Looking for a suitable contemporary alternative to my gaming keyboard from 2012.
Looking for a suitable contemporary alternative to my gaming keyboard from 2012.
I heard about that brand. I didn't realize it was considered one of the better ones, I thought it was a company trying to capitalize on the name or meme associated with the Glorious PC Master Race concept.
Keyboard prices have shifted significantly since the early DIY era. Apart from the GMMK Pro (which falls short), other options include the Akko Model 5108 and Keychron Q6 and V6 lines, which are also excellent. In my view, these represent the ideal starting point for custom keyboard projects beyond the generic "Epomaker Clones" – these are typically built with similar designs and sockets (often Outemu or proprietary), produced by various brands such as Royal Kludge, Gamakay, Redragon, etc. They’re suitable for beginners under $80, though they come with a tray mount and a 125Hz polling rate, making them suitable mainly for typing and basic noise control.
Yeah, I checked that one too and it's completely sold out.
I haven't come across those before; I searched them up and they seem to be focused on making keyboards inspired by anime, games, etc. I wasn't after a keyboard with random anime characters or designs on the keycaps and body.
That's what I was really after.
One thing that bothered me about Akko and Keychron keyboards is the presence of four extra buttons with PlayStation symbols instead of status LEDs for number, scroll, and caps lock. I guess these are programmable macro keys, but does that mean they lack status indicators for those lock functions?
Another issue... if I'm being honest, going DIY meant I was hoping for a Hall Effect or an optical keyboard, but all of these are mechanical. Keychron does have some optical models... but none of them are full-size. The optical options they offer go up to Tenkeyless, and then the next full-size model is all mechanical.
(Also, I prefer shine-through keycaps, and most of these DIY ones don’t have that, so I’d probably need to buy my own shine-through sets for things like Keychron)
I was considering the Reddragon K556 as a more affordable choice. It’s not easy to find up-to-date info about it either. Most reviews I’ve seen are from 2 to 3 years back, but it looks like the design has changed recently—hot-swap sockets now support 3 or 5 pin switches (which might mean compatibility with Cherry MX), and the hardwired cable is now USB-C. Still, it’s unclear from the product page whether these changes apply, so it could be a guess which version I’ll get.
Are there any optical or Hall Effect DIY alternatives available?
Unfamiliar with any Hall effect designs. If you're working on a tight budget, you're likely considering Cherry style switches. And because you'll probably be mounting them directly to a PCB, five-pin switches are perfectly suitable. Simply remove the two extra pins using a flush cutter—they're there to help with stability.
Are there any choices for optical DIY then if hall effect isn't available? Many of the models with hot-swappable switches still supported both 3 and 5 pin connections.
As it stands its Wooting or nothing at all. Their Gateron Hall Effect implementation is second to none in terms of consistency and depth. There are some community resources to hand wire a hall effect keyboard with said switch (I said switch but really its just a piece of magnet, the actual key registration is done on the board with its Hall Effect Sensor) but most samples I've seen are for 2-3 key keypads for Osu!, not full sized keyboard.
For full size, Wooting has Wooting Two HE.
Wooting two HE - Fullsize analog keyboard
The Wooting Two HE is an analog mechanical keyboard with <1ms input response. The magnetic Lekker switches are adjustable up to 0.1mm for finger brushing sensitivity.
wooting.io
Wooting's performs better than the Apex Pro's hall effect. They should maintain better inventory levels.
Remains a modest firm in the Netherlands, struggling to monitor each batch progress from their overseas collaborator. There are no "Ready Stock" Wooting, we must compete daily for manufacturing batches. And indeed, it offers a significant improvement over Apex Pro in terms of variable actuation and the Apex Pro still misses the multifunction keys available in Wooting, just like the Rapid Trigger Function. However, if you require their swift Rapid Trigger Function, Razer has adjusted it to function with their optical keyboard in the Razer Huntsman. View: https://youtu.be/c64yGHLO-TU?si=eMkZBlzhjAWFFOyt
This thread could be useful for you. I believe you are reviewing the information already, adjusting the keys as required because it’s built for that setup. Also, these are affordable spare parts at least: