switches, simply feels better to me—and it makes a much better noise, too.

These are the things I value most in a good keyboard, whereas a more competitively-minded gamer may disagree. Still, I'll be keeping the little Razer on my desk for a while to come. Who would have thought a cheap mini keeb would be one of the best things I've tested so far this year? It's full of surprises, 2026. I'll give it that at least.

It's easier than ever to make a gaming desktop feel all your own. The same is arguably much less true of gaming laptops, though Framework is one company hoping to expand the horizons of gaming-on-the-go through modular upgrades. However, sometimes even Framework has to call it quits when a design idea simply does not come together.

The low-profile keyboard fiends are gathered here today to pour one out for the One Key Module Developer Program, which was first opened up in December 2025. The initial aim of this was to develop "custom ultra-low-profile keyboards and Input Modules for Framework Laptop 16." Unfortunately, after three years total of prototyping and taking on developer feedback, Framework has shared that it isn't able to turn the keyboard module into "a sellable product".

There's a few reasons for this, and I doubt number one will shock you: cost. Framework writes, "We weren’t able to bring material and assembly costs along with manufacturing yield to a place where the product economics worked. The per-key costs resulted in breakeven pricing too high to reasonably enable high volume sales, and neither we nor our suppliers can take on the overhead of manufacturing a product of this complexity at low volumes."

To expand on that lattermost point about hardware complexity, apparently even "the expert DIYers and electronics tinkerers" that collaborated with Framework via the developer program had trouble "reliably assembling the One Key Module into their designs." Parts of the One Key Module were apparently "too fragile for easy handling," which is far from ideal in any kind of DIY hardware project.

Though the One Key Module will never see a wider release, Framework has chosen to give away what prototype development modules it still had to those who helped build the thing up to this point. If you fancy having a go at tinkering yourself, Framework has uploaded open source documentation and firmware for its laptops' input module systems to GitHub. If you're looking for some inspiration, the company also highlighted some early One Key Module developer designs over on its blog.

Though the module definitely wasn't my cup of tea, Framework's transparency definitely is. Most recently, I was pretty impressed by the company's decision to swim against the tide of the RAMpocalypse by 'retroactively reducing' its LPCAMM2 prices. If only more of hardware's heavy-hitters were as candid with consumers.

The Wooting 80HE has been out for a while, but we reckon it's still the best gaming keyboard on the market. It looks great, isn't too diminutively sized, has fantastic and very customisable software, and, of course, Hall effect switches for adjustable actuation and rapid trigger. All for a pretty reasonable price, mind you. And now it's getting an upgrade

Wooting has just announced the Wooting 80HE+, available for pre-order on September 17. That's a week on Thursday.

There are a number of changes coming to the new 'Plus' version, including of course the addition of a BIG KNOB, but also some less visible but arguably more important changes.

Specifically, I'm talking about the inclusion of the same Lekker Tikken switches that you'll find in the Wooting 60HE V2. Our Jacob Ridley has really taken to this keyboard and its switches, as it's much more stable and generally pleasant-sounding and -feeling than the Lekker60 V2 switches in the original 80HE. Combine this with the new FR4 plate inside the 80HE+ and you can almost certainly expect a wonderful typing experience.

The other addition is another of our Ridley's faves: a split spacebar module. this gives you extra keys by splitting the spacebar into three.

With the original 80HE costing about $200, I'll be expecting similar for the 80HE+, And Wooting does say the pre-assembled versions will be "almost the same price". It's an expensive keyboard, for sure, but if you want the competitive benefits of Hall effect, despite the prevalence of cheaper options, we've not found a better overall choice the original 80HE. Hopefully we'll be able to say the same about the 80HE+ before long.

Razer had a bountiful display of products to show at Gamescom 2026, many of which come with substantial price tags. However, my eyes lit up when I saw the new Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% keyboard, especially as it's got a $50/£60 MSRP.

I picked it up and twisted it around in my hands, expecting it to bend like a piece of cardboard thanks to some budget materials. Nope, it seems like a very solidly-built device—which is pretty impressive given the affordable price tag.

The doubleshot ABS keycaps, in combination with Razer's Gen-3 orange tactile switches, feel downright high-end. It makes a good noise, too, producing the sort of weighty thock I normally associate with much more expensive keebs. I've used enough $50 boards to know that you usually don't get a whole lot for your cash, but this one feels like a proper enthusiast offering—even if it does come in a shrunken 65% form factor.

The switches are hot-swappable, with both 3-pin and 5-pin models supported. The orange ones it comes with are designed to deliver a "crisp, satisfying tactile bump without the click," according to the press release, and I can confirm this to be true.

I hate overly-clicky tactile switches, but these are rather nice. They're specced out with a 3.5 mm travel distance and 50 g of actuation force, which combines with the keycaps to make for a satisfying typing experience. At least, for the brief time I got to play with it. It was torn from my hands eventually, as there were more RGB-lit sights to see. Shame.

The Reclusa X Mini 65% also supports Snap Tap, Razer's version of the somewhat-controversial SOCD tech, which uses the most recent input when two keys are pressed for faster counter strafing. It also supports Snap Flex, which can be used to bind two key inputs into a single press. Nothing revolutionary there, but it's probably enough to keep the competitive gaming crowd interested.

That being said, as someone that primarily likes a good keyboard for its feel underneath my fingertips, not necessarily for its esports-like credentials, I'm more interested in the build quality combined with the price tag.

As PC component costs skyrocket, any cash you can save on decent peripherals means more in the kitty for your next graphics card. And while the market is full of well-priced gaming keyboards, a lot of them are pretty uninspiring affairs. This one? I've got high hopes.

A review sample is winging its way to PC Gamer Towers as we speak, so I'll give it a proper test once it's arrived. In the meantime, enjoy some of the pretty pictures I took above. Everyone loves a good-looking keeb for reasonable cash, right?

My prime PC gaming hours tend to be when the rest of my household is already in bed. As such, the fantastically clicky-clacky key presses of a mechanical gaming keyboard echoing through our halls isn't really ideal. It's just as well then that Be Quiet! is back with a welcome update to the very nearly silent keyboard I loved last year, the Light Mount.

As someone with a perennially messy desk, the Light Mount TKL's 80% size is just right; I have room to swish my mouse, and I find I'm not forever accidentally hitting the capslock key as with other cut-down keebs. This TKL update offers more than just a smaller form factor, though, introducing the next generation of Be Quiet!'s Silent switches in Linear and Tactile flavours.

This TKL update also addresses one of the key problems I had with the original Light Mount by introducing new gaming features. This includes Quick Tap (SOCD), which will be sweet percussion to the ears of shooter fans—and at best eyebrow raising for the esports sickos. For those unfamiliar, SOCD stands for 'Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Directions'. Features falling under this umbrella, like Razer's Snap Tap and now Be Quiet!'s Quick Tap, prioritises your most recent directional input, making for strafing so efficient that Valve banned it from Counter-Strike 2.

Alongside Quick Tap, there's also more options for macros, and a few fresh customisation options within the IO center software. While I appreciate these additions and expansions, the TKL still isn't the most feature-packed gaming keyboard you'll find.

I still love the even-quieter switches, though. Coupled with the TKL's sturdy construction, this makes for another smart-looking package. However, it's rocking up to the rowdy PC gaming party as the quiet kid in the corner—that is to say, while some will definitely appreciate its charms, it can't compete with the louder, more popular keeb crowd.

Features

The Light Mount TKL is an 80% keyboard that enjoys the latest generation of Be Quiet!'s Silent switches. Tactile switches are available, but my review unit came with the Silent Linear V2s (though if you're craving clicky-ness, the media knob in the keyboard's top left corner has got you covered). According to Be Quiet!, the new V2s feature thicker gold contact points for the copper lever inside, as well as 'optimised lubrication for quieter operation and improved responsiveness'—well, I'll be the judge of that.

The V1 switches were already astonishingly understated on the full-sized board, making the most of the original Light Mount's internal layers of sound dampening. The V2 switches on the TKL are somehow even quieter.

Though the new switches feel a bit on the firm side right out of the box, they soon actuate just as cleanly as the V1s. Before, I described typing on the Tactile V1s as a controlled descent onto solid ground, but the Linear V2s have a little more pleasing texture underhand. It's not like stepping on a discordantly crunchy leaf, it's more like tiptoeing over a thin layer of soft sand—I like it!

The combination of the V2s and the TKL's construction also means the space bar is now much quieter than what I found on this board's big brother. Although, it's worth noting that future productions of both the full size Light Mount and the Dark Mount will come with the new V2 switches.

So far, so excellent: the Light Mount TKL is an actually quiet mechanical keyboard that won't tattle on you during late night gaming sessions. So, what about those fresh gaming features? Well, let's get the least exciting addition out of the way first: You can now disable the Capslock key in Game Mode.

Cool. Moving swiftly on, the Light Mount TKL also enjoys Be Quiet's version of SOCD, Quick Tap, for the first time. Whereas the original Light Mount felt more like a fairly quiet mechanical keyboard you could also use for gaming, the TKL feels a smidge more like a gaming keyboard in its own right.

And you know what gamers love above all else? Bathing themselves in the glow of RGB lighting. Like its predecessors, the TKL implementation of RGB is similarly classy; a dedicated light strip lines the very top of the keyboard, and every switch below enjoys an 'ARGB diffuser' for tasteful per-key illumination. On top of plenty of customisation options in the IO Center software, the Light Mount TKL also features support for Microsoft Dynamic Lighting.

Performance

The Be Quiet! Light Mount TKL is a joy to type on. Switch-feel is really second to none in my mind. But what about gaming? Well, as I've said before, my most intense encounter in an online game recently was getting lost in Big Walk (not to mention how I tend to spend more time hiding in bushes in Arc Raiders than running and gunning). Similarly, this isn't a gaming keyboard with the competitive scene in mind. With those expectations set, let's get into it.

I tend to accidentally hit the Capslock key on smaller form factor keyboards, such as the Cherry XTRFY K5 Pro TMR Compact. The option to disable this key in Game Mode is definitely welcome, though I do find myself stumbling on to Capslock a lot less with this TKL. I also found this keyboard's layout and 1,000 Hz maximum polling rate does little to impede my running around the feline-themed post office of Cat Mail Co. The Shift key for sprinting between barely organised shelves is comfortably within reach—so long as you don't subconsciously curl your hand into a weird cat paw-esque grip like I do.

The TKL's precision is definitely welcome as I roll up everything in sight in Once Upon a Katamari. The TKL's responsiveness already makes it easy to both slow my roll and steer clear of disaster. Quick Tap comes especially in handy here, making changing the direction of my Katamari all the snappier. Does that mean I start immediately smashing through all of my previous records? Eh, no, not exactly. A swish gaming keyboard can only do so much for a skill issue, after all.

Whether I'm whiling away the wee hours trying to improve my Katamari game, or simply lose track of time playing Paralives, the Light Mount TKL's luscious layers of sound-dampening foam and updated Silent switches continue to keep the secret of my late night gaming sessions.

Build Quality

This is a lovingly put together keyboard. I've already waxed lyrical about the factory-lubricated V2 Silent switches and their lovely, linear actuation. The keys themselves aren't completely smooth on top, offering a little bit of surface texture that's typical of PBT caps. This choice of material is generally more durable than ABS, and also tends to be much more resistant to picking up finger grease. In other words, these PBT keycaps will be looking box fresh for much longer.

Speaking of looks, you're not going to find the Light Mount TKL in any fun colourways. Normally, I would rue the lack of a lavender colourway, but I respect Be Quiet's vision; this is a smart looking keyboard that wouldn't be out of place in either a gamer den or an office with a strict dress code. Besides, if you're still desperate for a splash of colour, the IO Center software offers lots of customisation options for the RGB lighting.

A potentially unfortunate wrinkle is that PBT keycaps aren't known for letting a lot of light through. That means that, even with the keycaps' shine-through legends, the RGB lighting here is generally a more subtle affair. An arched ARGB diffuser on each switch keeps what glow there is evenly distributed, but I can't help but feel the original Light Mount's RGB was a smidge brighter.

Mind you, the gamer den I was testing the fullsize board in is generally much darker than the bright overhead lights of PCG towers where I spent most of my quality time with the TKL. Anyway, the strip of RGB at the top of the TKL is all the lovelier for being allowed to shine unimpeded.

Like the company's other boards, the TKL also enjoys three internal layers of sound-dampening foam. This makes good on the entire promise of Be Quiet! while also making for a keeb with a pleasing amount of sturdy heft. The same brushed aluminium top plate featured on Be Quiet's other boards is also the finishing touch here, acting as the shiny cherry topping an already beautifully constructed cake.

Software

IO Center can either be downloaded as a local desktop app, or accessed via the web. For the most part, it's a smartly laid out bit of software that makes it easy to tweak an array of settings. The latest version offers a helpful hardware monitor too, showing you temps and even fan RPM right there in the dashboard, though obviously this is less relevant in a review about a keyboard.

What is relevant is the robust selection of customisation options for the RGB lights. The usual rippling designs return, allowing for gradient, single, or dual colour lighting effects. If you aren't digging IO Center's 'general' pre-sets, you can create your own layered lighting, customising the look of each key and segment of the top light bar. The Light Mount TKL also enjoys support for Microsoft Dynamic Lighting for those with a much grander, all encompassing vision for their desk.

Now, obviously RGB lighting isn't the only thing that makes a gaming keyboard. Via IO Center, you can also fine tune the Game Mode across a small selection of toggles. These allow you to disable various key configurations while the mode is active, including Shift + Tab, Alt + F4, the Windows Key, Alt + Tab, and now Capslock too.

