This can be a implausible course for peripherals. Gaming keyboards have lengthy been extremely homogenized with angular, all-black instances and unavoidable vivid shine-through RGB. I usually discovered myself shopping for keyboards with sub-par efficiency purely as a result of I needed one thing handsome on my desk. That’s why I like the K2 HE’s design a lot. It signifies a shift in gaming peripherals, particularly performance-oriented ones, to extra various and classy designs.
I typically suppose it is necessary for merchandise to look good, not simply perform as marketed. A lot of what we personal in the present day could be handled as momentary and might really feel simple to throw away and not using a second thought. A thoughtfully designed product, whether or not it’s a keyboard, a pc case, a pen, or a lamp, can compel you to maintain it for longer, even care about sustaining it. Better of all, you’re feeling higher utilizing it. This has been doable for years with high-end, $500+ mechanical keyboards, however I’m glad to see it turn into extra democratized and accessible.
Software program Customization
The Corridor impact switches work extremely nicely and are deeply customizable utilizing Keychron’s browser-based Launcher software program. Identical to on the Q1 HE, every key’s inputs and actuation distance could be independently personalized, they usually may even be programmed to have a number of inputs at totally different distances.
The fast set off characteristic, which I really feel is among the largest attracts of Corridor impact switches, works completely. This setting permits for sooner key inputs by actively altering the actuation level of the change. A conventional mechanical keyboard change has one predetermined level the place it registers a keypress, and to register a second keypress, the change must be launched, return to above that time, after which be pressed down previous it once more. With fast set off enabled, a Corridor impact change solely has to maneuver again up a slight quantity, then it may be pressed down once more to register one other keypress. This enables for a lot sooner reactions when gaming and a few critical typists even report that they will write sooner with the setting enabled.
{Photograph}: Henri Robbins
Like each different Keychron keyboard, I’m a bit annoyed that it must be plugged in to edit the format utilizing Launcher, however that’s a needed sacrifice when constructing a keyboard on well-documented open supply software program like QMK.
The RGB is simple to regulate and has numerous settings starting from static colours and RGB coloration shifts to a “heat map” setting that regularly modifications the colour of a key primarily based on how usually it’s pressed. The wi-fi connectivity works flawlessly, however I discovered that urgent a key wouldn’t routinely reconnect the keyboard after it sat idle for some time. As an alternative, I had to make use of the slider on the aspect to change from wired again to wi-fi mode.
I don’t have any real points with the K2 HE. For the worth, it is a discount. It seems implausible, has a clear and deep typing sound, feels nice to sort on, and comes with a number of the greatest Corridor impact switches accessible in the present day. For $140, there isn’t one other keyboard that’s wherever close to as stable as this one.
