HyperX at COMPUTEX 2019 announced they've developed new, in-house mechanical switches they'll start employing on their products. HyperX says these are rated for up to 80 million clicks, and that they're brighter than the competition's offerings due to their DIP design. The switches feature a 1.8 mm actuation point, and a short 3.8 mm travel.

Thermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Cooling, Gaming Gear and Enthusiast Memory solutions, made its debut with the Level 20 RGB Gaming Keyboard Series earlier this year and is now hitting the market again with the Razer Green Mechanical Switch. The Razer Green Mechanical Switch features a tactile bump and distinctive click sound along with optimized actuation and resets point, designed for those who want to feel and hear every key press. The Level 20 RGB Razer Green Gaming Keyboard is now ready to order on the TT Premium Online Shop.

Constructed with a premium aluminum top plate and floating keycap design, the Level 20 RGB Razer Green Gaming Keyboard delivers 16.8 million of true RGB color illumination across both front-side and 3-side RGB zones, providing a massive 13 dynamic lighting effects (front-side) and 14 dynamic lighting effects (side-face) of color for a truly personalized RGB experience. It is compatible with all Thermaltake TT RGB PLUS power supply, liquid cooling, case fan and LED strip product lines, enabling enthusiasts to sync all RGB colors seamlessly to all Thermaltake compatible product lines for even greater color coordination. In addition, the Level 20 RGB Gaming Keyboard comes with an exclusively designed smartphone/tablet app that features a host of unique functions which include: AI Voice control for access to light functions and essential macros, a patented designed Virtual Game Controller (VGC) mode for a truly unique and astounding mobile gaming experience, and a handy virtual keyboard function for everyday word processing tasks.

Cooler Master, a global leader in designing and manufacturing innovative gaming peripherals and computer components, today launched its first Bluetooth wireless mechanical keyboard, the SK621. "We created the SK621 with design and functionality in mind. Especially for those who are on the go, workers by day and gamers at night." says Bryant Nguyen, Peripheral General Manager.

The SK621 is a 65-key compact design Bluetooth wireless mechanical keyboard with all the essentials. It uses Cherry MX's new low profile switches providing a reduced travel distance and actuation point with the same signature durability and precision as a standard red switch. The wireless hybrid design allows users to choose between a corded or cordless set up based on preference. The keyboard grants approximately 14 hours of usage while backlit or up to four months without lighting. The board is equipped with Type-C USB for convenience, per-key backlighting, surrounding light bars, and macros can be fully customized through Cooler Masters easy to use Portal Software Application. On-the-fly-controls allow real-time adjustments to lighting and macros without the need of software, including Windows Lock On/Off to prevent accidental actuation during game play. Its chiclet keycaps are slim and slightly contoured to provide a comfortable feel. The SK621 will be available on Amazon starting May 7, 2019, respectively, for $119.99. For more information, please visit the product page.

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.

The Input Club Keystone Mechanical Keyboard is an unparalleled leap forward in typing and gaming technology. The Keystone combines two new keyboard features - High Definition Analog Control and per-key fast Hall Effect (magnetic) sensing - for supreme performance. Our magnetic switch technology enables near-infinite customization, billion-press durability (20x the industry standard), and analog control benefits for everyone. Full firmware programmability and RGB lighting round out its features. This project is the future of mechanical keyboards; join our waitlist to have the future of keyboards at your fingertips.

The Keystone brings novel features together to continue pushing keyboard invention further - with its SILO Hall Effect and High Definition Analog Switches. These are both keyboard switch technologies that have been produced in the past, separately, but this implementation takes them to the next level. With Hall Effect switches, instead of relying on a bending piece of metal for actuation, your keyboard tracks the movement of a magnet. This allows you to change when and where the keyboard receives the signal, while also providing a billion press switch lifespan that simply cannot be competed with.

Cooler Master, a global leader in designing and manufacturing innovative gaming peripherals and computer components, announces it's the addition of its two new tenkeyless (TKL) mechanical keyboards, the MK730 and CK530. "As a mainstream company to pioneer one of the first tenkeyless form factor keyboards, it was a no brainer to offer our two best-selling keyboards in TKL form." says Bryant Nguyen, Peripheral General Manager.,"

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.

Mad Catz Global Limited, leading gaming hardware innovators for nearly 30 years, announced an all-new line of S.T.R.I.K.E. professional gaming keyboards, including a S.T.R.I.K.E. with ultra-reliable mechanical keys, ideal for the Esports community. Expected to begin shipping from Spring 2019, the S.T.R.I.K.E. range is a perfect addition to the Company's recently announced range of G.L.I.D.E. gaming surfaces and R.A.T. mice., forming part of a complete PC eco-system. With two S.T.R.I.K.E. keyboards to choose from, gamers can pick the keyboard that suits their preference and budget.