Interestingly, Quick Tap falls outside of IO Center's Key Binding sub-menu. Instead, you'll find options for remapping keys, editing the Function layer, and recording a whole load of Macros.

Quick Tap is found under 'Product Settings,' alongside the Game Mode. Quick Tap can be calibrated across five key pairs ('A' and 'D' are included as an editable default pair to start you off). While in Quick Tap settings, the software also warns that some competitive titles will restrict or ban SOCD tech, and advises that you check the rules for your game of choice before calibrating.

Value

The Light Mount TKL costs $140/€140. That's about $30/€30 less than the full size version would set you back at launch, though you can get a 100% Light Mount for much less now. That's just as well, as the full size version graces our best gaming keyboards guide as our pick for the best silent board. The obvious question, then, is does the TKL do enough to dethrone its older sibling?

Well, the TKL introduces a number of features that will be coming to future productions of the full size keyboard, such as the V2 switches. Those who already have the full size Light Mount will also be able to enjoy the slightly expanded Game Mode through updates to IO Center, though Be Quiet is still evaluating if further features will be added retroactively.

What I can tell you for sure right now is, due to technical limitations, neither the full size Light Mount or Dark Mount will have the TKL's 10 customisable layers of lighting effects, or its ability to record up to 999 Macro events. The original Light Mount is limited to 58, while the Dark Mount can record up to 200. So, if you use a lot of complex Macros and are looking for a quiet keeb, the TKL is the gaming keyboard to go with.

But that's the thing: many PC gamers will tell you 'the clack is the whole point' of a mechanical keyboard. Personally, I think there's room for a range of sound profiles in this space, but the Light Mount TKL's central reason for being is arguably niche in appeal.

As an 80% design, the TKL is far from the most space-saving thing either, plus plenty of smaller boards beat it on features, too. For instance, our pick for the best 75% keyboard is the Keychron K2 HE, which comes with Hall effect switches and offers customisable actuation points. It's also wireless, woody, and basically the same price as Be Quiet's slightly larger offering.

If you're looking to save yet more desk space, our pick for the best 60% keyboard is the Wooting 60HE v2, which our Jacob describes as "the best keyboard that Wooting has ever made." That's high-praise that feels absolutely earned once you hear just how feature-packed it is.

You can also get a feature-packed 65% gaming keyboard for much less than the Light Mount TKL. Case in point, the best budget gaming keyboard is the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68, and having spent some quality time with this $40 keyboard myself, going with something 100 bucks more feels like a steep ask.

Obviously, a $40 keyboard cannot hold a candle to Be Quiet's build quality, and its software also leaves a lot to be desired compared to IO Center's ease of use. But otherwise the NS68 still offers fantastic value for money with Hall effect switches and even PBT keycaps.

As a typist, I still love the Light Mount TKL; the switches really are that quiet and the key actuation is wonderfully smooth. Though I rue the lack of fun colourways, the aluminium topped chassis definitely looks very classy as it is, and I appreciate all of the options for colourful RGB customisation in the IO Center software. Although not the brightest, the RGB here illuminates my dank gamer den well enough.

As a PC gamer, I am left wanting just a little more for the money—specifically, the option to customise key actuation points wouldn't go amiss. To be fair, having seen how much the full size Light Mount has come down in price since its launch last year, the TKL may also drop to a similarly appealing price point before too long.

Furthermore, I'm hardly a high-tier competitive gamer and what's here on the TKL definitely suits most of my gaming needs. If you can take or leave gaming keyboards' bleeding edge features, but still want a well-made mechanical keyboard to class up your desk, there's lots to like about the Light Mount TKL.

Keychron has carved out a wonderful niche in the now admittedly overcrowded mechanical keyboard space for offering fantastic all-round keyboards with all the features and robustness you could want for a surprisingly affordable price, given what's on offer.

The new K8 Ultra 8K might feel like I'm parroting a lot of the same thoughts as I have with the numerous other Keychron products I've tested simply because most products I've tested from them have been consistently excellent. This new model doesn't deviate from a lot of the established formula: hefty aluminium top case, PBT keycaps, versatile connectivity, web-based software. And let me tell you, that's no bad thing.

Okay, against the likes of the Lemokey L4 and Keychron Q3 Max, I can nitpick and say the entire case isn't the usual machined aluminium as there's a doubleshot ABS portion on the underside mated to an aluminium top piece. However, that is nitpicking of the highest order. The K8 Ultra 8K remains the type of keyboard you could use as a weapon. It's 1.2 kg in heft, which is a lot for a smaller form factor keyboard, and has a fantastically sturdy frame to boot.

To go with it, we've also got the usual doubleshot PBT keycaps for durability and an added touch of quality in an OSA profile, which gives them more of a spherical top edge to help with finger placement when typing.

The TKL layout here is familiar, and a good starting point if you're after a space-saving layout that won't immediately make you question your life choices if you've not used it before—that's reserved for the HHKB. It simply chops off the number pad and leaves the rest as-is, giving you more desk space without sacrificing too much functionality. With narrow bezels around the edge of the layout, this is also a little bit smaller than other TKL keyboards I've used, giving you even more desk space black.

Where the K8 Ultra 8K differs from some of its other keyboards is the fact it lacks much in the way of additional extras, such as the customary rotary volume knob I've come to expect from their products. The lack of something to fiddle and twiddle with is a bit of a shame, but you can turn the volume up and down with a combination of the Fn key and either F11 or F12 on the function row. There is the customary USB-C port on the left side for charging and wired connectivity, as well as a selector switch for either Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz connectivity and Windows or macOS.

Speaking of connectivity, this Keychron keyboard worked a charm over either wireless method, connecting with ease to either my MacBook over Bluetooth or my main Windows gaming PC over its 2.4 GHz receiver. With both, it was virtually effortless. Pairing over Bluetooth is as easy as holding the function key down with either 1, 2 or 3 on the number row depending on which Bluetooth channel you wish to use until the small blue light underneath the key flashes quickly. The keyboard should then show up in the pairing settings on the device you want to connect to. Press 'connect' and you should be off to the races in a matter of moments.

In addition, its battery life is solid too, with up to 760 hours of runtime with no RGB turned on. If you turn the lighting on at its lowest level, this figure drops to 225 hours. That's a huge increase over the older Keychron models I've tested, and the brand says it's down to the fact this keyboard is using new ZMK firmware.

ZMK is specifically designed for wireless connectivity, rather than the older QMK standard, which had wireless connectivity support more or less bolted on, which meant its battery life dropoff was quite noticeable. In my week or so with the K8 Ultra 8K, the percentage hasn't dropped much, and I've been through a workday where it hasn't moved from 100% charge in the Windows settings.

This also bodes well for the traditionally horrendous battery drop-off we see keyboards suffering from with 8000 Hz polling rate enabled, as it's reporting much more frequently than with a standard 1000 Hz rate keyboard, it tends to cane overall endurance. As its name suggests, this keyboard supports 8000 Hz polling, both over 2.4GHz wireless and USB-C wired, but that's as far as its 'gaming' chops go—no TMR, rapid trigger or all the rest of it.

On the point of firmware (and by extension software), the K8 Ultra 8K supports Keychron's new web-based Launcher software, which is a lightweight and convenient method of configuring everything from macros, key remapping and tweaking the keyboard's RGB lighting. To be specific, it's got 22 different lighting presets you can pick from.

I admit, it's taken me long enough, but it's finally time to talk about switches. Seemingly in keeping with the theme of the K8 Ultra 8K being wholly new, it utilises Keychron's own Apex switches. These are a new switch that utilises a box stem design and a clear top, rather than a more traditional MX-style stem. The box stem is designed to reduce key wobble to some extent, although they are still quite wobbly in my experience with these switches.

You can get this keyboard in three different flavours, with a light and linear Red, a soft tactile Brown and a heavier soft tactile Banana switch available. Mine shipped with the Brown switch, which has a 50 g force and a standard 4mm travel. For reference, the Reds have a 45 g force and 4 mm travel, while the Bananas have a 55g force with a shorter 3.6 mm travel to allow for a sharper tactile bump halfway down the travel.

In my experience, Brown switches of the clone variety are some of the hardest to get right against actual MX Browns, which I've used a lot in the intervening decade since getting into this hobby. Sometimes clones can be inconsistent in feel, or it can feel as if there isn't a bump at all, negating their soft tactile status. In my experience, the ones inside this keyboard feel the wrong side of subtle: there is a bump, but it's a little too soft and therefore not as noticeable as I'd like it to be. The 50 g weighting means they're also quite light, and I would prefer something heavier out of the box, but that's where the Banana switches come in.

Combined with the heaps of sound dampening and foam inside the keyboard's metal chassis, the fact that the default switches are also lubricated means the K8 Ultra 8K sounds divine once you get up to speed with a pleasant acoustic profile. It is quite loud and high-pitched though, owing to the resonance from the metal case, although there isn't any horrible rattle or ping.

If the switches inside aren't your jam though, then you can easily swap them out with a range of 3- or 5-pin choices, as this keyboard is hot-swappable. As with other Keychron keyboards, it bundles in a switch and keycap puller to make swapping them out a breeze. I had some spare Cherry MX Falcon tactile switches left over from a different project, which I slotted into the K8 Ultra 8K, and swapping them in was a doddle, as it usually is with these keyboards.

Now's usually the point where I'd potentially bemoan that this Keychron product is a little too dear, but I'm not going to. In fact, I'm a little shocked at the price. This keyboard is going to run you the princely sum of $120, which is very competitive considering what you get for the price. For reference, the full-size Ducky Zero 6108 with genuine Cherry MX2As inside is cheaper, and remains built like a tank, but its battery life isn't as strong, and there's barely any software support.

The Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless has traditionally been our favourite mechanical gaming pick and ticks all of the fundamental boxes with smooth switches, a solid build and convenient wireless connectivity. However, it's more expensive, and ROG Armory Crate doesn't provide the most optimal software experience.

Think of the K8 Ultra 8K as a pleasant halfway house between the two that gets mostly everything right. It's solid, dependable and versatile. For the price, you can't ask for much more than that. But, if I could have some more consistent soft tactile switches, that would be nice.

"To own a Razer Artisan Keycap is to display one’s allegiance, a mark of belonging within the cult of Razer," says the marketing gumph for the company's first artisan keycap. I've read a lot of ambitious press releases in this job, but that's definitely the strangest sentence I've parsed this year.

That being said, I do like the look of the Razer Artisan Keycap - Triple-Headed Snake Edition. Because as the name suggests, it's made up of a twisting coil of snakes. Indiana Jones wouldn't approve, but as for Andy-ana Edser? Aye, it's alright by me.

Razer's slippery new keycap is resin-cast, has been individually hand-painted (I'd genuinely enjoy that job), and subjected to a two-stage quality control process that makes sure no dust or bubbles are left on the final product.

It's been designed to fit on MX-style, cross-stem switches, so it should be compatible with most keyboards. Even if you haven't bought into the cult of Razer and gone for a competitor's product instead. Which is probably some form of heresy in Razer's eyes, I would imagine.

The keycap is also "the next step towards the ultimate expression of keyboard customisation," and "a statement of identity," apparently. My goodness. There was me thinking it was a little trinket you could shove on one of your lesser-used switches and admire on occasion between games.

If you want one for yourself, Razer has a signup form for the initial batch on the product page, complete with a neon-green countdown timer that wouldn't look out of place in NASA mission control. In much smaller font underneath is the price: $90, which makes it one of the most expensive keycaps I think I've ever covered on this site.

"One of a kind. One of the cult," says Razer. Sure thing. Can I just enjoy my pricey keycap in peace, instead?

After you spend above a certain amount of money on your gaming keyboard, you're not really paying for quality, specs, or competitive edge anymore. I felt this recently while testing out Melgeek's Centauri 80. In my approximation, any more than $200 and you move into bragging rights/centrepiece territory, and by that logic, I reckon the Asus ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 is worth about three centrepieces.

It's an expensive old beast, and $100 more than the already very pricey Asus ROG Azoth Extreme, which we reviewed back in 2024. But it's hard to say that Asus hasn't thrown absolutely everything at this new keyboard to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of ROG; you're getting an 8,000 Hz polling, up to 1,600 hours of battery life, a carbon-fibre positioning plate, as well as multi-layer dampening, plus a whole host of extra accessories and extras in the box.

Oh, and did I mention the 24K-gold-plated commemorative nameplate? I probably should have mentioned the 24K-gold-plated commemorative nameplate.

The Azoth Extreme is a very well-built bit of tech. It's super hefty, but it's heavy for a reason. It's sturdy, and though I wouldn't much like to drop a $600 gaming keyboard, I feel like I could do so with relatively minor problems here. The OLED screen up at the top right looks lovely, and the controls next to it are easy to use and quite handy. You can adjust volume, change brightness, and even set up custom controls. It's not quite as useful as the likes of the Corsair Galleon 100 SD and its built-in Stream Deck, but it will likely be enough for most.

Thanks to that weight, this TKL keyboard isn't exactly the type of thing you'd throw in a backpack. That said, a heavy keyboard is not nearly as much of a deal breaker as a heavy mouse or a heavy headset. In fact, the only thing I'd watch out for is the long-term wear on a particularly light mouse pad; 1.5 kg is a lot to put on any pad, and that's not including the weight of your hands on the wrist rest either.

The Azoth Extreme Edition 20 splits its keycap designs between standard black ones with a translucent base for the letter and number keys, then fully translucent caps for the F keys, space bar, and those on the side. Aesthetically, it works well and allows the per-key RGB to really shine. Initially, that RGB comes in all-gold (or, I suppose, with it being RGB, closer to a yellowed white). It makes the gold accenting on the side of the keyboard and bottom of the palm rest really pop. Despite gold tending to be a very gauche accent choice, it actually looks great in-person.

