Introduction

Marsback is a rather new company, the one behind that weird Zephyr mouse with an integrated fan we took a look at last year. Established in 2018, the company is young also with an average employee age of 26. They aim to bring to market gaming products which appeal to the younger audience as such, and currently sell the Zephyr mouse and a few accessories. It is now early 2021, and the company decided the time is right for their first keyboard. As with the Zephyr, the Marsback M1 keyboard launches through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, and the campaign is still running as we speak. In order to help get the word out, Marsback approached us about doing a review, so here we are!


As mentioned above, the Marsback M1 is currently in the crowdfunding stage. As of the time of writing, the campaign is already past its goal, and it is strange to see people committing to purchasing a keyboard from a brand-new company without any other keyboards in their portfolio. Perhaps it is marketing at work, but either way, I would be remiss if I did not have a detailed review in time to help you make an informed purchasing decision. There are several variants of the Marsback M1 as far as keycaps and switches go, but all share a common DNA in that see-through case. We will explore this and more in this review that begins with a look at the specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the Marsback M1 keyboard is fairly flashy, with a black cardboard box with a neon blue color scheme. On the front is the Marsback name in a huge recursive font as a backdrop to a render of the keyboard layout and the product name underneath. We see the color scheme continue on the back with specifications and marketing features, including for the three switch options.


The Marsback logo, again in the neon blue color, is seen on the sides, which is where we find out that the box employs a two-piece construction with the top that is simply lifted off. Greeting me was a thank you note likely included for Kickstarter backers as well, and a handwritten message about the keyboard inside being a functional prototype and not necessarily the final retail version. There is also a quick start guide that goes over the pre-programmed functions, which comes in quite handy when using the keyboard for the first few times.


Under the quick start guide is the keyboard inside a plastic wrap to keep it free of dust out of the box. The other accessories are underneath the keyboard, and we see foam pieces which support and protect the keyboard during transit.


The accessories include a more detailed user manual that also goes over the software drivers for the Marsback M1, in a similar color scheme to match the packaging. That having been said, we already know that the actual keyboard has nothing to do with this black and neon blue color scheme. There is also a plastic ring-style keycap puller, which I would like to see replaced with a metal wire-style puller to minimize any scratches to the sides of the keycaps. Lastly, we see a detached white keyboard cable with a male USB Type-A connector on one end and a male USB Type-C connector on the other, which points towards USB Type-C connectivity on the keyboard. The connectors are gold-plated for increased oxidation resistance.


[Update] Marsback has let me know that the final versions will be shipping with a switch remover as well as a metal wire keycap puller, which addresses those concerns with the prototype. In addition, seen above is an add-on leather wrist rest in two finishes that the company will make available for $20, or free for Kickstarter backers as a perk.