Armed with Cherry mechanical switches, the S.T.R.I.K.E.4+ is the gamers' new secret weapon. Tested to withstand at least 50 million hits, the Cherry switches provide perfect travel and precision every time. With anti-ghosting featuring on every key, gamers can combine with the powerful F.L.U.X. software, which allows for staggering customization and control over every aspect of the keyboard including individual key lighting and control over the USB report rate. Chameleon RGB Lighting baths the keyboard in 16.8 million colors, fully adjustable and customizable via the F.L.U.X. software and creating a new standard in keyboard lighting.

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.

While visiting Patriot, we also took a moment to examine their latest PC gaming peripherals which included the absurd yet genuinely excellent RGB rollout mouse pad. Available in two sizes (350 x 260 x 3 mm and 900 x 420 x 3 mm) it is made of a polyester and natural rubber with a PCBA and optical fiber material for those sweet RGB LED effects. Speaking of the RGB effects, it offers two zones via software allowing for customization of color and brightness along with flash and breathing modes. Using a button switch will manually allow for seven color options and auto breathing. Overall it was a unique offering that grabbed our attention. Regardless of if you love or hate the RGB fad on some products here it just feels fitting oddly enough.

Players expect higher performing hardware to get the most out of their systems -- whether they're competitive eSports players, PC gaming enthusiasts, or those interested in massive multiplayer experiences or looking to play their favorite single-player titles at the highest settings. Based on feedback from the gaming community, performance is the number one thing they value most. To fulfill gamers' needs, Lenovo is turning user feedback into product ideas. And to ensure our products continue to meet and exceed users' evolving needs, we continually fine tune and improve our innovations. As a result, the latest Lenovo Legion gaming line-up is more powerful than ever -- with a new range of high-performance PCs and an entire family of re-designed gaming accessories and monitors.

Spire late Monday introduced Ergo, a wacky new gaming-grade mechanical keyboard that's the world's first TKL (tenkeyless) to feature a custom ergonomic key layout that reduces strain during prolonged typing sessions. The keyboard smartly splits the QWERTY keyset into two halves that are angled, and places certain vital keys along the gap in the middle. The spacebar, too, is split to fall right under your thumbs. Spire has taken the creative liberty to move quite a few important keys around from where you'd expect them, so there could be a short learning curve to get using this keyboard right. The keyboard offers RGB LED illuminated keycaps, backed by an unknown flavor of Cherry MX mechanical switches. Available now, the Spire Ergo is priced at USD $99.95 (excluding taxes), an optional wrist-rest ships for $30 more.

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.

Razer has introduced a more subdued version of their now RGB-infused mechanical keyoards. Christened the BlackWidow Lite, the new mechanical keyboard from Razer uses the same, latest iteration of the company's mechanical design, but partakes with RGB LEDs (there's simple white here for typists who want to do so in the dark) that might distract your eyes or otherwise increase strain.

The BlackWidow Lite is a tenkeyless affair with Orange switches and O-rings, which further decrease mechanical keyboards' characteristic clicks, so as to guarantee the most distraction-free typing experience whilst keeping up with the perfect feedback of mechanical keyboards. There's support for some usually gaming-focused features such as 10KRO (ten key roll-over), anti-ghosting, and programmable on-the-fly macro recording. The USB cable is also braided and detachable so it is portable. The BlackWidow Lite is now available for £99.99; comes with a 2-year warranty; and there are some accessories available in the form of an ergonomic padded rest (£19.99) and a travel bag (£29.99).

Das Keyboard today announced the launch of the 4Q mechanical keyboard, the first Cherry MX-based keyboard in the company's Q-series family of smart, cloud-connected keyboards that empower users to increase productivity by changing the color of its keys from information coming from the Internet.

The new gold standard for mechanical keyboards, the Das Keyboard 4Q takes the company's flagship mechanical keyboard-the Das Keyboard 4 Professional-to the next level by adding in the Q technology and RGB lighting. Concurrent with the 4Q launch is the introduction of Das Keyboard's Q marketplace for applets, a place where users can share and download free and open source Q applets.

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.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the new Razer Huntsman premium gaming keyboard line. The duo includes a full-feature Razer Huntsman Elite keyboard with dedicated media keys, wrist rest and underglow lighting, and a performance-focused Razer Huntsman keyboard. Both units are equipped with Razer's latest Opto-Mechanical Switches with key actuation at the speed of light.

