Functional, effective, and durable - new, illuminated mechanical gaming keyboards from Genesis have all these features. Closed in aluminium cases, the low-profile Thor 380, 400, and 401 RGB models differ in their switches. Gamers can pick the ones according to their needs. The Genesis Thor 380 RGB is a mechanical keyboard with Outemu Blue switches. They feature distinct feedback, an audible click sound and a detectable stroke. The Genesis Thor 400 RGB equipped with Kailh RED switches is intended for those gamers who prefer linear switches. Those who are looking for a keyboard with good feedback without audible clicking sounds should think about the Thor 401 RB with Kailh Brown switches. The activation force for this model is around 45 g.

All of these keyboards have aluminium cases and depressed keys with low profile. The prints are made with "Double Injection" technology, so that the symbols will withstand the test of time. What's more, the N-key rollover mechanism effortlessly handles situations when the user pushes all buttons at once. RGB Illumination completes the set. Users can select from one of 13 light modes, including the PRISMO effect, a signature feature of the manufacturer.

Well, introduces to yours truly at least! The Zergotech Freedom has officially been out since April 2020, but anything before March this year might as well be a parallel universe. The Sydney-based company has thus been also seeing a hard time getting the word out on their take on the ergonomic, split mechanical keyboard design. Developed in collaboration with another Sydney-based design company, Boost Design, the Zergotech Freedom has since won the Red Dot product design award and, as of the time of this post, the Australian Good Design award. These design awards specifically call out the two features that interested me as well, in the form of the patented sliding palm rests that ensure your palms are always supported when needed only, and the semi-orthogonal key layout that should theoretically lower the learning curve when going from a more-traditional staggered column setup to the parallel columnar setup usually employed in such keyboards.

The Zergotech Freedom otherwise ticks off just about every feature I expect to see from a split ergonomic keyboard in 2020, including the option of different tactile, clicky, and linear feedback mechanical switches from Kailh, multi-OS compatibility with a programmable interface to customize key mapping on the different layers of the keyboard, tilting and tenting of the keyboard halves for ergonomics, as well as the ability to go with blank keycaps out of the box if desired. What is different here, apart from those palm rests aforementioned, is the inclusion of O-rings to make the keyboard quieter, as well as the provision of a 75% keyboard for discrete key functionality. This means that the learning curve will be even lower, although the foot print occupied by the keyboard is higher than contemporary offerings. The Zergotech Freedom retails from $339 US, the pricing being another thing in common with other such keyboards, and one that I want to get my hands on to see if the pricing is justified.

MSI, leader in true gaming hardware, is proud to announce the VIGOR GK50 ELITE series Gaming Keyboard, CLUTCH GM08 Gaming Mouse and VIGOR WR01 Wrist Rest to provide more choices for mainstream gamers with a determination to win and a refined gaming design. Strikingly Sleek for Gaming - GK50 ELITE releases with two types of mechanical switches, Kailh Box white and Kailh blue. Both switches are clicky, meaning they have both a tactile and audible click when pressing. The box white switch offers better stability, a crisper typing experience, better durability at 80 million actuations and IP56 water- and dust resistance.

ZSA Technology Labs, the makers of the excellent ErgoDox EZ Shine and the Planck EZ today introduced their latest ergonomic keyboard titled The Moonlander Mark 1. The company claims this is a result of over three years of R&D, incorporating feedback from customers and the general keyboard community as a whole on what they wanted from the ErgoDox EZ and other such split, ergonomic keyboards. The Moonlander Mark 1 boasts features including a thumb cluster that can be positioned to better suit your hand size/shape, tilting and tenting of the two keyboard halves for better ergonomics, a wrist rest (on each half) that automatically angles with tilting/tenting, hot-swappable switches with Cherry MX and Kailh BOX switches to choose from out of the box, and enhanced portability with the ability to fold the wrist rest (wing) and just plug in the left half via Type-C connectivity to use as a game/macro-pad.

The Moonlander Mark 1 continues the design scheme of the ErgoDox EZ and Planck EZ in having columnar keys, is available in black or white colors, and with ten switch options at checkout. Fully open source firmware is available here as well, for both programming the keys and layers of functions and also the RGB LEDs for backlighting of every single key. There is a first-party configurator available as well, with Windows, macOS, and Linus support without any special drivers needed. The keyboard also has status LEDs on board and, as the name is befitting here, uses audio buzzers to beep out status feedback if desired. The wings and thumb clusters are optional, and come in the package that also includes a carry case. Going for a significant $365 from the dedicated product page (shipping included), the company also offers a no-questions-asked 2-year warranty to help sweeten the deal.