The two types of keycaps don't just add to the aesthetic; they also feel different on the fingertips, which is a decent way of keeping your fingers in check when you're not actively looking at the keyboard. The full translucent keys are very smooth to the touch, feeling similar to the ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition gaming mouse, while the other style of keycaps have more of a matte feel. Both keycap designs are pretty in their own right, and the difference in feel between the two isn't distracting either.

As far as typing is concerned, I'd say the Azoth Extreme Edition 20's actuation is on the light side, but not so much that I found myself misclicking. It's near perfect for accuracy, speed, and ease of use, in my book. The typing sound is light and clicky, with those dampening layers taking out any thock you might expect from the weight of shoving keys down. It's almost like Asus has scooped the bass and mids from it and just left the treble on top.

Typing feel, as a result, is lovely. Keys press easily with a light, satisfying sound. It's easy to find your place on the keyboard by feel too due to the mixture of keycaps and solid spacing all around. I do miss the extra keys of a full-fledged keyboard, but with some smart custom controls, I get by just fine.

My first gaming test with the Azoth Extreme Edition 20 was to take it into a Counter-Strike 2 match, and I can happily report that me losing had nothing to do with the keyboard. It's super snappy and responsive, with its light actuation keys making quick reactions much easier. It's also just plain effortless to use, with little fatigue after hours of gaming. As I learned when I tested the Melgeek Real 81, that's a really important facet of using any gaming keyboard.

You're getting an optional 8,000 Hz polling here (though worse battery life as a result), but you're still getting mechanical switches, which is a surprise. Them being hot swappable certainly helps, but one would hope for analogue or optical switches, for faster clicks, better battery efficiency, and rapid trigger. Still, it's super fast anyway, so you may not notice that downgrade from some other high-spec 2026 gaming keyboards.

Overall, I'd say the Extreme Edition 20 is a stronger package than the 2024 Azoth Extreme, coming with the poll rate booster, plus tons of extra bits, a palm rest, and an upgraded battery life. The NX mechanical switches feel great under the fingers, but you are paying $100 for that upgrade.

One problem I do have with the Azoth Extreme Edition 20 is a pretty common one, as far as keyboards go. The keycaps that don't have translucent tops have white lettering on black, which can be quite tough to make out in the dark. Some keyboard manufacturers get around this by making lettering translucent and shining RGB through it (like the Logitech G915 X Lightspeed), but that makes them harder to see under natural light. This means when there's little light on the keyboard, I have to make out keys through feel.

Unfortunately, Asus's software continues to be a problem. It worked fine when I first set it up but, it suddenly just stopped working when I tried to swap the OLED screen animation. The web app requires an extra bit of software to actually run, and it soon stopped as it said I didn't have the software, despite me installing it. A fresh install did not fix this problem, either. In Armoury Crate, it simply refuses to recognise the keyboard, even with multiple restarts and a fresh batch of software.

Software problems aren't unique, but the Azoth Extreme 20 is a glorious keyboard with golden highlights and a breadth of extra little goodies included in the box. It feels like a limousine coming to pick you up, but inside it turns out to be a plain old Honda Accord. There's nothing wrong with an Accord, but Asus is pulling out the stops for this keyboard, and it simply can't make it down the runway without a hitch.

Stating that the Azoth Extreme Edition 20 is expensive feels so obvious it's almost not worth saying. That might be kinda the point here: it's a limited edition bit of tech that comes with a thank you card, extra switches, a switch and keycap puller, a polling rate booster, the aforementioned nameplate, a cleaning cloth, and all manner of little extras. It is extravagant and meant to feel that way.

As such, comparing it to a standard gaming keyboard is a bit hard, as you don't walk into a Walmart and think 'I wonder if that's worth it'. It's more of a piece of hardware you search out, and if you're prepared to part with all of that money, you are getting a truly lovely bit of tech. I just couldn't ever see myself being prepared to spend that much on it.

As we know, Turtle Beach loves to put a big ol' screen on its peripherals and this decadent Hall effect keyboard is probably the apotheosis of "big screen on otherwise screen-less thing" design. It's a big 4.3-inch color touchscreen affair that does little more than what can already be achieved on the monitor directly in front of you. But it can definitely do it quicker.

More on that screen later but yes, it does confer an added level of prestige to this slab, which is no slouch in the looks department. Weighing in at just under a kilo without a palm rest, it has a weapon-like and stylish aluminium veneer body and, it almost goes without saying, RGB that's customisable on a key-by-key basis. The gun metal grey veneer gives it a slightly gritty quality, but tastefully so: it's a hardcore keyboard, but it's not overtly a hardcore gaming keyboard unless, of course, you have the Counter-Strike touchscreen template blaring on that display.

The elephant in the room is that the Command Series KB7 has Hall effect switches. If you pay attention to modern gamepad design you're probably accustomed to assuming that Hall effect equals better. Where keyboards are concerned, the truth is a touch more complicated. Mechanical keyboards trigger inputs physically whereas Hall effect keyboards do so digitally. Ultimately, it means Hall effect switches can be triggered more quickly and in rapid succession. They are, in other words, super low-latency keyboards.

There's every chance you've never noticed any meaningful latency in your (likely wired) gaming keyboard. With 8K polling, the response time on these keys is a blinding 0.125ms, but that's been achievable on mechanical slabs for a while. But among other less showy benefits, Hall effect keyboards offer a huge amount of customisation when it comes to actuation: one can adjust this metric—which basically measures how sensitive a key is to the user's press—on a key-by-key basis.

Using the Turtle Beach Swarm 2 app, actuation can also be tweaked globally on a scale of 0.1ms to 3.2ms: Drag it all the way up to 0.1ms and you'll probably start to ssssound liiike a hissssssing sssnake during moment-to-moment typing. Lower actuation can lead to accidental inputs, but where there's a will there's a way, and if you want ultra-sensitivity I'm sure you'll adapt. If you're the kind of person who slams A and D when strafing in a first-person shooter, a lower actuation may make sense. The freedom to tinker is what Hall effect keyboards are really all about, and doing so here is a breeze—especially with five onboard profiles to muck around with.

The screen seems a bit superfluous and showy at first, but over time its flexibility blossoms. Using the Turtle Swarm software I can load a bunch of pre-made templates into the onboard memory. These templates come in the form of three-by-four grids of buttons—like the missing numpad—including shortcuts for OBS, Discord, Counter-Strike, Teams, Zoom, League of Legends, Streamlab, and Photoshop.

I did miss onboard shortcuts—with useful glyphs—for Steam, which would seem to make more sense than dedicated buttons for Microsoft's Gamebar. I had to make do with creating macros which I could then assign to the touchscreen, though there's no way to customise the icon of said macros, so if I create too many there's no simple visual identifier to distinguish them: they just show as New Macro. Meanwhile, there are dozens of pre-fab macros in the Swarm 2 app that you can use, ranging from obvious choices like Apex Legends and Dota 2 through to BioShock 2 (but not 1) for some reason.

Other shortcuts, for things like cut, copy, paste, undo, redo and Microsoft's Gamebar have shortcut glyphs, but I struggle to imagine anyone wanting to access them via touchscreen instead of keyboard shortcuts we've built up the muscle memory for over decades. If you're a streamer there are very obvious benefits to having OBS and Streamlab shortcuts available at a single button press without having to mess with what's displaying on your monitor, or investing in a separate peripheral.

Even as a non-streamer though, over the month I've spent using the KB7, I have started to lean on some of the touchscreen's functionality. I love that I can add shortcuts to websites (I now have an emergency www.pcgamer.com button) and even to folders—a single button to access my Downloads folder, or the folder where Steam screenshots are kept—is something I started to use a lot. Also: you can add your very own background image. Whether you opt for Bathtub Geralt or, well, anything else really, I'm sure you'll agree this level of customisation is fun.

I love that actuation and rapid-trigger configuration can be handled on the screen itself, even though you might want to use the Swarm software instead. The latter isn't terrible—it does the job and the UI, nowadays, is straightforward and easy to use—though I did experience a few crashes.

The typing experience on the KB7 is brilliant but if, like me, you're accustomed to years of using mechanical keyboards, it'll probably take a day or so for Hall effect keys to click. The snap and crackle of a full fat mechanical slab is replaced here by a slightly more muted but still tactile sonic feedback from the low-profile keys, which are equipped with Titan switches.

I was at first concerned that my hands would brush across that big boi screen but this effectively works as a 65%er with the system keys (print screen, screenlock etc) replaced by the display. The media control knobs and switches are well-situated, while the triangular keys along the top switch profiles at a single button press, mute and unmute the mic, and toggle on and off the KB7's RGB trimmings.

And look: at $200 it's pricey, but it does beat the competition in this department. The Corsair Vanguard Pro 96 is a Hall effect keyboard with a smaller screen that retails for $240 (though it can be had for cheaper if you look). The difference, of course, is that the present Turtle Beach is a tenkeyless affair if you're not counting the ten keys it's possible to assign to the display, but if you want that extra set of physical keys you can get the KP7 add-on for an extra $100. If you must have the tenkeys and accompanying status display, that does increase the overall price significantly.

In many ways the KB7 kinda transcends its status as a mere keyboard: it's also basically a workstation. If you do buy that KP7 attachment, you may feel like you're seated at a control panel or mixing desk. I can definitely see why streamers and content creators would want to fork out for the whole kit and caboodle. As for the rest of us, once you've used the touchscreen you may struggle to live without it. Whether you want to introduce another must-have into your life is up to you, but this KB7 definitely provides me something I didn't know I wanted.

Logitech has expressed its desire to have its 'G3' products constitute its 'affordable'—but not necessarily budget—range of PC gaming peripherals. Given the general state of the economy and the fact that the quality-but-affordable market is my usual stomping ground, I was naturally excited to get my hands on this G316 X. Alas, what a disappointment.

My experience here is coloured very much by my experience with this keyboard's white 'tactile' switches, which are the switches in the version I was sent, as apparently this is all that will be available in the UK with a UK layout. The US will be able to get a version with linear switches, which will hopefully be at least somewhat better.

There are some things to like about this keyboard, such as the lighting and the sturdy keycaps, but it's impossible to look past the awful keypress experience, most pertinently for gaming. There's little more important than key feel for a keyboard, and there's little more important than having a good gaming key-feel experience in, well, a gaming keyboard. And this keyboard unfortunately struggles on the first front and completely fails on the latter.

On trying the G316 X, my first surprise was that the keys didn't feel tactile at all. Admittedly, it's been a while since I used any tactile switches (for good reason, as linear is king for most kinds of games), but to my memory, 'tactile' is supposed to mean you feel a bump partway down the keypress, and that's when the key actuates. That's good because you can press only that far, then lift back up a little, and press again, all the while being sure that your key has actuated.

That's not what you get here, though. The G316 X's 'tactile' switches essentially feel like linear switches that require a ton of initial force to get them moving. I suppose they feel tactile in the sense that such tremendous initial force is required that you can't help but slam the keys into the keybed, but that's not truly 'tactile' in the original sense of the term.

It does sound clacky—though not thocky, if that's your jam—which is a genuine plus as long as you don't mind a loud keyboard, but it essentially feels like nothing more than a very stiff membrane keyboard. I wouldn't consider it in the same class of key feel as any other mechanical keyboard I've tried, only membranes.

If you want the feel of a stiff membrane that also has a bit of clack to it, then you might enjoy it. But even then, I'm not convinced. I spent a couple of days typing on the keyboard during work, and while initially the stiff, clacky keys felt and sounded nice, by the end of the day my fingers were quite fatigued. It does sound great if you prefer more of a 'clack' to a 'thock', but it is probably only worth it if you don't spend extended periods of time typing.

The stiff switches don't just affect feel, but also in-game performance. I'm used to a linear Hall effect keyboard with rapid trigger, and switching to the G316 X was not a pleasant experience.

Playing Counter-Strike 2, I struggled more than with a standard linear mechanical keyboard to counter-strafe, which meant I missed a ton of shots and had to play the game completely differently, peeking less. And because the keys require a great amount of initial actuation force, but then not much force for the rest of the keypress, I found myself unable to get used to the amount of tension I should keep on the keys at resting position.

This meant I accidentally 'jumped'—literally, by hitting the space bar—when entering to re-take a bomb site in a clutch situation, which lost me the round. One of my teammates told me to uninstall the game, and I honestly couldn't blame him.

So other than the poor keypress experience, what does this keyboard have to offer? Well, the first benefit that I should mention is that its switches are hot swappable. So if you like the look of the keyboard but are rightly put off by my description of how the switches feel, you can buy your own compatible switches and swap them out.

You might want to do this if you simply like the look of it, with its RGB bar and 'dot matrix LED display'. I can't deny that it does look nice, provided you don't mind the more retro look of the LED display. The light bar has 30 zones and adds a bit of cyberpunk flair, but there aren't as many animations to choose from as I would like in the software. It can also be a little laggy when selecting colours, so I'd recommend typing in the RGB or hex values.

Other than the lighting, though, the keyboard is housed in a plain, plastic chassis. It's fairly sturdy, and it doesn't look or feel cheap, but it doesn't exactly look or feel particularly premium, either. Just bang-on average, I'd say.

I do like my keyboards to have a knob to control the volume, so that's a welcome addition, but I didn't find any need to switch off the volume mode to one of the others. The others, which you can change to by long-pressing the knob, allow you to switch music tracks, turn RGB brightness up or down, or change the polling rate.

