Lighting and Performance

The System76 Launch supports N-key rollover USB, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and seen above are all the functions with dedicated keys on the base layer. There are 84 keys in total here, with two space bar keys courtesy the split layout and the Menu key replaced by an Fn key as usually seen these days. We lose out on Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, and Insert functions on the base layer compared to a TKL keyboard but they can be easily assigned to another layer as seen on the previous page. Ultimately you get a 75% keyboard with all the functionality you would associate with this form factor even through there is room above the right arrow key to add in another 1u key.

When first connected on the default firmware, the System76 Launch lights up in the rainbow wave effect seen above. This is a dynamic lighting effect that goes through the 16.8 M colors and confirms the keycaps are indeed opaque, to make more accent lighting between and around the keycaps as opposed to through them. The keycap legends are inherently not backlit, although I suppose the light show does let the user know that the keyboard is powered on and recognized by the PC.


Seen above are some of the other available lighting effects accessible via onboard controls—especially if set by the configurator onto the firmware. There is support for full 16.8 M RGB per-key lighting for some static RGB modes, leading to me testing for light bleed - we see it's minimal here despite the floating keycaps, given the lighting is restricted around them and the matte chassis doesn't reflect much light. This isn't a keyboard for those who want a light show, especially as alternative options come with actual backlighting support, clear keycaps, and even a clear case for plenty of side and under lighting too. I then used the configurator to set all LEDs to white to test for color fidelity since RGB LEDs can struggle to put out a true white and require calibration on the hardware and software fronts from keyboard makers. System76 managed a highly respectable white here so props for this good color calibration done on the LEDs.



The key-assignment options in the System76 keyboard configurator allow for users to also go with layouts other than QWERTY, and 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 overall fatigue. 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 interested, including a detailed analysis on key presses and distances moved. The use of the flat XDA keycap profile makes switching between typing layouts easier than on most other keyboards too.


As for the actual typing experience, I mentioned before how the System76 Launch comes with four Kailh BOX switch options to choose from, and these cover all three feedback mechanisms between them—linear, tactile, clicky. Interestingly, however, the actual switches available are not your usual suspects in the form of the BOX Red, Brown, White etc and instead we get more esoteric switches in the form of the BOX Silent Pink, Silent Brown, Royal, and Jade. As such, you go from quiet switches to highly tactile and extremely clicky switches with nothing in between. It's a bold move that the hot-swappable switch feature does help tone down to an extent, but I do wish there was at least a basic BOX Red switch option. Either way, my sample came with the BOX Jades and these are medium-force tactile and clicky switches with a total travel of 3.6 mm as opposed to the usual 4.0 mm and a rated actuation distance of 1.8 +/-0.3 mm instead of the 2.0 mm for your average switch. The rated actuation force is typical for clicky switches at 50 +/-15 gf and peak force is just slightly higher at 60 gf, meaning you will very likely bottom out here once past the actuation/feedback point. As far as the rated specifications go, this switch is quite similar to the Cherry MX Blue, with shorter overall travel. Note also that the tactile bump is placed before the actuation point, so it is less accurate than, say, the BOX White for touch typists that has the tactile effect coinciding with switch actuation.


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 System76 Launch keyboard sample at ~95 WPM, as it comes out of the box with the Kailh BOX Jade switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with clicky switches. I did bottom out constantly, which isn't surprising for the reasons mentioned above. The lack of any foam dampening means there are two sound signatures—that of the click bar and then the switches bottoming out on the aluminium chassis. There are no reverberations of the pings in the case itself, given it's extremely low in profile without much free space as seen on page four. The BOX Jades are a delight for those who like clicky switches, and are certainly my favorite clicky switch. This particular combination can be aggressively noisy for a shared workspace though, and the stabilizers also don't feel/sound as well as I'd like them to, compared to the rest of the keyboard composition. I can only imagine how it would be if someone decides to use the open-source chassis design and modify it for a gasket mount with better stabilizers even if that results in a slightly taller keyboard.