Kailh introduced their newest lineup of mechanical keyboard switches at Computex 2018 in the form of the Sun switch. The aim of this lineup was to retain the Cherry MX keycap compatibility with the same stem design, but allow for centralized lighting akin to what Omron did with their light pillars in the Logitech Romer-G and Creative PRES switches. This meant designing new molds for the various switch parts, and also finding a wider spring that together all still work into providing a tactile and clicky switch with a 1.8 mm actuation depth, total travel distance of 3.5 mm, an actuation force of 50 gf and tactile force of 60 gf.

It found little interest, however, with only Hexgears choosing to adopt it to date in their GK760 keyboard. In a move to drum up more business, Kailh have already updated the Sun switch to allow for a clear stem with walls surrounding the stem to help add some dust and spill resistance, with the clear housing now allowing more light to pass through. The rest of the switch is identical, as seen below in samples we received recently (old switch at the left/top of the new switch), although now there is little scope left for a more diffused backlighting experience. Time will tell how the changes work out, and yours truly would have rather seen the older design in use.More pictures follow.

ZSA Technology Labs, Inc. is the company behind the Ergodox EZ keyboard that we had taken a look at in great detail, and appreciated a lot. It was a retail take on the open source Ergodox keyboard concept which, until then, was available as a kit or pre-assembled by artisans in low numbers, and was not a mass-market product. One could argue the Ergodox EZ is still not a mainstream keyboard, but it certainly made things much more accessible via options to choose from for a pre-assembled keyboard, as well as a powerful, GUI-based configurator for those wanting easier firmware access and control.

In that same vein, the parent company has now introduced the Planck EZ which, as the name suggests, is based on the 47-key Planck keyboard design. Designed in conjunction with Jack Humbert, the creator of the Planck, the Planck EZ aims to be a simple, complete, portable, mechanical keyboard built with layers and ergonomics in mind. The Planck EZ goes a bit further with adding in not only multiple switch options, but also backlighting and a buzzer that can also be controlled to play 8-bit tunes from the keyboard- definitely a first in my books! The Planck EZ is up for pre-order now beginning at $180, with an estimated shipping date in June 2019.

Hexgears is, in their own words, "a global gaming brand with influences from the USA, Germany, and China". We briefly covered them before thanks to their first adoption of the new Kailh Sun switches, and at CES 2019 they had a booth on the showfloor for this very keyboard and other products. The GK760 from Hexgears is still the only keyboard announced to use those new Sun switches, which effectively allows for a central backlighting similar to Omron switches, while still retaining Cherry MX keycap compatibility. The GK760 is a full-size keyboard with 104 keys and ABS plastic keycaps, which also appear to be low in profile even though the actual switches are not necessarily so. There is an entire column of programmable G-keys (macro keys), as well as a dedicated volume scroll wheel and a thick plushy wrist rest. Read past the break to know more about the products they showed off at CES.

Dongguan City Kaihua Electronics Co., Ltd, more familiarly known for the Kailh brand, had their own booth at CES in the design and source section far away from the rest of the consumer-centric show floor. Indeed, this section was more for brands to get B2B relations onboard but that did not stop us from visiting the switch maker that is now responsible for providing switches to more brands than any other today. Kailh had not one, but four new switches under the so-called China style moniker. These are limited edition switches that presumably were made with certain specific customers in mind already, possibly to specific requests to be used with limited edition keyboards as well. The China style BOX switches include the linear Chinese Red switch rated at 45 gf actuation, the tactile and clicky Noble Yellow rated at 65 gf actuation, a lighter weight tactile and clicky Glazed Green switch at 50 gf, and a much heavier linear Ancient Gray switch at all of 95 gf actuation. All four switches have interesting names in common, along with a rated 1.8 mm actuation distance and 80 million keystroke lifetime.

We first saw the new SUN switches from Kailh back at Computex this year, featuring centralized and bright lighting incorporated in mechanical switches that also offered a lower-than-average actuation and travel distance. At the 2018 Electronica tradefair in Munich, Kailh showed off the first retail keyboard to make use of these switches in the form of the Hexgears GK760.

Hexgears is a Chinese startup company in collaboration with Andrew Lekashman of Input Club fame, and already has an interesting keyboard in the form of the X-1 low profile wireless unit. The new GK760 is a full-size keyboard with 104 keys and ABS plastic keycaps, which also appear to be low in profile even though the actual switches are not necessarily so. This makes for a confusing choice, but we will hold judgement until we get our hands on one ourselves. There is an entire column of programmable G-keys (macro keys), as well as a dedicated volume scroll wheel and a thick plushy wrist rest to go along with a keyboard case with angles galore to provide an aesthetic different than the usual, while still looking clean and minimalist. We can also see what appear to be two USB passthrough ports, and secondary legends on the keycaps indicate lots of onboard control as well. No word yet on retail availability and pricing, and we look forward to seeing more of the keyboard and the new Kailh switches in action.