There's also a dedicated button next to it to turn game mode on, which disables the Windows key and any other keys you set up in the software, and the LED screen will show whether capslock or numlock is on/off when you press those keys. Much of this could be done with function buttons, but it is nice having the options there in their own part of the keyboard.

And that's about all there is to the G316 X. It's quite a peculiar keyboard, especially considering how it's priced. I understand what Logitech was going for—an affordable, but not cheap, gaming-oriented keyboard—but for $120 it really needs to deliver more than this.

Given the gaming keyboard market today, a regular RGB-laden gaming keyboard is a tough sell at this price. And when you're failing to deliver a keypress experience that lives up to even much cheaper gaming keyboards (any using a standard Cherry or Gateron switch), it's a very tough sell. Especially when there are keyboards with Hall effect for literally a third of the price.

In all, unless you really like how this thing looks, I'd steer clear of the version with tactile switches at least. If the linear version feels better, then it might be worth a look, but even then, there's plenty of competition out there at this price point, and I'm not sure those fights are leaning in this keyboard's favour.

When it comes to gaming keyboards, Asus generally gets a lot of things right. The latest models are packed with every gaming feature around, such as rapid trigger or 8,000 Hz polling, but these are often countered by the hefty fee you incur for choosing the ROG brand.

A great example of that is the Asus ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE, which normally costs $220. It's an excellent keyboard, but that's way too much money in comparison to the competition. Well, not any more, because you can bag one for $152 at Amazon right now, and it's the cheapest it's been at that store.

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When Reese checked out the Falchion Ace 75 HE, he came away very impressed by its super-fast switches, additional controls, and overall build quality. However, he wasn't quite so happy with the price tag, and that's understandable because the $150+ keyboard market is extremely competitive, with lots of brilliant options to choose from.

But with a 31% discount, the Falchion Ace 75 HE is far more appealing, and if you don't mind the fact that it's wired-only, you're getting a superb button-basher for the money. Asus' latest Hall effect ROG HFX V2 switches are ridiculously quick, thanks to their short travel, low actuation force, and highly adjustable actuation point.

Along with an 8 kHz polling rate (somewhat pointless, but still kinda neat to have) and rapid trigger functionality, this keyboard is ideal for twitchy, competitive shooters and esports in general.

That said, it's great for any kind of gaming, as well as general use, thanks to the handy media wheel/roller and touch bar on the back, which you can configure for all kinds of roles. This is all done via Gear Link, a web-based app that's light-years ahead of Armoury Crate.

Yes, 150-odd bucks is a lot of money to throw down for a keyboard, but at least you're not paying over the odds with this deal.

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What-ho and good morrow to you, dear reader. Should one be wishing for a gaming keyboard with some actual class, rather than something clad in gamer-chic vulgarity, may I humbly suggest the Keychron K2 HE—which is currently down to $112 as part of the Amazon Prime Day celebrations.

Wonderful. Anyway, I bloomin' love this keyboard, in all its forms. I recently tested the concrete-framed version and came away incredibly impressed. A large part of that was due to its fantastic Gateron magnetic double rail switches and premium-feeling double-shot PBT keycaps. Concrete or not, this keeb feels absolutely wonderful to type on.

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Our Reece agrees wholeheartedly, as he gave the regular model a score of 88% in his review. While I loved the concrete frame of my review sample, I would happily pick up this version, as it's got all the same internal hardware that makes it a delight to type and game on.

Plus, to keep the unusual material theme going, this one's got two strips of actual wood on the sides. I've typed on this very keeb, and can confirm that it feels awesome, looks great, and is pretty much the classiest keyboard you can currently buy. Unfortunately, the white version is still at full price, but here are some of our own pics for reference:

It's a 75% keeb, so no numpad for you. However, it's got everything most people would need for daily usage, in a form factor that means it's easy to shift around on your desk for a comfortable typing/gaming position.

It's also got a Bluetooth connection alongside its 2.4 GHz, dongle-based affair, which makes it rather flexible. Not literally, though, as Keychron takes build quality very seriously indeed. There's no deck flex in the chassis design, that's for sure, just a couple of strips of rosewood and a very sturdy frame.

Wood I buy one? Sorry. But yes, I wood. As for your own pocketbook, I guess that's up to yew. It's very hot in here, okay?

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It doesn't hurt to be just a little sceptical when you stumble across decent-looking hardware at an absurdly low price. Well, I know first-hand that you can dispense with such wariness as far as our best budget gaming keyboard is concerned, though.

Even before the Amazon Prime Day sale, the GK Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 was already a ridiculously affordable 65% keyboard. Now that the deals are here, this Hall effect keyboard is going for even less thanks to a delectable discount making it only $32.

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Now, I know what you may be thinking: 'A $33 gaming keyboard? There ain't no way that doesn't just immediately crumble into microplastic dust in my hands.' To be clear, there's definitely some flex to the board, but overall this affordable hero doesn't feel anywhere near as cheap as it is.

Don't misunderstand, weighing only 762 g, this is a light-feeling keyboard. However, its Outemu Peach Magnetic key switches and double-shot PBT keycaps go some way to making this an affordable keyb that actually feels nice to type on. In terms of looks, it's almost tasteful—though the strap and RGB lighting leaves little doubt this is one for The Gamers.

On the subject of gamer-geared flourishes, this board also enjoys an 8K Hz polling rate (yes, really), and Rapid Trigger. As is to be expected of a magnetic keyboard, you can noodle with customisable key actuation points ranging from as light a touch as 0.1 mm all the way up to a smashing 3.7 mm depth. This may be a budget board, but it's not skimping on responsiveness—and the software isn't awful either!

As our Reece surmised in his review, this is "a powerful gaming keyboard that makes a bit of a mockery of more expensive rivals, with beefy Hall effect switches, pleasant physical touches, and decent software."

The white colourway with the shine-through keycaps and wireless connectivity happens to be the cheapest version going. Personally, I'm quite partial to the classy topographic-inspired design in black with the side-mounted legends. Thankfully, all of the discounted options are understated enough that the GK Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 can take pride of place on your desk at home or at work.

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You know I've tested a lot of mechanical keyboards over the years. In fact, I started my clicky switch love way back in 2013, with the OG Corsair K70 Vengeance and a Cherry MX Red switch, but nothing, and I mean nothing, has come close to the Asus ROG Strix Scope II RX for me. Even with its silly and ridiculous name, that seems to grow ever longer. I reviewed it for another publication in about 2024, and was just blown away by the build quality, the switches, the sound dampening, the fact Asus had pre-lubed everything to death. And it was clean too, stupidly so, it looked and still looks gorgeous. I set up the RGB once, two years ago, and I haven't changed it since.

Back then, it averaged $120 on retail. Today, Newegg's got it listed with a 33% discount at $80 (with the promo code: FTTF283).

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Like complete honest truth with you, I actually recently took a look at Corsair's Makr Pro 75 line as well. A similarly sound-dampened premium pre-lubed affair, albeit with Hall effect switches, and even though I enjoyed it, I just ended up gravitating straight back to this beauty. The Makr Pro 75 now sits diligently on a shelf again in its box, whereas my slightly dusty ROG Strix Scope II hogs the limelight.

I could wax lyrical about it all day. The build quality on it is exceptional. It's not particularly heavy by modern standards, and there's no nonsense marketing hype either. I see so many manufacturers just adding layers of foam, brace plates, gaskets, for the sake of it, so they can make the numbers bigger on the product page, or tell you exactly how each spring is specifically chosen based on its acoustic time signature or some bs, and it just feels unnecessary. All of it adds extra cost at diminishing returns, and we end up paying the price. You have to draw a line somewhere.

That's why the Scope II 96 wireless sat at the top of our best gaming keyboard list for so long as well, and why its wired sibling packs in all the same traits, albeit at a slightly larger form factor, and still dominates two years on.

Millions of words I've typed on this thing, over years, spillages, food, dirt, dust, debris, sweat, blood, the lot. It's endured it all and held up against all of it. Not a single switch failure. Not a single moment where I've gone "man, I wish I could try something new". If that ain't high praise, I don't know what is, and when it costs damn near a third as much as the big boys' latest bounties, well, if I lived in the US it'd already be in my basket (as a back-up, you know, ya boy's got needs).

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I recently had the chance to test two different Melgeek keyboards at the same time. They are the space-themed Centauri 80 and the black and gold Real 81. Though they're made by the same company, they couldn't be more different in approach.

The Centauri 80 is heavy, flashy, with a built-in OLED screen, and it costs $360. The Real 81, on the other hand, is more practical at $140, or at least as practical as you can get from a competitive gaming keyboard.

If I could compare it to keyboards I've tried before, I'd say it's a similar feel and design to Lemokey, specifically the Lemokey L4. It's small but blocky and a little chunky. It's the type of keyboard you could throw into a backpack, but you probably wouldn't want to because it's pretty heavy. Still, I don't think I'd fear it breaking on the train.

It also comes with many of the features you would want out of a competitive keyboard. It can go all the way up to 8,000 Hz (should you have the reaction speed for that to matter), and its keys are all rapid trigger capable, which means they can register presses and unregister presses based on a specific actuation. In practice, this means being able to stop walking quicker or button bash more effectively.

Immediately, it's a more attractive package for the average gamer than the Centauri 80. Where the Centauri shows up in the looks department and feels impressive, the Real 81 is simpler in approach. It doesn't have any gimmicks and comes in at a reasonably competitive price.

Naturally, I still wouldn't call $140 cheap, or even budget, but the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 sits in a league of its own for 8,000 Hz pricing. And Gamakay give up build quality in return for that super cheap price point. $140 feels about right for the keyboard I've had my mitts on, factoring specs and build.

In the looks department, the Real 81 has a few flourishes, with a gold trim and a small LED bar down the bottom right, but it's not too flashy either. It's all black otherwise, and the keys have a dark gold lettering.

Unfortunately, like the Centauri 80, the Real 81 is quite hard to make out in a dark environment. If I don't have at least a light on in the room, I have to rely mostly on feel to make out where the keys are. This isn't a huge problem for me, as I'm fairly familiar with where to put my hands, but it's still an odd issue to have. Keys are, thankfully, well spaced and easy to get to, though.

The RGB underneath keys does look pretty good, and that's because its keys are translucent. It even has per-key RGB, which can be adjusted in Melgeek's own software. That software can also be used to set custom controls, which does help make up for the lack of any media buttons on the keyboard itself. You can download that software, or use it on the web, and the web app is super solid. I like that customisation is straightforward and easy here. The Real 81 is simple to use out of the box and doesn't even require software, past the first update.

As far as typing feel is concerned, the Real 81 performs okay. Keys are a tad springy for my liking, and are less smooth than I would have hoped. I feel like I'm simply putting in a little more effort than I expect when trying to bash them down in a flurry for a piece of news. Mine came equipped with Melgeek's Honey magnetic switches, and Honey is an apt name, as they just feel a tad sticky. The space bar and caps lock also have an uncomfortable clack feeling, which is less nice than the somewhat muted sounds of the rest of the keyboard. I wouldn't say it's bad, as far as sound is concerned, but just inconsistent.

Melgeek employs a 5-layer sound-dampening gasket mount to help flatten that sound, and it's mostly rather satisfying. The majority of keys have a 'tick' sound that's just quite enough that it hasn't bothered my partner on a late night when inspiration has suddenly struck me. The feel of the keys would certainly send me to bed before the sound would, anyway.

In games, the Real 81 does perform pretty well, though. Keys are responsive and super quick in Counter-Strike 2, and I can stop walking nearly instantaneously. Your reticule is smaller when standing still in Counter-Strike 2, so this feels like a boon to me. I'd say competitive games overall perform quite nicely. The slightly tougher keys are actually pretty solid in the likes of Battlefield, where a stray misclick is rather common.

In more casual single-player games, I find the Real 81 does its job, but it's less comfortable to use after a few hours than other keyboards I've had my hands on. That's because the springy keys just require a bit more effort. Longer gaming sessions feel ever so slightly tiresome.

I noticed this after a few hours with roguelite city builder Super Fantasy Kingdom, where I just wished I could control it all from my mouse, as the combination of its hardy keys and my leaned posture made it feel like a little more effort than necessary.

Most keyboards have to make compromises, but I can't help but feel like Melgeek's compromises are by accident here. It's a solid set of competitive keys, but not amazing for everyday typing. It has vibrant RGB and gold lettering…which you will struggle to see in the dark. It has a solid dampening solution that works well… but not on every key.

The Real 81's monkey paw curls on almost every good side, and there's certainly enough good to outweigh the bad points, but there's still far more bad than I was expecting. Or hoping for.

With Prime Day just around the corner, we have started to see some deals pop up, but I was surprised to see Logitech offering some of the steepest and most surprising discounts so far.

If you want a pretty, Genshin-themed gaming keybaord that's wireless and TKL, the Logitech G515 is down to just $70. That's a whopping 56% discount on its full price, and the lowest price I've ever seen this keyboard go for.

• We're keeping track of all the early Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals here

The main difference between the G515 and the G515 Rapid TKL that we reviewed late last year is that this one is missing rapid trigger switches. Instead, the keyb is fitted with brown tactile switches, but it's still got lovely RGB, a sweet white aesthetic, and Double-Shot PBT keycaps.

This one is Genshin Impact themed (or more specifically, it's styled after Kamisato Ayaka), but thankfully, it's not gauche at all. It has some lovely accents and the odd sprinkling of decals. Overall, it's quite subtle and pretty even to the eye of this casual Genshin player.

Being low profile and TKL, it's short and easy to pop on a desk. Its build quality is still strong, though, and it's not super light either. Wireless connectivity is perhaps less useful than in a mouse or headset, but it's still nice to have the option, and you're getting around 36 hours of charge out of it, too.

