Closer Examination

The Arbiter Studio Polar 65 is a 65% form factor keyboard in that it has roughly 65% the number of keys as a full-size keyboard that has 104 keys in the US ANSI layout. Here we have a total of 68 keys which is about standard for this form factor and gives you dedicated arrow keys as well as four others in the right-most column making this a more popular form factor than the 60% keyboards that were all the rage a few years ago. Interestingly, Arbiter Studio has gone for Tilde (~) in addition to Delete, Page Up, and Page Down for the four keys on the right so this might be relevant to anyone who wishes to bring up a console window for gaming or programming alike. The Polar 65 comes in nine different colorways to choose from and there is even a barebones version without keycaps. I have the "Black Panda" version here characterized with its black and white keycaps on a black anodized aluminium frame. It's quite clean looking and is arguably the safest of the nine options too, but that also means you have several bolder colors available should you so desire. There's no branding visible in use and bezels are smaller than average to make for a keyboard that doesn't take up much room on your desk. This allows for the mouse to be closer to the keyboard and more in line with your shoulders as well as shorter finger travel for keystrokes, all promoting a more ergonomic experience. The keycap legends are placed on the top center with secondary legends alongside the primary ones, although these particular ones are opaque so it does feel like they could have used more of the available surface. Still, in this specific colorway and with that typeface used, the Polar 65 feels apt for office use just as much as it does for gaming at home.


Turning the keyboard around, we see where the thick aluminium frame stops and the translucent polycarbonate case panel enters the picture with its subtle patterns. There are no bottom-firing LEDs so the translucency is not being used for any under-body lighting here. There is a large metal badge, as opposed to the usual plastic sticker, with the various certification info and branding purposes. The entire keyboard feels quite solid and the increased mass relative to the form factor can automatically lead to a feeling of you holding a premium keyboard in your hands. On the flip side, there are no keyboard feet at all so the built-in elevation is all you get. There are two long strips of rubber padding at the top and bottom to help add friction against the resting surface and prevent scratches to the case.


The Polar 65 only supports wired connectivity and there is an inset Type-C port on the left side facing away from the user. The provided cable fits in easily and we see there is enough room for aftermarket cables if you wish to jazz things up. The cable has a durable fabric sheath and matches the black and white color scheme of the keyboard, is the usual 6' in length, and goes to an available USB Type-A port on your PC where USB 3.0 (USB 3.2 Gen 1) is recommended for power and data alike.


A look from the side shows the built-in elevation of the keyboard, which I would classify as medium profile and can maybe benefit from a wrist rest if you are not used to touch typing with hands hovering over the keys at all times. The provided keycap puller helps remove some of the keycaps for a closer examination, without scratching their sides as with the plastic ring-style cheaper keycap pullers I usually see in the price range of this keyboard. Now we find out that Arbiter Studio is using the rarely seen KOP keycap profile which is pretty similar to the OEM profile but basically guarantees a slightly larger contact surface as well as where the keycap legends will be usually placed. The keycaps are made of thick PBT plastic (average wall thickness 1.35 mm) with doubleshot-injected legends on the top for durability and longevity alike. The keycaps are opaque and thus the LEDs present on the keyboard will be for accent lighting only.


The Polar 65 launched as a limited edition collaboration involving another gaming brand (Yuki Aim) to have a different set of keycaps and also a lighter actuation switch but the retail versions all have a single switch which is slightly heavier than the collab keyboard—arguably for the better as we shall see later. Removing some of the keycaps provides a better look at the so-called Fuji switches which use the Hall effect for actuation. This means the Fuji switch is a magnetic switch as opposed to typical mechanical switches and happens to be a linear feedback switch as a result. There are no other switch options at this time, in case this is a deal breaker for you. The switches are placed in a north-facing configuration which can have slightly reduced keycap compatibility in case you opt for the barebones version. The Polar 65 uses anodized aluminium plates and the stabilizers are claimed to be screw-in type. However, it is only the case for the space bar stabilizers with the others being plate-mounted. On the plus side, they are all well-lubed out of the box.


The switch remover tool is handy to remove the hot-swappable switches off the PCB where we see the use of the Hall effect-driven hot-swap socket. Given that Arbiter Studio seems to have a total of two such switches in its portfolio with one no longer available and the other not sold separately either, I doubt this will be seen as a useful feature compared to the likes of hot-swappable Cherry MX-style switch sockets. Removing a switch provides a closer look at the Fuji switch by itself, which is a 3-pin switch that has a clear top housing to aid with RGB lighting, an opaque white bottom housing, and a purple/lavender color cross-point stem. Also, we can see Gateron is the switch manufacturer which is good news given its reputation to produce excellent mechanical switches.


Here is a look at the Polar 65 with the replacement keycaps installed. Now you get more branding, a splash of dark blue, and more personality too.