Patriot, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals, and flash storage solutions, has announced the release of their brand-new, Viper V765 Mechanical RGB Gaming Keyboard. Fully equipped with Kailh White Box DIP Switches and an impressive protection rating of IP56, for the ultimate protection from dust and water. Customize 103 programmable macro keys and RGB illumination settings through the included Viper software for an incomparable gaming experience! Built with an aircraft grade aluminum chassis and magnetically detachable palm rest, the Viper V765 offers ultra-durability and support without sacrificing performance.

The Viper V765 mechanical RGB gaming keyboard features the first ever, DIP Kailh White Box Switches, which are designed to provide a prominent clicky and tactile feel. Each key has been vigorously tested with over 80 million key presses to guarantee the highest durability and anti-ghosting for your intense gameplay. Viper Gaming's V765 aims to deliver superior performance to all gamers and tech enthusiast. Dive into your next RTS or FPS games and experience the change in maximized durability and 45% quicker response time.

HyperX , the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced that it is now shipping the HyperX Alloy FPS RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. The Alloy FPS RGB keyboard features Kailh Silver Speed mechanical key switches that offer shorter key travel time and less actuation force for faster gameplay. The full-size RGB keyboard features a solid steel alloy frame in a compact design that frees up table space for the mouse and mousepad.

HyperX is augmenting its line of Alloy FPS keyboards by now offering Kailh Silver Speed key switches on the Alloy FPS RGB. The Kailh Silver Speed key switches feature a light 40g actuation force and are rated for 70 million key presses. With exposed LED lights on the key switch housing and five brightness levels, the keyboard offers brighter and more radiant RGB lighting.

Computex 2018 was a busy event for everyone in the industry, and this included switch maker Kailhua Electronics Co., LTD who had a booth under their brand Kailh at the trade show. Shown here were their new SUN switches that feature centralized lighting to allow keyboard makers to not have to worry about keycap legends being stuck to the top for good backlighting and illumination. The SUN switches currently are a single version with a tactile bump and an operation force of 50 gf at an actuation distance of 1.8 mm and a total travel distance of 3.5 mm.More on the offerings at the Kailh booth after the break.

Sharkoon widens its range of low profile keyboards, and, with the PureWriter RGB and the PureWriter TKL RGB, introduces two versions with stepless adjustable RGB illumination. Both versions - with or without number block - benefit from additional function keys with preset multimedia actions. Following from the previous PureWriter models without RGB, Sharkoon is continuing with the mechanical switches from the Kailh manufacture. Both RGB Keyboards are available with either red or blue switches.

The Z10 keyboard was built with enthusiasts in mind. Built from the ground up, this mechanical keyboard is designed to give gamers, creators, and overclockers the tools they need to excel at any task. The EVGA Z10 keyboard brilliantly shines with fully-customizable RED LED Zone backlighting to enhance any experience, whether typing or hunting down that last enemy.

The LED backlighting can be configured in the EVGA Unleashed software, and instantly dimmed or brightened bia the LED brightness switch on the keyboard. A customizable LCD screen accomodates any needs for gaming, overclocking, or anything else you can think of! Choose to monitor your Precision XOC or ELEET X statistic, custom game timers and several other functions.

EVGA is on the prowl for its share of the gaming peripherals market, with the new Z10 mechanical gaming keyboard (model: 801-ZT-N101-KR). Built with a solid aluminium body with a metal top-panel, and ABS back, the keyboard is characterized by its tiny LCD display (a la Logitech G15), which can be used to display a whole range of information, including game OSD, live data from EVGA Precision, keyboard macro mapping on-the-fly, etc. In addition to a standard 104-keyset, the Z10 has 7 cleverly positioned macro keys, and media shortcut keys. The keyboard will be available with Kailh Red and Brown switches, the one on display had Brown ones.

Sharkoon expands the lineup within their SKILLER series and introduces another keyboard with mechanical switches from Kailh: The Sharkoon SKILLER MECH SGK3 is the big brother of the recently released SGK2, which came without a number block. The new SGK3 is just as robust and offers, in addition to a number block, customizable RGB illumination with up to 16.8 million colors for the keys plus a gaming software with included macro manager.

Typical for the SKILLER MECH, the SGK3 utilizes the proven switches from Kailh. As usual, customers have the choice between blue, brown and red switches. The blue switches are tactile and provide acoustic as well as detectable feedback. The brown switches are just as tactile, while also offering a detectable switching point but no acoustic feedback. For those desiring both an undetectable switching point and click point, the linear red switches are for you. All three offer the same operating force of 50 grams as well as a 1.9 mm distance to actuation point. The operation life cycle of the keys is at least 50 million keystrokes. Visually, the SKILLER MECH SGK3 wows with its customizable RGB illumination with up to 16.8 million colors.

