Closer Examination

At first glance, and even a second or a third, there is not much to differentiate the Das Keyboard 6 Professional from the Keyboard 4 Professional released a few years ago. This is a full-size keyboard in the US ANSI language and layout combination and the keyboard also comes in UK/DE/NO versions to appease the Europeans here. All versions employ the same black color scheme, and the new keyboard loses out on the red accents employed on its predecessors, for further minimalism. Das Keyboard has always prided itself on adding a large, quiet volume wheel and the same continues here on the top right corner as we see one jutting past the bezels with a thick aluminium cover that also gets a shiny chamfered edge to catch the light and your eyes. Rotate for volume control and press down for mute/unmute. Next to this are the expected indicator LEDs as well as a dedicated system sleep and backlighting brightness button, in addition to play/pause and skip media. There is no button to go back a file, however, so that's one thing the Keyboard 4 Professional offered in lieu of backlighting control. The bezels are average in size and the aluminium frame gets a smooth finish to go well with the rest of the keyboard itself. We see a clean font used on the keycaps with secondary legends placed underneath the primary ones. Overall this is a keyboard you can use in a shared work environment without judgment—unless you get the clicky blue switch version, of course!


Turning the keyboard around provides a closer look at the ABS plastic case, as well as the metal badge with laser engraved certification info on it in addition to company and product codes if that giant logo above was not enough, but I do appreciate minimal branding in use on the other side. There are four small circular rubber pads at the corners to help raise the keyboard and add friction against your desk. Note also the threaded holes at the top where the provided accessories can be screwed in place to add a second, optional elevation step to the keyboard. It's not the most elegant solution, but you do get an extra 6 mm of height with these feet that also have a rubberized bottom surface.


A non-detachable, extra-long (two meters) cable is present to help navigate a crowded office desk, and the cable terminates in a male Type-C USB—or Type-A with provided adapter—connector. The keyboard itself will work just fine on a USB 2.0 port; however, there is a built-in USB 3.2 Gen 1 SuperSpeed hub right by the keyboard's media controls providing two additional Type-C ports which will only work if you use a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (or better) source—nothing that should be an issue in 2022. Note that you will only get the faster USB data speed transfers out of the two ports in the hub, as the total power provided will be still be split up by the keyboard and the two ports. It should still suffice for a mouse and a USB drive, for example.

The paragraph above was taken from the equivalent section of my Das Keyboard 4 Professional review from 2017, and updated slightly to account for the minor changes done (USB Type-C instead of Type-A). I wanted to make a note about how there hasn't been much changed here either including the non-detachable cable in 2022! I do have an issue with this, since a detachable cable helps not only for longevity in case the stock cable has any issues, but also helps with transportation, prevents potential "tug" accidents to the keyboard, and also provides users with means for customization should they want to go for a shorter and/or coiled cable.


A look from the side shows the built-in elevation of the keyboard, which I would classify as low-to-medium profile, with or without the added feet. You don't need a palm rest but it can still benefit those who do not touch type. There is no keycap puller provided here so I used my own to remove a few for closer examination. Das Keyboard claims the use of doubleshot-injected ABS plastic for the keycaps although these are clearly laser-etched ABS to me. I emailed the company for clarification and was told this "was a change made in the final stages of production and was still contained in marketing materials at launch," which is quite amateurish and can mislead potential customers. Das Keyboard also mentioned it is in the process of updating everything to reflect this, but the bottom line is the keycaps are made of thin ABS that will develop a shine from finger oils simply from being typed upon, and the legends themselves will fade over time too, unlike if they were actually doubleshot injected. There is backlighting support here with both primary and secondary legends backlit, although the ones above will have the LEDs directly underneath on this north-facing PCB.


There are two Cherry MX mechanical switch options on this keyboard in the form of the MX Brown and Blue, to cover two different feedback mechanisms. These are once again the exact same switches available on the Keyboard 4 Professional from years ago down to the use of the older molds and the non-RGB variants with the surface-mounted LEDs above the switches. The switches are also soldered in place, so you best be sure which switch you prefer. The larger keycaps use plate-mounted stabilizers that are not lubed and come off mushy and unsatisfying in use paired with the thin ABS keycaps. I can't believe nothing has been updated here in the many years since as these are all things you want to be improved upon to even be in the discussion for a decent keyboard in 2022, let alone a premium/flagship one. No hot-swappable switches, no PBT keycap options, only two old Cherry switches to choose from, and cheap stabilizers. Come on Das, you can do much better than this!