Vortexgear, which is more commonly referred to simply as Vortex, has a close collaboration with iKBC when it comes to their product line and this year at Computex was no different. Indeed, it was evident that Vortex were joining in the fray of making 2018 the year of wireless mechanical keyboards now that RGB is a done deal, with every single new product having that option.

We began our look at the Vortex section of the giant Mistel/iKBC/Vortex booth with the new members to their popular Poker series of keyboards- a 60% form factor keyboard that offered onboard layers and programmability at a time when this was just a dream for even keyboard enthusiasts. The Poker IV is scheduled to work with their new software driver, thus finally allowing end users the freedom to customize layers and keys to a larger and easier extent than before. The two-tone keycap color scheme we saw with their recent keyboards carries over here, as does a thick plastic case to hit a wallet-friendly price point. On the back is a toggle for the power alongside a battery tray for two AAA batteries. New this year to the Poker series is also the so-called Poker Vol. 2 that trades in for a thick metal case and a split space bar. Images for the new Poker keyboards are seen below, and there is more to go after the break.Nearly an year ago, we took a detailed look at the Vortex Race 3, a 75% form factor keyboard that offered a lot of functionality in a small package. At Computex 2018, Vortex showed off the new Race Hybrid keyboard that takes the Race 3 as a foundation and adds Bluetooth support to it. A more subtle color scheme is seen here, with an all black case and keycap set and we also see the legends are printed on the front of the keycaps rather than the top for a cleaner look. As with their other new keyboards, the Race 3 has an ON/OFF toggle at the back next to a compartment tray for two AAA batteries that can be user replaced easily.Rounding off the Vortex space at the booth was their largest keyboard to date- a ~95% form factor keyboard that squeezes in a 104-key unit into a single bank of keys as seen in the images below. The goal here is to allow discrete keys as best as possible while still keeping the keyboard to a small footprint for ergonomic purposes. A side benefit of this is Vortex gets to offer something different from the rest of the market in general, something true for all their products to date. To make the VT105 Hybrid more appealing to the masses, Vortex has added in RGB lighting which peeks out of the front printed legends on the PBT doubleshot keycaps. This makes for less of a light show, and looks great in person. Oh, and this gets the same Bluetooth treatment we saw before so all the keyboards shown here can be used wired or wirelessly as desired.