Thanks to its lightspeed connectivity mode and 1,000 Hz polling rate, it's a pretty fast set of keys too. You are missing some modern features like Rapid trigger and 8,000 Hz polling (who really needs that anyway?), but for its price, this is a killer deal. The Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 does offer both 8,000 Hz and rapid trigger for cheaper, but the Logitech still beats it on build quality and looks.

If you're in need of a sturdy low-profile gaming keyboard and want something to pair with your all-white rig, this Logitech keyboard surprised me with how good value it is right now, and I can't see it going lower this side of Black Friday.

👉 Check out the rest of Amazon's gaming keyboard deals 👈

Let's imagine that you've been working hard at creating an all-white theme for your gaming den, and there's just one item left to tick off the list: a super-nice white keyboard. There are lots to choose from, but many of the really great keyboards sport excessively high price tags.

A great example of that is the Asus ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE, which normally costs $220. It's an excellent keyboard, but that's way too much money in comparison to the competition. Well, not any more, because you can bag one for $160 at Amazon right now.

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When Reese checked out the black version of the Falchion Ace 75 HE, he came away very impressed by its super-fast switches, additional controls, and overall build quality. However, he wasn't quite so happy with the price tag, and that's understandable because the $150+ keyboard market is extremely competitive, with lots of brilliant options to choose from.

But with a 27% discount, the Falchion Ace 75 HE is far more appealing, and if you don't mind the fact that it's wired-only, you're getting a superb button-basher for the money. Asus' latest Hall effect ROG HFX V2 switches are ridiculously quick, thanks to their short travel, low actuation force, and highly adjustable actuation point.

Along with an 8 kHz polling rate (somewhat pointless, but still kinda neat to have) and rapid trigger functionality, this keyboard is ideal for twitchy, competitive shooters and esports in general.

That said, it's great for any kind of gaming, as well as general use, thanks to the handy media wheel/roller and touch bar on the back, which you can configure for all kinds of roles. This is all done via Gear Link, a web-based app that's light-years ahead of Armoury Crate.

Yes, $160 is a lot of money to throw down for a keyboard, but at least you're not paying over the odds with this deal.

👉Check out all of Amazon's gaming keyboard deals here👈

Father's Day is on Sunday, June 21 this year, and if you're anything like me, you're already scrambling to think of something to buy. I've got good news for gaming dads, though—I've found 12 PC gaming gift ideas that would make any of them very, very happy indeed.

From mouse pads and tool sets to gaming controllers, mice, and chairs, there's definitely something here that will suit any gamer dad down to the ground. And indeed, suit any budget. Because whether you're looking for a high-end gift they'll cherish for years, or something small and affordable that'll demonstrate how much you've been paying attention to their hobbies, this list should pretty much cover it all.

Should you wish to really flash your cash this Father's Day, I'll also point you towards our cheap gaming laptop deals and cheap gaming PC deals pages. But for the rest of us looking for something more affordable, I reckon any of the 12 items below are perfect for the gamer dad in your life. And none of them are socks, I promise.

PC gaming gifts for Father's Day

As gaming keyboards get more advanced, we have to learn new words just to understand them. We've had to learn what polling rates really mean and how much is too much for the average gamer (8k, btw), what the advantage of rapid trigger is, and why someone would want TMR. And not only has MSI thrown every single gaming keyboard buzzword at its new keyboard, but it dunked the keyboard underwater at this year's Computex to prove it will still work.

That's as shown off by We Do Tech, who saw MSI plunge the keyboard. Reportedly, the wired keyboard still works even when submerged (though the water resistance may cut down your reaction time).

That's a fun bit of marketing and a way of showing off how durable the keyboard is, though you are very unlikely to actually want to use the keyboard underwater. Still, at least I know if I spill water on it, it should be fine.

The keyboard itself is pretty impressive, too. It has TMR switches, which offer super-low latency gameplay and very precise controls. Think Hall effect, but better. TMR (tunnelling magnetoresistance) also happens to be more power efficient, but that efficiency is lost on a wired keyboard.

You get 8,000 Hz polling here, too, which means it is sending data to your rig every 0.125 milliseconds. For context, 1,000 Hz polling is once every millisecond. Generally speaking, this is far too much for anyone but the highest-level gamer, but it's still a nice feature to have.

It has rapid trigger too, which means it will stop registering a key press the moment you let go, rather than after hitting an arbitrary threshold. This means you can stop moving or button-bash quicker, if that's your sort of thing.

Impressively, its switch beds are also hot-swappable between TMR and mechanical switches, which is a neat level of flexibility reminiscent of the Logitech G512 X. This is all topped off with a magnesium-aluminium alloy and a five-layer gasket mount for sound dampening.

All of this is mighty impressive, but the most important question goes unanswered. We don't yet have a price point on this dunkable beast. We are also missing any sort of release date. Still, the likelihood is that if I'm going for any MSI gaming keyboard right now, it's the Frieren collab Forge TKL. That thing sure is purty.

If you're looking for a 'quiet' gaming keyboard that is actually quiet, Be Quiet!'s Light Mount is a truly excellent gaming keyboard (and one we gave it 93% in our review last year). However, if that one is simply too big to fit comfortably on your desk, the gaming brand is putting out a TKL model this year.

Announced at Computex, the Be Quiet! Light Mount TKL is like the normal one, but, well, smaller. We're told it's expected to launch at some point in August this year, but we don't yet have a price point. TKLs tend to be a little cheaper than their full-length counterparts—though that isn't always the case and sometimes they even cost more—so I'm hoping it's tens of dollars cheaper than the $170 full-sized keeb.

If you are unfamiliar, the Be Quiet! Light Mount employs three layers of sound-dampening foam and factory-lubricated switches. In her review of the original, our Jess said, "though by no means silent, I'm definitely a fan of the sound-dampened clacks on Be Quiet's Light Mount. It lives up to its name in more ways than one, too, boasting vibrant, head-turning per-key RGB lighting—even the software offers few reasons to complain!"

It's a gaming keyboard that's impressive for more than just its sound, too. It comes with hot swappable 5-pin switch support, per-key RGB, and a neat media wheel. There's not a huge pile to complain about, as you'll see from our review.

Alongside this, Be Quiet! Has also announced the Mousepad XL, which is a 900 x 500 m mousepad designed to accommodate your mouse and gaming keyboard. It also comes with a 3 mm anti-slip rubber base to ensure it doesn't move while gaming. Be Quiet! says the "Optimised soft and smooth fabric ensures precise tracking, effortless glide and lasting comfort for both mouse and wrists"

But, alas, many mousepads are pretty similar in approach, so it will have to win in feel or price to stand out. We know neither of these two just yet.

On the show floor, we also got our eyes on the Pure Base 803, which is a huge Be Quiet! Case with support for back-connect motherboards, up to 7 HDDs (assuming you can afford them), up to 3 x 420 mm radiators and 2 x 140 rear fans.

There seem to be no gaming mouse updates to go with the mousepad and gaming keyboard at Computex. That's a shame, as I got to test the Be Quiet! Dark Perk Ergo a few months ago and think it's good enough to make me excited for what it's got cooking next, but not quite good enough for me to actually recommend at its price.

Ah, it's that time of year. With Computex comes the announcement of a Chinese Zodiac-themed gaming keyboard, and this year, it's celebrating the Year of the Horse. It's probably what you're expecting based on the name, except with 30% more fire.

Our Jacob managed to get his eyes on it, on the Computex show floor, and it's a bit of an over-the-top beauty. It's not every day you get a black keyboard with a big red horse slapped in the middle, covered in gold, red, and orange.

That's all before mentioning that it doesn't appear to have any lettering on its 100 keycaps. But, not having to make it legible does give some creative room to make the keyboard pop, and pop it does.

We don't really have too much information on the keyboard yet, but last year's sold for around the $200 mark, and was limited to 2025 units. We know this year's version is limited to 999 units, but we don't have a price point. Speaking of last year's, the Year of the Snake model may be my favourite Ducky Zodiac release, as it is covered in reds and pinks. It has text on the keycaps, though it's not very legible to my eyes.

Ducky's Chinese Zodiac keyboards do seem intended to be more ornamental, hence the limited supply and loud looks, and on the Computex show floor, the keyboard does look pretty nice behind glass. It's got some light accenting up at the top corners that catches the light well.

We've had some fun Zodiac keyboards from Ducky over the years. In 2020, we got the Year of the Rat one, which looks a bit like a cartoon sewer, and the Year of the Pig one is mostly pink with a black base.

Though last year's was more my style than this year, I can say that I prefer the new Year of the Horse keyboard to Ducky's previous attempt back in 2014. The old version is a pretty simple white base, with black keys and a small horse on the space bar. Due to the shinethrough RGB, it does highlight the horse nicely, but I'd take the new one any day.

Ducky has become one of my favourite brands to keep an eye on at Computex purely to see its yearly keyboard offering, and here's hoping the Year of the Goat model is really out there.

Wireless is wonderful for, say, your gaming mouse, headset, and controller but less so for your keyboard. Between managing input latency and battery life, a wireless keyboard would have to be something pretty special to win me over. Well, Cherry is trying their chances with what is likely the world's first Ultra-Wideband gaming keyboard.

Revealed during Computex, the Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact is a 70% wireless gaming keyboard. The favoured 2.4 GHz connection of many wireless PC peripherals can make for a cluttered band of the radio spectrum, potentially leading to connection issues between your devices. The K63W Pro Compact's Ultra-Wideband connection attempts to sidestep all of that.

That said, I can't say I've personally fallen afoul of a cluttered 2.4 GHz frequency at my own setup, and I suspect this Ultra-Wideband functionality may have niche appeal. We've seen the wireless tech predominantly in 8 kHz gaming mice before this, such as the still unreleased Steelseries Rival Pro Mini. The wireless tech affords the same high polling rate on the Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact too, but again, that seems like overkill to me.

It's also worth noting that an Ultra-Wideband connection lacks the same long range as a 2.4 GHz link. That's fine for deskbound peripherals like mice and keyboards, but potentially less great news if you love to lounge and operate your PC at a distance.

On the subject of 'overkill', though, the Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact also enjoys a 6000 mAh battery that the company claims could potentially last you up to 1,100 hours (obviously, hours of heavy use with the RGB at max brightness and the polling rate set to the 8k maximum will whittle that figure down a bit). Such a generous battery certainly draws my sceptical eye.

This board also enjoys Cherry's MX Low Profile 2.0 switches. I'm personally not a fan of keys that are on the shallower side, but reducing the distance between you and your keys' actuation point by even mere millimetres is bound to appeal to the esports fiends.

Cherry also touts the XTRFY K63W Pro Compact's "carefully tuned gasket construction" which, combined with those low-profile switches, apparently makes for "softer keystrokes, deeper acoustics, and a more satisfying typing experience in a slim form factor." The Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact is slated for release in the US this August and will retail for $170. If you're based in the EU, you can pick it up from July for €180.

For Computex 2026, Gigabyte has just announced a new gaming keyboard called the Aorus K10 Infinity and a similarly named Aorus M10 Infinity gaming mouse, alongside some new web-based software for them. Both the mouse and keyboard are available in black or white. To my eyes, at least, they both look in line with what we'd want from serious gaming peripherals in 2026, at least in terms of design and specs. We'll have to wait and see if they actually deliver the goods regarding performance and feel, though.

The TKL keyboard will have "tactical" magnetic switches, apparently: "Built with tactical magnetic switches, it supports 0.1 mm trigger-point adjustment, multi-stage trigger settings, custom macros, an 8000 Hz polling rate, and a 100-million-time keystroke lifespan."

More notable than this, though—and certainly more notable than the 8k polling, which is overkill even for esports—is the triple-button space bar. Split space bars are something we're starting to see more often, and our Jacob Ridley reckons they're gonna be the next big thing.

The idea is to be able to have a couple of extra keys free once you figure out which thumb you use to press the space bar and bind 'space' to just that side. I'm not so sure, myself, because even while writing these last couple of paragraphs, I've noticed I do sometimes use my right thumb even though I mostly use my left. But I've not tried a split keeb, so I can't say for sure.

The keyboard has an OLED touchscreen, too, which apparently is best used for its "built-in Combat Power feature." Which "allows users to monitor Actions Per Minute (APM), key mileage, precision, and error count in real time, turning the keyboard into an active interface for gameplay adjustment and self-analysis."

It also has 6, 8, and 13-degree tilt adjustment options. I'm a bit of a 'keep it flat' man, myself, but I know some like to have their keyboards tilted, and the more adjustment the better, I say.

So much for the keyboard. The Aorus M10 Infinity gaming mouse looks a little bit Razer Viper-shaped to me, but that's a very speculative guess based on a single top-down picture. The shadows seem to show a little flaring to the buttons, and the rear end of the mouse seems a little bulbous—more-so than a Viper.

Mouse software RAM usage

RAM (MB)

Razer

712

SteelSeries

515

Logitech

230

Corsair (web)

210

Pulsar (web)

159

Glorious

150

Mchose (web)

142

Akko

67

0200400600800

RAM usage

RAM (MB) Data

Product	Value
Razer	712
SteelSeries	515
Logitech	230
Corsair (web)	210
Pulsar (web)	159
Glorious	150
Mchose (web)	142
Akko	67

Gigabyte says it has optical switches and 8 kHz polling, though the latter is absolutely unnecessary even for high-level competitive FPS gaming. Still, it's what all mice seem to be aiming for these days.

More than the actual hardware, though, I'm excited by the fact that Gigabyte has also launched a web version of its GiMate software that you can use to adjust all the settings. Apparently, you'll be able to use it for "easier control, performance monitoring, and lighting customization across the AORUS peripheral experience."

