Closer Examination

As we saw before, the MSI Vigor GK60 keyboard comes in a plastic wrap to keep it pristine and free of dust out of the box. Removing it, we get our first good look at the keyboard, and it is on the lighter side of average for full-size keyboards. A lot of this has to do with the relatively small footprint as a result of no extra keys on top of the standard 104 for the US ANSI layout. Bezels are also small with cut corners and the beveled edge at the bottom. The color scheme is predominantly black, with a silver finish to the metal frame and shiny metal keycaps on the WASD keys out of the box. The MSI dragon is by the indicator LEDs in the top-right corner, and this is the only visible branding on the keyboard when in use, at least until you see the menu keycap with the same dragon logo as the legend instead. There is also a subtle cutout in the middle that goes through the length from top to bottom, which allows cables for other peripherals to be neatly routed under the keyboard itself.

The numpad has secondary legends below the primary ones, with the alphanumeric section choosing to do the same with the modifier keys, but alongside the primary legends on the number row. This, combined with single legends being in the top-center, is indicative of where the backlighting will be more uniform, and those at the bottom may not end up as bright as those at the top. There are also some front-facing legends on specific keycaps, which correspond to the keyboard-specific functions. The legend typeface is not the best, however, especially on the Numpad where the arrows look more like MSI re-used the mold for 1 instead.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker, but situated lower than usual and with an MSI logo underneath. There are five large rubber pads at the bottom, including one to effectively support the space bar key, which keep the keyboard from sliding around on the desk. MSI calls this their "exclusive gaming base" meant to mitigate any slipping of the keyboard, although practically, it just provides another point of support. Two feet at the top open up sideways to optionally elevate the keyboard, and these feet also have rubber pads to ensure they don't scratch easily. We can also better see the cutout in the center for better cable management with other peripherals.


At the front, the keyboard has a non-removable cable coming out of the middle, which is on the thinner side of average with no braiding on top. It is also slightly longer than usual at 2 m instead of 1.8 m and terminates in a gold-plated male USB Type-A connector. The cable thus requires an available USB port on your PC (or USB hub), and USB 2.0 will suffice for data and power alike. The plating will help mitigate oxidation-related contact issues in the long run.


The keycaps have an OEM profile, and the various rows are sculpted accordingly. They have a floating design which allows for easier cleaning, but causes more light bleed, which may or may not be to your liking. The included plastic ring-style keycap puller works fine, but can scratch the sides of keycaps, and the stock keycaps are worse than average, using thin ABS plastic and laser etched legends that will show signs of wear and tear sooner rather than later. This is the area I do wish MSI had spent more on since some of their more established mainstream competitors have better keycap sets available by default or optionally. Backlighting works well enough, especially for the legends on the keycap tops, although the front-printed legends are visible as well. For those wanting to take the route for customization and/or durability, aftermarket keycap compatibility is high.


The MSI Vigor GK60 only uses linear Cherry MX Red switches, which are the older, non-RGB design. This means the switches only have a black opaque top housing and backlighting in the form of an exposed LED above each switch. The larger keycaps use Cherry stabilizers, which makes those keycaps easier to remove and install, but at the expense of a slightly mushy and unsatisfying feeling when depressed normally. The "gaming base" does help provide a base of support for the space bar, but does nothing more to improve the typing feel.


The WASD keycaps have a plastic and metal finish. The plastic is towards the bottom and helps with lighting support since the metal top is opaque. They are also sculpted differently to the rest of the keycaps on the rows they are on and have a line jutting out in the direction of their keycap placement, which helps in quickly identifying them when gaming, so you won't have to look down. For regular use, MSI provides a set of regular replacement keycaps, which blend in perfectly with the rest of the keyboard.