Oh how things change once the cost value enters the picture! Before it had, the 1STPLAYER Bullet Hunter MK6 was a decent-at-best mechanical keyboard that offered a nice set of features, but with compromises in more ways than one. The hot-swappable switches are hinted at almost immediately during the unboxing stage, and the inclusion of the spare switches and switch puller confirms it. This alone makes the keyboard attractive to enthusiasts willing to verify switch contact compatibility and buy switches that are compatible with the CIY design. The better-than-average stock keycaps will also be a plus point for this crowd valuing longevity and a base to build upon for their modding adventures.

The more mainstream end user will see the included RGB backlighting and software driver, as well as the dedicated media buttons, which are all features so-called gaming keyboards used to market themselves until recently, when analog controls and specialized switches came into play to warrant that moniker further. Had the price point been bad, the compromises would have added up quickly, though. That software driver, combined with the weak localization for English on anything 1STPLAYER has online (including their website), could easily alienate the brand to those who would rather dismiss a relatively unknown Asian brand than trust it.

In some cases, a product costing $55 with this feature set can cause people to be all the more cautious as to what the catch is. I suppose in this case, we already know that the software driver is in sore need of improvement and color fidelity for static lighting is on the weaker side of average. Firmware and driver updates are also not necessarily guaranteed, especially for a company without a unified software driver and little history in the field, so expecting things to get better is risky. There are arguably better keyboards at $10–$15 more from similar smaller brands, but that is still ~20% higher in pricing. At $55, I feel the overall package from the 1STPLAYER Bullet Hunter MK6 to be more than good enough for it to be recommended to those valuing great value for their money.