I've tested a bunch of different software for gaming mice, and my main conclusion is that any gaming mouse that launches these days should come with web software—it's just much more convenient and keeps your machine bloat-free. So there's definitely a big plus here in that respect, at least.

At last year's Computex tech show, Wooting announced that it was developing a knob for its popular analogue gaming keyboard, the 80 HE. This year, that knob is almost ready to go.

It's called the Lekker Knob large. It replaces the block of four navigation keys above the arrow keys on the 80 HE. It's a good spot for a volume wheel, but speaking to Wooting's lead software engineer, Simon Whyte, there's much more it can offer than that.

In Wooting's software, the Wootility, there are four main ways to programme the knob. Relative, which fires an action based on which way you turn the dial; Absolute, which sets the dial to a fixed value at each point in the rotation; Zoned, which subdivides the knob into smaller slices, each with its own action when the centre button is pressed; and Analog, which will increase the input strength the further you turn.

It's designed in such a way that the software can tell which position it's in at any given time, ie, it's analogue, which offers a wider range of functionality than a traditional dial.

Furthermore, there are programmable layers in the Wootility. Turn the knob and it does whatever is programmed to the main layer. Press, say, Ctrl and turn the knob, it will do something different if you've programmed it as such. Or go one step further, press Ctrl, Alt, and turn the knob to access yet another layer.

Whyte tells me they're even playing around with the idea of using the knob as a steering wheel input in a racing game—though he's quick to point out that this is currently just an experiment.

There's surprisingly a lot to it. More than I had initially expected. It is becoming much more of a full media control dial than a standard volume wheel. Whyte explains that Wooting has been working on it for three years.

Demanding keys in an ortholinear fashion, eg, in a straight line, it's intended for the 80 HE alone, as it can only sit in the position above the arrow keys. Though Wooting is working on a smaller single key-sized knob that can be used on its other keyboards, but this was under lock and key at the show as it still has a ways to go.

As for the Lekker Knob, Wooting currently expects it to be ready by the end of this year, but I'm told that's a rough estimate.

Wooting is also rolling out some updates to the Wootility in the summer that will let users remap keys with preset hotkeys, like Alt + F4, if you're a masochist. Wooting's partnerships manager Max Janssen tells me the team play a game of Alt + F4 roulette with the new knob, with various emojis assigned to all but one zone, which is set to Alt + F4. Anyways, this update is going to be available to all users.

Keychron's not really officially at Computex this year, but I did manage to catch up with its CEO, Nick Xu, in a corner of the show and got a sneak peek at some of its upcoming and potentially upcoming keyboard goodies.

The most striking is the carbon fiber concept keeb—I mean, just look at the thing: it's barely there. But, given that it's a carbon fiber shell it still feels pretty darned solid. But yes, it is just a concept piece brought along to show just how low Keychron can go. I'm told there is a chance that we might see it actually become a product sometime next year, however.

What isn't a concept piece, however, is the new Keychron ultra-low profile magnetic keyboard, something they claim is "the world's thinnest optical or magnetic keyboard, you don't even notice it's magnetic."

Though you will if you take a look at the switches, or start to type on it. There's a level of travel on the switches that you just don't get with a scissor switch or membrane keyboard.

Though it isn't a concept, the unit I'm holding in my hands is an unnamed prototype, which you can tell because there are a few rough edges that you don't normally see with Keychron's reliably solid boards.

But we should see the some time around the end of the year, and hopefully by then it will actually have a name.

We've seen all manner of keycaps over the years, from Kerbals to desserts and just about everything in between. But I don't think I've seen any quite so peculiar as those just announced from Asus ROG.

They come in a 'Mystery Box Edition 20', with the latter part of this referring to the company's 20th anniversary line-up. We've already seen an absolute chonker of a GPU under this moniker, so I guess it makes sense to have something small in the range too like keycaps.

It looks like they are literally mystery boxes, in which you don't know which keycaps you're getting. In one box you get 6x mystery keycaps. And what are the keycaps, exactly? Well, it's all ROG peripherals, of course.

Each keycap sits on top of a bed of stalagmite crystals. To start with, there's a Gladius mouse, a Raikiri controller, an Asus Delta headset, alongside a couple of different versions of the ROG logo.

The last couple are the most interest of the bunch, though. There's the Chariot chair which, erm, spins around. Not on its own, you have to spin it yourself, but still. Peculiar. Then there's the Claymore keyboard which is split into two. The left side has the bulk of the keyboard, while the right has the numpad, and both can be pressed independently. Y'know, just 'cause.

The only thing that I think would make it better would be if there were a little keyboard keycap on the keyboard keycap. But alas, we're just a single order of magnitude into bonkers territory here.

It's a bit silly, but it's also just a bit of fun, so I'm not too against it. The company has announced plenty of more serious products at this year's Computex, including an esports OLED monitor I quite like the look of, so I'll forgive Asus for the frivolity here. Though much will depend on just how rare the fancier keycaps are, because I wouldn't much fancy having to rack up dozens of spares just to collect them all.

I've never quite understood car people, but the closest I think I've come is my love of gaming keyboards. The first time I took the MelGeek Centauri 80 out of its shuttle packaging, I felt myself exclaim and didn't even realise I'd done it. Like a geeky Patrick Bateman describing the differences between business cards, I felt myself in awe of the shape, aesthetic, and build of the keyboard.

But alas, I know what it is. It's a showpiece, and not necessarily one I'd actually recommend buying. Though I'd certainly get a few sneaky glances if your rich friend picks one up instead.

The Centauri 80, as you might be able to guess from the name, is a keyboard obsessed with space. With a white and silver aesthetic, it almost looks like a space shuttle. The caps lock icon is a 'status' bar with a silver wrapping, and an extra key and dial over the right-hand side have the same detailing. This is before mentioning the OLED touchscreen. It could have been ripped straight out of Starfield, Blade Runner, or an actual space station. It also comes with a themed wire and key puller, which is a neat touch.

To top off the look, all the keys are see-through, with RGB backlights, and it has a stripe of RGB all around the side. It lights up in a dark room, but also looks gorgeous when it's not on. Unfortunately, though, that can make it a little hard to read if it's dark enough. See-through keys don't give much background for the white lettering to contrast with, making it tough to parse with both RGB and without.

It's a gaming keyboard I've spent almost as much time admiring as I have gaming—and I've spent a lot of time gaming with it. It's even admirable in terms of sound. With layers under those keys, it sounds thocky but in a very satisfying way, and keys go down smoothly with little resistance. There's clearly a lot of love put into the design and build quality here, but love alone is not a reason to spend $350.

In games, it performs well. Keys are comfortable to press, they sound good, and the switches are super snappy. The Centauri 80 can go all the way up to 8,000 Hz in terms of polling rate, which is certainly nice, though for 99% of people it's far too high to see any benefit. It's got Hall effect switches with rapid trigger, so keys register the moment you let go, rather than the second they hit a threshold. This means you can spam them quicker if you'd like to, or for tactical shooters, you can stop moving and get a smaller reticule just a moment earlier.

That is exactly the case in Valorant, where you are more accurate the second you stop walking. I found the spacing between keys to be solid here, and it's just generally easy to use. With 83 keys total, I didn't find myself in need of an extra one in any of the games I played. From shooters to RPGs, from first to third person, it doesn't let up, and its super sturdy chassis means it practically never moves on my desk.

At just under 2 kg, the keyboard is super chonky. The case is built from an aluminium alloy, and I doubt my ability to dent the shell even if I wanted to (which I definitely don't). This hefty weight does make popping it in a backpack pretty difficult, but the Centauri 80 is more something you'd pop behind a glass panel than something you'd bust out on the train.

As far as typing feel is concerned, the Centauri 80 is great. It feels smooth to use, and I like the TTC x MelGeek magnetic white switches. Key hits feel commanding thanks to strong feedback, but not hard to do at the same time. Despite not always being able to see the keycaps when it's dark enough, I almost never struggled to hit the right key without looking. It's well-proportioned, and everything feels very natural.

Two things I'm not a fan of is the enter and space bar. The space bar says "Back to the space" and enter says "Enter to the universe" on it. I get that these keys are supposed to tie into the space theme, but I actually think the specific choice of wording is just a little off.

It only comes in a wired variant, but wireless keyboards feel a tad less useful to me than wireless gaming headsets, wireless mice, and wireless controllers. It's mostly designed to sit in one spot, so a rogue cable has never really bothered me.

One peculiarity I did find with the keyboard is that many of my USB Type-C cables refused to work with it. It does come with a nice braided white one in the box, but casually bringing it with me to plug into a different rig with a different cable resulted in the keyboard refusing to turn on. Not only do some cables not provide enough power to run it, but the USB port is quite recessed, and some of my cables simply can't get far enough into the base to connect to it.

The OLED touchscreen is nice and bright, and even comes in colour, so you can pop your own GIFs or images in there in all their full-coloured glory. Its use cases are perhaps a little niche, but it looks good at pretty much all times. Effectively, when you don't touch the media dial, the screen will display one thing (a gif of your choice, a status bar, key actuation display, etc.), then when the media dial is active, it changes the screen into a whole new set of functions.

Those functions correspond to the dial underneath it. When set to volume mode, it makes the dial adjust the volume of your rig. Media control makes the dial play, pause, go to the next song, or go to the previous one. That means that, though there is a single media control on the entire keyboard, it has solid versatility.

Just under that dial is an orange button that immediately takes you to the MelGeek web app. This can also be changed, but I find accessing a web app with a shortcut is a neat use of the button. MelGeek's web-based software is a little slow, but solid otherwise. From it, you can adjust lighting, set custom controls, activate rapid trigger, get updates, and more. It does a good job of making it so you don't have to download the software, which is kind of the point of a web app.

MelGeek says the Centauri 80 comes with smart voltage monitoring to combat fluctuating voltages, and this apparently even allows it to warn you when it detects moisture, which is pretty neat. If it's going to be a showcase piece, it helps that it seems built to last in many ways.

That price will be the biggest sticking point for the Centauri 80, and for good reason. For $150 less, you can pick up weighty and impressive keyboards like the Wooting 80HE or the Logitech G512 X, which I'd argue is also a showpiece (and comes with 8K polling too). Though it doesn't offer colour, the OLED screen in the $220 Steelseries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 is very pretty, and the keyboard is lovely too.

And if you are simply looking for rapid trigger Hall effect switches, the likes of the Gamakay X NaughShark NS68 offer it for almost ten times less. The MelGeek Centauri 80 doesn't offer anything in specs or feel that can't be found cheaper, and even with better feel (or key visibility) elsewhere.

However, its aesthetic and build quality are undeniably top-notch, and I feel at least a little lucky to have got my grubby mitts / grubby eyeballs all over it. If you're looking for value, you won't find it here— but the Centauri 80 does feel truly unique despite it.

Framework, the company known for ultra-repairable laptops and desktop PCs, is launching a wireless touchpad keyboard, and it has become the company's most waitlisted item. When you consider the company is not traditionally known for accessories, it's strange to think that's the device people really want.

As announced on the company's X page today, the "Framework wireless touchpad keyboard is by far our most waitlisted product! We may need to increase our plans for production capacity." Given that Framework created this new keyboard having become frustrated with a certain Logitech option while designing and testing the Framework Desktop, you might recognise a recognisable board in the bin behind it in the picture above.

For what it's worth, the waitlist is what you get put on if you choose to fill in your email on the site for the keyboard. Framework will notify you when it is in stock, giving you the option to buy it.

In fairness, the keyboard does seem very cool. It comes with "an integrated touchpad that you don't hate", according to the company, making it supposedly ideal for sim rig and living room use. Effectively, it will allow you to easily use a computer from afar without needing a mouse or the likes of the Steam Controller.

Thanks to its open-source CAD design and ZMK-based firmware, it's designed to be very moddable—the control board can also be purchased separately, should you want to make your own keyboard. The standard built keyboard has a 68.8 x 865.6 mm touchpad with multi-touch support and 1.5 mm key travel. The keyboard can be connected with a wire, via Bluetooth, or with its USB-A dongle. No price point has been announced yet, though.

Not much more is known about the keyboard yet, but it doesn't seem to be designed for gamers. The touchpad naturally won't be great for gaming, and we don't know much about the keys themselves yet.

However, should you want to run your rig from a distance, there's a clear selling point. And it seems, based on the waitlist, I'm not the only one who thinks that.

Still, to think a PC and Laptop manufacturer doesn't have a PC or laptop as its most-waitlisted device speaks volumes about the current market, and the troubles of the memory crisis.

Remember that TV show 'How It's Made'? Whenever I would feel a little under the weather, I'd sit down in front of the TV and watch the step-by-step process of making a golf ball. Good television, that. Wooting has since put together something similar for keyboard nerds: a rundown on how a Hall effect key switch is made.

Wooting CEO Calder Limmen leads the tour, following the Lekker Tikken switch through the manufacturing process. Be warned, there are some choice sound effects used throughout.

It starts with plastic injection, which is used for the top case, bottom case, and stem. The machine takes plastic pellets and injects them into a mould, with a cavity in the shape of the final plastic component.

Interestingly, any unused material from the process is not recycled back into the machine to be reused. As Calder notes, "For the Lekker Tikken switches, we don't use any recycled material to make sure the mechanical properties are better so we get less wobble, more consistency and just a better product overall for your switches."

Next up is switch assembly. No prizes for guessing what goes on here. It's one of the more satisfying machines in the video: a series of tumblers and mechanical arms that work to piece together the switch, starting with the top case. Into that lands the stem. This is also when lubricant is applied to the stem and top case—lubricant being useful for smooth operation of the switch and assembling the switch.

