Lighting and Performance

The Drop ALT supports N-key rollover USB, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. It is actually set to 6KRO by default. Switching is done via a custom firmware, or a toggle switch as available. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys, and as per usual for mechanical keyboards today, the R. Win key is replaced by an Fn key. This too can be changed via the online configurator or other means of QMK firmware customization. Of course, the R. Ctrl key could have also been replaced by Fn given how we only have two keys to the right of the space bar compared to the usual bottom-row configuration.

When first connected, the keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave effect that is quite impressive to look at in combination with the side lighting. The 38 LEDs help a lot, and the thicker diffuser adds to this by allowing for a far more uniform lighting effect than most other such implementations.


Seen above are a few other photos of the keyboard lit up from the top and along the side, wherein the discrete LEDs are more apparent. There are plenty of onboard effects to choose from using simple controls even before the per-key lighting available with the configurator. Light bleed is certainly a thing, so be aware of this if you have a lot of contrasting colors next to each other. Color fidelity is clearly better than on the Drop CTRL when it comes to representing white, which makes me suspect there was a potential bug at play there. The onboard controls also allow for just backlighting, side lighting, or both in addition to some basic effect-specific settings, including brightness, direction, and speed.


Speaking of which, here are the two pre-programmed layers on the Drop ALT keyboard, including the base layer, marked 0, which follows the keycap legends as the keyboard ships out of the box. These are as expected for a 65% keyboard in the US ANSI layout, knowing we have 67 keys here, and it is layer 1 with the Fn toggle where you find other handy functions for lighting control, volume, and media playback, as well as a couple of debug/NRKO toggles. Layer 1 also has other "missing" functions, including the logically seen Fn keys on the number key row. There is plenty of room to add more functions, and each layer can be treated as a profile of sorts, too. Missing are means to automatically active the layers with programs, alongside the big omission in the Drop configurator of macro recording and execution. QMK does get around this, but for the sake of the review, I have to primarily focus on the first-party offering. This is otherwise a fairly standard wired keyboard for functionality, and the spare Type-C port is a neat feature that allows for a mouse to be plugged in, for example; USB source permitting, of course.



The key mapping options in the Drop online configurator allow users to go with layouts other than QWERTY, and here, I used the source code from an older keyboard review in a layout tester (courtesy of Patrick Gillespie). The results above indicate that QWERTY is not even close to the most efficient layout for me, and very likely you as well. If you are willing, try out Colemak or Dvorak as they will result in lower finger travel and fatigue overall. As such, the software drivers offer a significant functional tool if you are willing to devote some time to adopting either Colemak or Dvorak. Here is the link to the full results if you are interested, including a detailed analysis on key presses and distances moved.


The Drop ALT comes with several switch options, including from Kailh and Cherry MX. This sample uses one of two available Halo switch options, the Halo True now manufactured by Kailh for Drop. This is a tactile 3-pin mechanical switch that was designed to provide a typing experience similar to Topre keyboards. What that ultimately results in is a smoother force-travel curve with an early tactile bump at ~0.5 mm travel and ~60 gf force, with actuation slightly below at ~54 gf and ~1.9 mm travel, meaning it is a lot smoother than most such switches, including the Akko CS Blue we saw before. Things then get progressive with the spring providing more consistent resistance all the way to a total travel of 4.0 mm and a whopping ~100 gf peak force. This makes it quite easy to touch type as well. Generally, the Halo True is a medium-heavy tactile switch. Typing on the Drop ALT with the Halo True will be divisive if you are expecting a Topre experience; while I understand the intent here, it doesn't come off as well in practice. The biggest difference is the pre-travel from 0 to 0.5 mm feeling far bumpier on the way to the big bump itself, but there is also no Topre dome collapse, if you will, past the actuation point. Note that this is not to say the Halo True feels better or worse than the Topre switch, just that it did not really come off feeling like one, which was to be expected given the mechanical design constraints. I personally think it's quite fine, and the lubed stem helps keep it smooth, but there are several other tactile switches I would rather use myself, particularly if their tactile feedback and actuation coincide.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the Drop ALT sample at ~85 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Halo True RGB mechanical switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile switches. The slimmer nature of the case helps avoid reverberations, and the lubed stabilizers and thicker PBT keycaps combination also results in a bassier response than usual. The main source of noise ends up being the switch bottoming out on the metal plate, which is quite easy to handle on these Halo True switches. I'd go so far as to say that this combination is one of the better-sounding keyboard experiences even today, certainly among pre-built options.