This is a fantastic direction for peripherals. Gaming keyboards have long been incredibly homogenized with angular all-black shells and bright, unavoidable RGB. I often found myself purchasing sub-performing keyboards simply because I wanted something pretty on my desk. That’s why I love the design of the K2 HE so much. It indicates a shift in gaming peripherals, especially performance-oriented ones, towards more diverse and stylish designs.
In general, I think it’s important for products to look good, not just work as advertised. Much of what we own today can be considered temporary and can be easy to throw away without a second thought. A carefully designed product, whether it’s a keyboard, a computer case, a pen, or a lamp, can force you to keep it longer, even worry about its maintenance. Best of all, you feel better wearing it. This has been possible for years with high-end mechanical keyboards, over $500, but I’m glad to see it becoming more democratized and accessible.
Software customization
The Hall Effect switches work incredibly well and are deeply customizable using Keychron’s browser. startup software. As with the Q1 HE, each key’s inputs and actuation distance can be customized independently, and can even be programmed to have multiple inputs at different distances.
The rapid trigger function, which I think is one of the biggest attractions of Hall effect switches, works perfectly. This configuration allows for faster key inputs by actively changing the actuation point of the switch. A traditional mechanical keyboard switch has a predetermined point where it registers a keypress, and to register a second keypress, you need to release the switch, move it back above that point, and then press it again. With rapid trigger enabled, a Hall effect switch only has to move back up a little, then can be pressed down again to register another keypress. This allows for much faster reactions when gaming and some serious typists even report that they can type faster with the setting enabled.
Photography: Henri Robbins
Like any other Keychron keyboard, I’m a little frustrated that it needs to be plugged in to edit the layout using Rocket launcherbut that’s a necessary sacrifice when building a keyboard in well-documented open source software like QMK.
The RGB is easy to adjust and has countless settings ranging from static colors and RGB color changes to a “heat map” setting that gradually changes the color of a key based on how often it is pressed. The wireless connectivity works perfectly, but I found that pressing a key didn’t automatically reconnect the keyboard after being idle for a while. Instead, I had to use the side slider to switch from wired mode to wireless mode.
I don’t have any real problems with the K2 HE. For the price, it’s a bargain. It looks fantastic, has a deep, clean typing sound, feels great to type, and comes with some of the best Hall effect switches available today. For $140, there is no other keyboard that is as solid as this one.