Drevo, the peripherals and hardware company that started as an eBay store, has recently announced the Vrangr keyboard, a 2.4 GHz wireless, slim-profile mechanical keyboard. The Vrangr features a 96-key layout, with double-shot ABS caps and "custom" switches based on the Kailh Blue design. There's LED backlight to ensure you know which keys you're hitting in the dark, and the 1000 mAh battery should last just enough so as not to be frustrating.

The Drevo Vrangr measures 343 mm x 124 mm and is 21 mm tall, and features an aluminum body for durability and reduced mass (which sits at 540 g).
Expect the Drevo Vrangr to be available toward the end of the year, at slightly more than its already announced Bluetooth-infused brother, the Joyeuse, which will retail for $69.99.

Sharkoon expands their range of flat, mechanical keyboards and introduces with the PureWriter, a low-profile keyboard with number block and dedicated multimedia keys. Recently released was the Sharkoon PureWriter TKL, the little brother in 2-block layout. Like with the TKL version, Sharkoon again uses flat, mechanical switches from the company Kailh. The Sharkoon PureWriter, in a 3-block layout, is now available with either red or blue switches.

With the PureWriter, Sharkoon now presents a flat, mechanical keyboard for lovers of the number block. It also offers separate multimedia keys for volume control, play/pause or to simply launch the preferred media player. The PureWriter is large at 436 mm long and 127 mm wide, and again frameless, compact and flat. The aluminium alloy top cover improves the stability of the keyboard. Technically, the keyboard is equipped with n-key rollover, anti-ghosting keys and a polling rate of 1,000 Hz, making it state of the art.

Sharkoon expands their range of mechanical keyboards and introduces the PureWriter TKL, an innovative mechanical keyboard with low-profile switches from the micro-switch Asian specialist Kailh. These innovative, flat mechanical switches enable the compact and flat design of the Sharkoon PureWriter: TKL stands for tenkeyless - the keyboard comes without a number block. The PureWriter TKL is currently available with red and blue switches; brown switches will follow shortly.

With the PureWriter TKL, Sharkoon presents a purist keyboard for all occasions, which, in addition to its light and compact construction, stands out through its innovative mechanical switches in ultra-flat design. Thanks to the missing number block, the frameless keyboard measures a compact 355 mm in length, 127 mm wide and only 23 mm in height when the feet are folded-in, making it as flat as possible. It weighs only 503 grams. It also offers all the technical essentials with n-key rollover, anti-ghosting keys and a polling rate of 1,000 Hz. The PureWriter TKL Blue offers the usual characteristics of the same mechanical switches or rather an acoustic, tactile feedback with a detectable switching point. The distance to actuation point is only 1.5 mm and an operating force of 55 grams.

ErgoDox EZ is a startup company that sells a pre-assembled ErgoDox, two-piece ergonomic keyboard. Wetook a look at the "Shine" variant earlier this year, and were left impressed by it despite the high price tag. At the time, the only switch options came from Gateron since Cherry was not able to satisfy the needs of smaller companies and Kailh still had a question mark regarding quality control. Six months on, things have changed drastically to where they now offer switch options of only Cherry and Kailh including the (still rare) Cherry MX Silent Red and the new Kailh Speed switches- a direct response to the Cherry MX Speed (silver) but with their own unique take on them.

The new Kailh Speed switches come in four options named Copper, Silver, Gold and Thick Gold with shorter actuation distances as expected but now with the option of tactile and clicky switches as well. In fact, the Kailh Thick Gold also offers a clicky feedback on the downstroke as well as upstroke. You can get more information via Ergodox EZ themselves here. Pricing is the same irrespective of the switch chosen.

Patriot Memory announced its latest flagship gaming keyboard, the Viper V760 RGB. This full-size keyboard with a detachable soft-touch palm-rest features a standard 104-keyset with Kailh Brown mechanical switches, and 16.7 million-color RGB illumination. The keyboard's electronics offer N-key rollover and anti-ghosting. The included software lets you set macro functions and illumination color for each of the keys. The keyboard measures 510 mm x 200 mm x 72 mm, weighing about 1.6 kg. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Zalman today introduced the ZM-K900M White Edition mechanical gaming keyboard. Based on the same platform as the original ZM-K900M, this keyboard features Kailh Brown mechanical switches, compared to the Kailh Blue switches the original comes with; and a white-colored front bezel. Kailh Brown switches offer a soft and bumpy tactile feedback. The Zalman ZM-K900M White Edition also features RGB LED illumination with on-the-fly settings, an onboard memory to store macro maps, N-key rollover, and 1 ms response time. Backed by a 1-year warranty, the keyboard is priced at USD $99.99, although from its 24th March launch, it can be had on Newegg at a special price of $79.99, until stocks last.