Next, the switch earns its Hall effect credentials with a magnet pushed down into the stem. That's all there is to a Hall effect (or TMR) switch—a sensor on the keyboard PCB does the rest. With that in place, the all-important 22 mm spring can be added to the stem, along with the bottom case, which also gets a dosing of lube for good measure. All that's left to do is add the LED diffuser into the switch, which takes place elsewhere.

Then it's onto testing. Each switch gets tested for the gram force (gf) of the switch (the Lekker Tikken is rated to 54 cN, which is sorta 54 gf) and the gauss value of the magnet, which measures the strength of the magnetic field. Magnets are not actually that easy to make with a high degree of consistency so I imagine this is pretty key.

If the switch passes, it goes on to the final assembly to be sold as either an individual switch or bundled with a Wooting 60HE v2. If not, it goes in the bad bucket.

And that's how a switch is made. Hey, wake up!

When I first learned of the Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition, I was both intrigued and confused. On the one hand, I was aware of the existence of the standard keeb and that we'd given it a massive 88% in our review. The addition of a concrete shell for extra heft? Sounds interesting.

On the other hand, the marketing copy is outrageous. Try this on for size: "Each keystroke carries industrial rhythm, preserving the concrete's solid core while elevating the experience with marble-like smoothness and auditory-visual harmony."

With a description like that, I knew I had to try one for myself. So, I duly requested a review sample, and boy howdy is it heavy. Its 1.74 kg weight was compounded by the fact that my test model was sent to the office, which meant I had to stick it in my backpack to take home. On the train. With a long walk home from the station at the other end.

I am not a clever man. Anyway, I've spent the past month using the Keychron concrete keeb, and I imagine you're expecting me to say that it's a silly idea. A pure marketing gimmick. Something you definitely shouldn't consider dropping $200 on.

But in all honesty, I think it's one of the best keyboards I've ever used. And yes, the concrete shell is definitely a factor.

We want our gaming mice to be light. A concrete gaming mouse would be a silly device, even for someone like me who doesn't mind a touch of extra heft in a squeaker. But when it comes to gaming keyboards, I think a dose of extra weight is actually a plus. Keychron is known for making remarkably well-built keebs, and the K2 HE Concrete Edition feels like the ultimate example of that.

The concrete outer shell is perfectly formed, with nary a moulding mark in sight. The OSA double-shot keycaps feel rounded yet crisp, heavy in their own right, and extremely satisfying under my fingertips. The side-mounted switches for the connection options (USB Type-C, Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless, if you were wondering) are super positive.

It's about as heavy-duty as keyboards come, but it doesn't feel clumsy or overbuilt. Instead, it feels purposeful. Like a piece of industrial equipment that's had just enough of the rough edges rounded off to make for a compelling design.

The weight also means that it really, really wants to stay anchored to my desk, even under panicked gaming conditions. My usual keyboard, a custom Glorious GMMK 3 with a brass plate in the bottom, is pretty good at staying where it is during a fast-paced FPS session. But the Keychron? I'm pretty sure it's pinning my entire setup down at this point.

Does it sound much different to a regular keeb? No, not really. But the switch feel is so good, and the keyboard so stable, I don't really mind. The included Gateron Double-Rail magnetic switches come pre-lubed and have an actuation range of 0.2-3.8 mm, with a starting force of 40 g.

I'm aware those numbers mean little on paper, but trust me, you want a set of these. The resistance is perfect, with a delicious weight that ups my typing accuracy considerably—and they're still ultra-quick for gaming, too. This keyboard and switch combo also supports dynamic rapid trigger, last key priority, and adjustable actuation points, all of which can be tweaked to your heart's content.

In practice, I care little for such things. I care about how it feels underneath my fingers, and these switches, in combination with the excellent keycaps and overall weight, make for a keyboard that I'm convinced is nothing short of magnificent.

There is one thing holding me back from switching it in as my permanent daily driver, though, and you're probably going to think it's silly. But I really don't like the colour.

Concrete is not the most aesthetic of materials when it comes to colour tone, and while Keychron has gone to the effort of making the PBT keycaps match the frame, the whole thing ends up being a shade of grey I don't particularly enjoy.

Plus, my setup is all black and red, and the K2 HE looks... well, out of place when it's all put together. It's also got some pretty tame RGB lighting, and simply isn't a match for my other models in the looks department. Ashamed as I am to admit it, I'm enough of a neurotic human being for that to bother me. Or really shallow, you pick.

Sitting here now, staring at the keeb in front of me, I might be able to get past it. Time will tell, I suppose.

But if you're a fan of the shade, I'd say you should definitely consider a K2 HE Concrete Edition for yourself. Even the $200 price tag is pretty bearable, given the quality of what you end up receiving and the fact that some other high-end gaming keyboards can be priced into the stratosphere.

Can those models be used as boat anchors in a pinch? I think not. Now, if Keychron would spray one down in black paint (and boost the RGB), I think I'd be truly happy. Yes, I'm picky when it comes to gaming hardware. In this job, are you really that surprised?

In February, we reviewed the impeccable Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike and called it the 'biggest gaming mouse innovation in a decade'. That's a pretty big win for Logitech, and though the Logitech G512 X doesn't feel like as much of a revolution for its market, it does feel like it could be just as important. That's for a multitude of reasons.

The first is its 'Dual Swap' functionality. This means that 39 of its switch beds can be swapped between analogue and mechanical switches, thanks to the tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors lying beneath. This means you can trade some switches for better precision, custom actuation, and rapid trigger, and leave other keys as mechanical for that classic typing feel and feedback. It also gives you a broader range of switches to use, which is a good thing in my book.

If you have found the perfect mechanical switch in your current keyboard, this new switch bed technology means you can pop your old switches in, and still get the sweet, sweet benefits of analogue in keys that benefit the most from it. The biggest benefit of Dual Swap to me is not the ability to add analogue switches to an otherwise mechanical keyboard, but instead mechanical switches to an otherwise analogue one.

In practice, I found the perfect setup for me was to pop analogue switches on WASD, and maybe the space bar, and use mechanical ones for the rest.

This is a bit of magic to me. The caps and switches come out easily, and they're even hot swappable, so you don't need to unplug the keyboard before you can start using the keys again. The keyboard has a small 'scan' button at the top left, which not only registers which switches you're using but highlights them with RGB so you can remember them.

The G512 X comes with nine analogue switches in the box/keyboard: Gateron's KS-20. One thing worth noting is that the likes of the Wooting 80HE have all analogue switches, so you can get more for less/equal money (though they're Hall effect rather than TMR). Personally, though, I never really found a need to use all 39 Dual Swap switch beds in the G512 X, even if I had more switches available.

The G512 X includes a handful of SAPP (second actuation pressure point) rings, which are small rubber rings that sit underneath the keycap, offering resistance as you hit 2 mm actuation. This is designed for multipoint actuation, so you can set the likes of the W key to both walk and sprint, with walk at 0.1 mm to 2 mm and sprint at 2 mm and above. It's a relatively niche feature, but noticeable in practice. The SAPP rings bring me to the next part of what makes the G512 X feel special: its storage.

I had a chance to chat with Logitech in its London office just before getting my hands on the board, and I was told its design is an homage to Logitech's Swiss roots. After getting some time with it, I can say that statement feels true. It's just very smartly packed together, clean, and efficient.

At the top of the keyboard is a small storage space for nine switches. Then, underneath that is space for five SAPP rings. The feet of the keyboard double as switch and key pullers, and not one inch of it looks out of place. I have been testing the 98-key black and purple model, and I can say the Evangelion fan in me is very happy.

Speaking of looks, the G512 X has a light bar down the bottom of the keyboard, and each key is individually lit. The light bar consists of 33 different lights, making it super customizable in Logitech's software. It's a lovely look, and one of the dials on the top right is automatically set to control RGB, making it easy to tone down when you want a little less visual oomph.

It's actually important that the keyboard's RGB looks pretty and stands out, as it's almost necessary on much of Logitech's gear. The keys are hard to make out, especially in darker rooms, without it. Luckily, I see no reason to go without here.

Logitech tells me that the G512 X completes an aesthetic ecosystem in the G5 range. That includes the G522 gaming headset and the G502 X Plus gaming mouse. The mouse is missing the purple, but it does have a pretty RGB streak down the centre, and the G522 gaming headset's purple band and lit-up side certainly fit the aesthetic. They do look pretty together, though I'm happy for my gear not to match if it looks appealing by itself. The G522's microphone is certainly standout, but the G512 X is the obvious standout here in both quality and look.

I've also managed to get my grubby mitts on the G512 X palm rest, which costs $45 for the 98-key model. The palm rest doesn't click into place as many do and instead sits just below the light bar. Made from acrylic, the light bar shines through it, and as much as it might pain me to say about a $45 palm rest, I get the vision.

It further accentuates the lights from the keyboard and feels comfortable under the palm, even though it can technically move about as you play. The benefit of it being acrylic is that it's easy to wash, too, should you find yourself mucking up your palm rests (wouldn't be me). I think I'd struggle to justify this cost if I'd just bought the keyboard myself, but it does contribute to the look and feel.

Speaking of feel, the G512 X is comfortable to type on. The switches are slightly muted, and the double-shot keycaps are smooth to press. The lighting certainly helps when I've lost my position on the keyboard, and I don't have any complaints in this regard. Broadly, I'd say it gets nothing wrong in regard to typing feel, sitting around the middle of the pile relative to other keyboards I've tried.

For gaming, though, the G512 X is a bit of a beast. TMR switches make for a super-precise feel, and all of the software customisation only adds to it. Rapid trigger means I can press quicker than a traditional keyboard, and per-key actuation means hitting the most important keys even quicker.

In Counter-Strike 2, I found it easy to stop walking as soon as I let go, which naturally helps with aim, and getting across the keyboard to my grenades and other weapons feels easy to do. The keyboard is well-sized for gaming, and the keys feel distinct. The hybrid switch bed design is used in most of the keys you would use with your left hand, plus the arrow keys, with the rest of the keyboard being standard mechanical. I never found myself wishing others were Dual Swap compatible, so I'd say Logitech has done a good job picking the most important ones.

I've also been testing out the keyboard in plenty of single-player games like Tides of Tomorrow and Crisol: Theater of Idols, and I've found myself playing for hours with little fatigue. It's a snappy keyboard that truly shines in competitive games, but doesn't hold back in comfort either.

As far as build quality is concerned, I'm not concerned. It's not as weighty and firm as some Wooting / Cherry keyboards I've had time with, but it's certainly not weak. It feels well-balanced for my desk, with it being easy to move on purpose, but hard to move by accident.

If you feel like you will struggle to remember which keys have Dual Swap, you can just look under the switches. Dual Swap keys have purple in the base underneath them, and plain 'ol mechanical keys are black underneath. Either way, both types of switch beds have a max polling rate of 8,000 Hz.

This is not the first TMR keyboard I've tried, but it is the first Logitech TMR keyboard. And I can say the G512 X offers a much more appealing package than the likes of the Cherry Xtrfy MX 8.2 Pro TMR TKL and Cherry K5 Pro TMR Compact. It looks more appealing, feels better to type on, and for what it offers, it is better priced, too.

The only thing missing is a wireless variant, but I wouldn't recommend using a wireless keyboard and 8,000 Hz polling at the same time, because the latter uses a lot more power than, say, 1 kHz polling. Given that a keyboard spends most of its time in the same position on your desk, you probably don't want to be dealing with charging it on a regular basis anyway.

There's an argument to be made for the smaller 75-key G512 X being wireless, though, so you can pop it in a backpack and bring it outside with you. It would be a tad brave of you to bring a $200 keyboard in your backpack, but I can certainly see why one might want it wireless.

Logitech's own G Hub software is necessary to swap actuation, get updates, and set the keyboard to 8,000 Hz polling, and I can say it has gotten much better over the last few years. Back in 2024, I moved away from Logitech almost entirely, and that's partly down to how much of a problem I would run into with G Hub. Now, it works pretty much as intended, and the G512 X is easy to customise as a result. Each light on the light bar can be configured, giving you access to patterns, and it's all rather neat.

'Neat' is a good way of describing the G512 X overall. It has plenty of features that I might not use day-to-day, but it allows a level of customisation that feels incredibly rare for major gaming keyboard brands. It makes me feel like a bit of a tinkerer, yet it's much easier to use than anything custom. And, it's offering all those extra features without a price hike either.

Competitive-level TMR gaming keyboards are already fetching the G512 X's price point, without including all of the great design, plus it has a striking light bar and sweet aesthetic. If the G512 X were in my budget, I can't think of another keyboard that would take its spot.

Are we all here? Excellent. I've gathered the keyboard nerd community today to show you The Listening Museum, a website that allows you to select from 36 different typing devices and switches, and, err, type on them. Well, you get to type in a box, anyway. But it plays the sounds of each keeb/switch in real time.

See, that was worth getting out of bed for, wasn't it? The first keyboard on the list is the truly iconic IBM Model M, as is right and proper (via Techspot). After that comes a whole host of different keebs and switches, which may prove very useful if you're looking to try out something new in the near future.

It's not just traditional mechanical computer keyboards and switches that are represented, though, as there's also the odd typewriter on the list. I'm a particular fan of the IBM Selectric-era typewriter. Yes, that's the sound of Mad Men-era advertising executives writing bizarre copy, and I'm totally here for it. You can almost smell the cigarette smoke and cheap whiskey.

Each sound gets an onomatopoeic description, too. For the "vintage typewriter" model, it is as follows:

"Steel typebar slaps a rubber platen through an inked ribbon, inside a steel resonant frame, every strike is a mini-hammer hitting a drum. Carriage return ding is an actual bell. The sound is not comparable to any modern switch."

