Despite having been used in keyboards longer than most of us reading this review have been alive for, Hall effect switches have never really caught on until recently. Mechanical switches almost went the same way until good marketing and an expired patent led to a massive bubble of different switches and custom keyboard designs. The last few years have seen some brands try and bring back Hall effect switches including Wooting, SteelSeries, Input Club etc. There are inherent advantages here including the lack of any moving parts in contact with each other as in mechanical switches. This means that magnetic Hall effect switches are unlikely to change their behavior over time and will also be easily smoother than, say, a Cherry MX Red switch. On the flip side, getting someone to make these switches and associated sensors can be hard given the market is tiny to begin with so the vicious cycle is hard to break out of. Having only linear feedback can be a deal breaker for some too, although the possibility of having a customizable actuation point can be intriguing. I think it's safe to say that Hall effect switches are now mature enough to where they can pretty much replace optical switches in offering a more reliable experience. This brings with it the possibility of also having analog control although that requires more investment in time and money to where only some brands have followed up in a meaningful manner. Asking the same from a brand new company might be a bit too much.

Arbiter Studio is effectively an unknown name that might as well be a start-up when it comes to the highly skeptical enthusiast keyboard community. As such, going for the gaming market is a logical move. RGB lighting is a must-have here and I do see the appeal of the smaller form factor targeting gamers. But at the same time, Arbiter Studio seems to want a piece of the more discerning keyboard market by going for features gamers rarely care about. The Polar 65 comes in several colorways, including two different frames, as well as a barebones kit. The thick aluminium composition, the dense silicone sheets, the pre-lubed switches and stabilizers, the screw-in stabilizers—at least for the space bar key—and the web-based customization alternative to a standalone app are all going to interest those who look for something cool to type on. Those customers are also more likely to spend $150 than typical gamers would who may not care as much about the fancier switches used here. The opaque keycaps also could hurt sales in that regard if you are wanting a bright and impressive light show too. The Polar 65 is ultimately a very good keyboard that needs to find its identity. I am sure the software features will get stronger over time given it is still in a beta stage at the moment and equivalent metal case/frame keyboards from others with Hall effect/optical switches tend to cost more too. There is definitely a market for the Polar 65 but perhaps not necessarily the one the brand is trying to market it to. I think they would be better served opening up the firmware, if possible, and reaching out to the enthusiast keyboard community instead.