RAZER OPTO-MECHANICAL SWITCH
Razer's new Opto-Mechanical Switch showcases the gaming brand's continued innovation in gaming switches. Using optical technology, an infrared light beam inside each switch precisely detects actuation when a key is pressed. A 1.5 mm actuation point allows the Razer Opto-Mechanical Switch to actuate 30 percent faster than traditional clicky mechanical switches.

Cooler Master is gearing up for launch of two extra mechanical keyboards, packing Gateron switches (rated for 50 million clicks) instead of the more market-wide Cherry MX ones. The Gateron switches will also be available in Blue, Red and Brown varieties, and are similar in behavior to the Cherry MX ones (blue for tactile-clicky, brown for tactile-silent, and red for a linear switch).

These will still feature some extra gaming features, such as on-the-fly macros and the ubiquitous RGB lighting with a bazillion modes (and the keys have a translucent base for improved lighting). The CK550 features a brushed aluminum casing in gunmetal gray, and is available worldwide starting today from €89. The CK552 is a US/Canada exclusive, features a black brushed aluminum casing, and will be available from $79.99 only at Best buy and Staples.

iKBC shared a booth space with Mistel, and decided that this year was the year of the wireless mechanical keyboard. In doing so, they showed off the Bluetooth version of their budget-friendly CD108 full-size keyboard. The new CD108 BT has PBT plastic keycaps, a battery tray for two AAA batteries on the back, cable management for the removable USB Type-C cable for when you want to go wired, dipswitches for onboard functionality controls and a choice of genuine Cherry MX switches to choose from. Releasing later this year, the iKBC CD108 BT looks to be one of the only options for a wireless full-size mechanical keyboard coming up.

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech dedicated to creating high performance gaming gear, today announced the Logitech G512 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and a new mechanical gaming switch option, GX Blue. The Logitech G512 is a high-performance mechanical gaming keyboard built on the award-winning design of the G413 and G513. The keyboard offers three different key switch choices - Tactile, Linear and the new GX Blue. The introduction of the GX Blue key switch, which will also be available on the Logitech G513 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, further expands our lineup of mechanical key switches available on our industry leading keyboards.

"We're excited to bring more choice to gamers," said Ujesh Desai, vice president and general manager of Logitech Gaming. "With three different mechanical switch choices now on our Logitech G512 and G513 keyboards, gamers can pick the switch profile and experience they want."

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced that its multi-award winning Razer Mechanical Switches will be coming to third-party keyboard makers later this year. Created from the ground up for gaming, Razer Mechanical Switches are renowned for their speed and accuracy. They are designed to last 60 percent longer than standard mechanical switches and are today trusted by millions of gamers and esports athletes worldwide. Previously available exclusively on the best-selling Razer BlackWidow series of keyboards, the switches will make their debut later this year on keyboards manufactured by select partners. More partners are expected to join the program by the end of the year.

"Many keyboards on the market today claim to be made for gamers, but all of them use switches design for anything but gaming," said Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. "Our switches, on the other hand, are designed specifically for gaming. We're pumped that more partners are validating the advantage they offer and look forward to extending these benefits to even more gamers."

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.

Input Club, a computer hardware startup, is launching its new flagship mechanical keyboard -- Kira. Kira's condensed full-size layout, artistic RGB lighting and bespoke mechanical switches mark a step forward for typists around the world. Its Kickstarter campaignwent live on March 27, 2018.

Kira - a compact, full-size mechanical keyboard built without compromise.
Kira follows in the footsteps of the WhiteFox, a runaway success that generated $400,000 on Kickstarter. Coverage from Kotaku, The Verge, Tom's Hardware and many other publications propelled the WhiteFox into the media spotlight. Input Club's campaign was a grassroots effort from several enthusiast websites.

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech, today announced two new additions to their family of high-performance gaming gear. The Logitech G560 PC Gaming Speaker is the first dedicated gaming speaker system with advanced Logitech G LIGHTSYNC, a technology that synchronizes both light and sounds to gameplay. Joining the speaker is the new Logitech G513 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. The Logitech G513 also features LIGHTSYNC RGB, provides the choice of two Romer-G mechanical key switches and a premium palm rest for a comfortable experience. Logitech G continues to expand its range of high-performance gear that is purpose-built for the needs of gamers, and push innovation in RGB to new immersive levels.

"Our goal with these two products was to complement our G502, the world's best selling gaming mouse," said Ujesh Desai, vice president and general manager of Logitech Gaming. "With LIGHTSYNC technology we are able to add real intelligence to what RGB lighting can do - synchronizing audio and RGB lighting to on-screen gameplay. If you already own a G502, then the new G513 keyboard and G560 speakers with LIGHTSYNC are the perfect way to complete your desktop, and create a totally immersive solution."