Gosh, it's almost poetry. It's unclear if said description was actually typed on each example, but I'm imagining so as it's more fun. Imagine typing this on an HHKB Pro Hybrid with Topre switches, for example:

"Capacitive sensing means no physical switch contact, the conical rubber dome absorbs almost all high-frequency energy before the POM slider bottoms on the dome collar, so what you hear is a low, damped thump.

"PBT domed keycaps + dense chassis reinforce that bass signature. No clicky leaf, no metal-on-metal: pure low-mid thock."

Yes, you keyboard enthusiasts can be quite intense—and having tested quite a few for this very website, I'd like to count myself among you. Where is the clubhouse, exactly? I was sent to an abandoned warehouse in the middle of Birmingham, and I'm pretty sure the man on the door didn't appreciate my use of the word "creamy". Oh well.

As well as announcing a new object of my affections with the Framework 13 Pro laptop, the eponymous company has done something altogether more unexpected: it's unveiled a new wireless keyboard. A wireless keyboard with a built-in trackpad, specifically for living room or sim rig use.

Not something I had on my 2026 bingo card at all, but I am absolutely here for it. It came out of the Framework Desktop PC testing and using one particular keyboard/touchpad combo that was popular, but one that wasn't particularly well-liked.

"We knew we could do better, so we did!" So says a blog post shared with us about Framework's new Touchpad Keyboard preview.

The new board basically takes the same keyboard and touchpad architecture that the company built into its recent, small-scale Framework 12 laptops. Which does mean there's none of the fancy haptics from the new Framework 13 Pro touchpads, but it does mean you're getting decent chiclet-style low-profile keys with 1.5 mm travel.

The touchpad itself is a clickable Windows Precision Touchpad, which means you'll get access to all the multi-digit gestures your heart desires from either Windows or Linux operating systems.

It reminds me a little of the Kinesis Form, another wireless keyboard with a built-in trackpad, though that one's a little fiddly to use because of how narrow the pad is.

Anyway, for you nostalgia sickos out there, you'll be happy to see Framework's gone for a translucent rear cover for the board. So you can see the internal structure and relive those Game Boy Advance days.

But the keyboard itself isn't the end of the story, because as well as releasing the CAD files so you can create your own mounts for jamming the board into a sim rig setup, Framework is also going to be selling the heart of it via its Marketplace site. The Control Board, which features the Nordic nRF54 radio chip, enables Bluetooth connectivity, alongside a USB Type-A dongle and wired Type-C connection, and you can use that to build your very own wireless keyboard, or stick it into another frame you prefer.

We don't have any firm timings in terms of when the new keeb is going to be released, with Framework just saying that it will be "available later this year".

Keyboard manufacturer Keychron has recently taken to its public GitHub to post the source files for its K, L, P, Q, and V series keyboards, as well as its gaming mice. This means, with a little technical know-how, you can customise its products to your heart's content.

As spotted by Digital Foundry, Keychron has been updating its GitHub repository over the last two days, refining and contributing more files, suggesting this will be a long-term project for the manufacturer.

It's also not just a file dump. The GitHub has a step-by-step guide, linking out how to open files in CAD software, teaching users how to remix or modify designs, and even points them towards the Keychron community Discord, where fans can ask questions or show off builds.

With these files, you can find the exact Keychron keyboard you own, then build new cases, plates, keycaps, stabilizers, and all kinds of extra components for it. It's a handy addition to buying a Keychron keyboard that, in the right hands, will get a little more out of each purchase. If you somehow break a part or just get tired of the aesthetics, you can customise it without having to create and implement your own designs from scratch.

In response to a developer asking about the commercial use of products made from the source code, Keychron updated the page to make it clear that anyone who makes accessories from these designs can freely sell them. However, modifying and selling full keyboards or mice is not permitted, according to its licenses.

One notable exclusion here are PCBs. There are no specific files present to create your own so, so you will still have to get those directly from Keychron or source your own. Theoretically, though, you can 3D print most of a Keychron keyboard now, should you choose to.

It's a great move from Keychron, and one that should allow buyers to make their keyboards truly their own. It's also just a neat step from a repairability standpoint, and will be particularly handy at some point in the future, should the keyboard become discontinued. We've seen efforts from the likes of Logitech to make its gear more repairable, so here's hoping more manufacturers follow suit.

I'm not one for snap judgments, but when this keyboard first crossed my desk, I couldn't help but wrinkle my nose. My initial ire centred on the plastic construction and the pricing. To be fair to this 65% gaming keyboard, it's a sturdy bit of kit with minimal flex that also offers TMR switches. That magnetic tech's level of precision goes some way to justifying the $185/£140 price tag, but I wasn't sure if it went quite far enough.

To state my own biases, the Cherry XTRFY K5 Pro TMR Compact couldn't be more different from the mechanical keyboard that I actually use every day, the Be Quiet Light Mount. Beginning with the obvious, the K5 Pro TMR is far smaller and far from quiet. The Cherry MK Crystal magnetic switches actuate cleanly and offer plenty of key clack—unfortunately, that comes with a pretty THUNK-y space bar that I do not care for.

Add to that the fact that its orange stripe design and plastic construction pales in comparison to the Light Mount's brushed aluminium top plate, and you can see why I was so cool on it to begin with.

Mind you, Cherry isn't calling this 'compact' for nothing. As a 65% design, there's no numpad, dedicated macro keys, or pleasingly tactile media controls to speak of. Credit where credit is due, that allows the layout to feel far from cramped. The direction keys are shuffled inwards towards Enter and Control, with the left arrow key jutting out, but Delete, Page Up, and Page Down are given a few millimetres of breathing room to visually balance the design.

So far, so far from explosive, but it's this 'compact' design that began to persuade me I'd been a bit quick to judge. As I've previously written about, I have small hands that can make some handheld gaming PCs and peripherals fatiguing to use. As such, I tend to play shooters with a game pad even on PC—that's right, whenever I'm hiding in a bush in Arc Raiders, I am cowering on controller (specifically, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C wireless controller in lilac).

The reason for this is that I tend to find it a bit uncomfortable to either stretch for the shift key on a full-size board or find I have to awkwardly concertina my pinky under my palm in order to run and gun on a smaller form factor keyboard. It turns out the Cherry XTRFY K5 Pro TMR Compact offers the perfectly spaced key layout for a weird baby-handed freak like me, allowing my pinky to relax more often than not as I elegantly kneeslide into a bush.

Unlike my daily driver keyboard, the Be Quiet Light Mount, the K5 Pro TMR Compact also offers a ton of gaming-geared features. For starters, TMR key switches offer a greater degree of precision and responsiveness than even the similarly magnetic tech found in Hall effect switches. On a wireless keyboard, they would be even more welcome as they're more power efficient too—however, a wired connection is the only way to play with the K5 Pro TMR Compact.

Mind you, for someone who'd rather skulk about the shadows of Stella Montis than go ham across Marathon's Tau Ceti IV, TMR switches don't present not a step up in responsiveness that I can readily appreciate; those with competitive esports ambitions will likely get the most out of the TMR switches here.

Cherry's Magcrate software also offers an impressive suite of customisation options. There, you can fiddle with everything from the lighting (I'm particularly fond of the 'color block' lighting profile as the ARGB reminds me of a fresh box of crayons), to key switch behaviour.

Thanks to the TMR switches, Magcrate includes customisable key actuation that can be set between 3.2 mm and 0.1 mm for all 68 keys. You can also tinker with a number of the usual gaming suspects, though they all have slightly different names to what you might expect. For instance, rapid trigger is referred to as 'Toggle Switch' here.

There's also SnapKey, allowing you to bind two keys so that, when both are pressed, only the last input registers. This is Cherry's take on Snap Tap/SOCD, the tech that's perhaps best known for enabling especially wiggly counter-strafing, and has been banned from Counter-Strike 2 since 2024.

As useful as the feature is, it's best to leave it off in competitive play, as you'll run the risk of a banhammer timeout in a number of games. Thankfully, you can store up to four onboard keyboard profiles, so you can easily set up something for both competitive play and singleplayer games.

The Cherry XTRFY K5 Pro TMR Compact also enjoys a surprisingly granular selection of polling modes. Tapping out at 8,000 Hz, you can alternatively set the keyboard's polling rate to 4,000, 2000, 1000, 500, 250, and all the way down to 125 Hz. As this is a wired keyboard with no battery power to savour, I'm not sure why you'd want to lower the polling rate below 1,000 Hertz, let alone down to 125, but the option is there for the sickos.

Optional quirks like this aside, the K5 Pro TMR Compact remains a feature-rich and comfortable keyboard—though the point of price has not once left my mind. At this point in time, $185/£140 feels like a lot for even a gaming keyboard…especially when I can secure a wireless keyboard that looks like a purple cat that is also a macaron for some reason for almost half that price (I've been dreaming about the Yunzii C98 Cake Meow ever since I first saw it, can you tell?).

But before I get too distracted with kitty keebs, let's compare and contrast the Compact to its recently released sibling, the Cherry Xtrfy MX 8.2 Pro TMR TKL. Both boards have TMR sensing with 0.01 mm precision, up to 8,000 Hz polling, and all the gaming-focused features you could want. However, the MX 8.2 Pro TMR TKL is a wireless keyboard with great build quality and 300 hours of battery life that will set you back $250/€230.

The tenkeyless board may appear the wrong side of gaudy for some, but it's definitely way more visually striking than the K5 Pro TMR Compact's understated black and orange look. Still, if you're only after the gaming features and a wireless board doesn't impress you much, the K5 Pro TMR Compact, for about $70 less, makes way more sense of the two.

But for even less than that, you could instead pick up the Keychron K2 HE, which is a 75% wireless keyboard with similarly responsive magnetic switches and, perhaps most importantly, a head-turning wood finish. I'm being only a little bit silly, but it is one of our top picks for the best gaming keyboards for good reason.

However, if you're on an extremely tight budget, the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 is our best budget pick at only $40/£31. Before this review, it was my go-to whenever I was in-office at PC Gamer Towers because the typing experience is lovely, and it packs in many of the same gaming features as the Cherry XTRFY K5 Pro TMR Compact. To be clear, the NS68 is rocking Hall effect switches, which are arguably slightly less responsive than the Compact's TMR switches, though very few will feel the difference.

Otherwise, it's really tough to argue with an up to 8,000 Hz polling rate, customisable key actuation, Rapid Trigger, and yes, Snap Tap, all for less than 50 bucks. For that reason, the K5 Pro TMR Compact's $185/£140 price tag continues to be a stumbling block I'm not sure our blossoming relationship can quite overcome. But speaking of blossoming, I spy some foliage with my name on it—here's to one more buttery smooth kneeslide for the road.

I have too many keycaps. I also own too many watches. I'm a real keycap/watch guy. So picture my surprise when the Miyo Watch Keycap came up on my feed last night.

It's a keycap with an analogue watch built into it. Specifically, a Miyota 5Y20 quartz movement with a dual-tone Super-LimuNova (glow-in-the-dark) dial and hands. Over the top, sapphire glass with an anti-reflecting coating. To the right, a small crown. All of which fits into a tiny 1U keycap—that's equivalent to a single letter key on your keyboard.

I'm definitely late to the game here, as the Miyo went on sale over at Sneakbox back in October, 2025. That was a limited release of only 150 units, split three-ways between steel, black and rose gold. There are still rose gold ones available but I am being very chill about it.

It's probably for the best. The Miyo Watch Keycap costs $300/£227, and despite being a watch guy, I prefer my watches to cost roughly as much as a decent Casio—that is, not very much. Though I was tempted by the dopamine rush that would surely ensue after purchasing an extremely unnecessary object for my keyboard.

In a post on Reddit last year, Muji, the keycap's creator and owner of Sneakbox, notes how well received the project has been: "I knew there was a lot of curiosity about this project from the last post, but I didn't anticipate the amount of folk that would actually intend to buy one! Seriously, it's humbling to see this degree of interest being a business-of-one who designs, produces and sells his own stuff. Thank you."

Muji also notes this keycap is not waterproof but they'd like to work on a waterproof version, perhaps with a diver-style bezel, at a later date.

If you're annoyed about missing this creation and looking for another keycap hit, I've bought a couple from Jelly Key. Most of its designs are limited drops and require signing up in a short time period, but I've always been impressed with the quality of what I've received.

I have a couple koi/fish pond ones, a legally-distinct Mario-style one, and an arcade cabinet one. I'm usually tempted to buy more, and I fear for my sanity after considering purchasing this keycap in the shape of a soft, plump pillow, but after a while you run out of keyboards to put them on. At least with watches you can wear at least five or six on one wrist and look totally normal.

The Keychron K2 HE is one of our top picks for a gaming keyboard today. It has a lot going for it, with Hall effect switches, PBT keycaps, and wireless connectivity—all for a good price. It's currently cheaper still.

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is now on and I've spotted the Keychron amongst the barrage of discounts. It's currently on sale for $112.

That's the lowest this keyboard has been during its time on Amazon. It's not an unusual price for this keyboard, however, as it has been discounted as much over short periods in the past couple months. So, I'd guess if you're not prepared to purchase it now, you may get another chance at a later date.

The main selling point for this keyboard, at least for gamers, is its Hall effect switches. These are adjustable, unlike regular mechanical switches, and allow you to not only adjust when they actuate, but how they actuate.

Rapid trigger is the main benefit. This allows you to press a key and then, the moment it is released even a little, reset the key ready to be pressed again. If you're pressing a key over and over again, it means your actions will be relayed that little bit faster in-game.