6 hours ago
1
Many of the champion gaming keyboards I’ve reviewed successful caller years are tenkeyless – ones that lop disconnected the fig pad to prevention table abstraction that besides present precocious show and fancy features. But I inactive privation full-sized functionality connected my keyboard, which is wherefore I emotion the 96% layout wherever you inactive get each of the essentials with each of it crammed into a somewhat much compact committee with nary gaps betwixt keys oregon wasted space. They are tougher to find, however. And for that, I rode retired the archetypal Keychron K4 arsenic my main until I spilled a portion implicit it and destroyed its mechanical switches. It was a coagulated keyboard that had everything I wanted astatine the time, but present it’s been updated with Hall Effect magnetic switches, and the results are fantastic.
The Keychron K4 HE has been outfitted with Gateron double-rail magnetic Nebula switches and the framework has a somewhat antithetic trim, but it’s inactive the elemental and sleek keyboard I’ve ever loved. While it doesn’t person thing similar an OLED power surface connected the likes of a SteelSeries Apex Pro oregon Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75, I don’t caput due to the fact that sometimes it’s astir getting the basics right, and offering that astatine a tenable price.
Keychron K4 HE – Design and Features
I received the peculiar variation of the Keychron K4 HE that comes successful a pick achromatic colour strategy with wood atom on the broadside of the aluminum framework and a mates of golden keycaps for a pleasing accent. The OSA illustration double-shot PBT keycaps are bully to the interaction and person rounded edges for a softer wide look. There is RGB backlighting and a dedicated RGB cardinal astatine the top-right to rhythm done built-in RGB effects similar breathing, waves, ripples, wheel, oregon conscionable a azygous static color. But since the keycaps connected the peculiar variation don’t person transparent legends, it lone truly seeps done betwixt the keys (the modular variation does person transparent keycaps truthful I would urge going with that exemplary if it matters to you). It’s agleam capable to travel done vividly adjacent if it doesn’t airy up the cardinal lettering.
The 96% layout tickles a definite portion of my encephalon and I similar however neat everything looks contempt being crammed together. There’s nary wasted space, but that does mean I scope for the incorrect cardinal sometimes, similar hitting location cardinal alternatively of delete erstwhile working. Because it’s truncated successful the mode it is, you prevention a batch of deskspace without sacrificing the afloat suite of keys – side-by-side with my tenkeyless SteelSeries Apex Pro, there’s lone a one-inch quality successful width. The functionality I get backmost successful instrumentality is precise overmuch worthy it, and I find myself utilizing the fig pad often again for enactment oregon mapping further actions/macros successful games similar the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV.
The Keychron K4 HE executes connected the important parts highly good with a uncommon layout that makes it each the much special.
There aren't going to beryllium groundbreaking high-tech features here, oregon adjacent elemental things similar easy accessible dedicated media keys, which are things I find useful, but astatine slightest you don’t needfully suffer that functionality since those are combined with different keys via the FN key. It is nice, however, to person 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity to springiness it a small other versatility. The transportation toggle is connected the near broadside of the framework on with a Windows/Android-MacOS input toggle – the buttons are smaller than I would prefer, but it’s 1 of those set-it-and-forget-it benignant of situations.
Keychron K4 HE – Software and Customization
There's inactive a decent magnitude of customization connected relationship of having magnetic switches, and they’re precise casual to tinker with. Boutique manufacturers similar Keychron person moved toward having web-based configurators arsenic opposed to downloadable suites that bigger manufacturers use. (I get that Razer, Logitech, Asus, etc. bash that to get you successful their ecosystems.) You simply spell to the Keychron launcher site, prime your keyboard from the Connect menu, and you instantly person entree to a afloat acceptable of customization options.
From here, you tin acceptable the actuation constituent connected a per-key ground anyplace betwixt 0.2mm and 3.8mm and successful increments of 0.1mm – and having a abbreviated actuation constituent is important for competitory gaming performance. You besides person much nuanced features similar one-key multi-command, which lets you representation antithetic inputs to assorted distances on the keystroke. And there’s the analog gamepad diagnostic that allows you to simulate circumstantial sensitivities of controller inputs connected a keystroke. Hall Effect switches are large for show alone, but it’s this benignant of versatility enabled by magnetic technology.
It’s beauteous overmuch expected for magnetic keyboards to person features similar Rapid Trigger and LKP (last keystroke prioritization), the second of which is the contentious SOCD (simultaneous other cardinal direction) input. We screen this with each magnetic keyboard since it’s becoming much commonplace and antithetic companies telephone it thing different. It surely has its uses cases, but if you’re not aware, SOCD (or LKP successful this case) lets you clasp 1 cardinal and registry an other absorption each clip you deed it, and re-register the cardinal you're holding each clip you fto spell of the other. You tin counter-strafe (or jiggle strafe) astatine inhuman speed, making you a overmuch harder target. Be alert that you volition get kicked from Counter-Strike 2 matches, for example, if you exploit SOCD similar LKP.
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The extensiveness of options don’t halt there, though – Keychron has a reasonably robust macro instrumentality to representation input sequences and acceptable the timing of each input. You tin besides remap immoderate cardinal easy successful the online configurator and acceptable your RGB patterns and colors nevertheless you want. And it’s each neatly laid retired and casual to understand, which respective bundle suites can’t precisely say.
Keychron K4 HE – Performance
For gaming, the Keychron K4 HE and the magnetic Nebula switches are arsenic bully arsenic immoderate different acquisition I’ve had with Hall Effect keyboards. However, the 1 happening I’ll enactment is that it’s rated astatine a 40g archetypal actuation unit and a 60g bottom-out unit – portion that’s reasonably standard, it does consciousness much steadfast connected the interaction than astir different magnetic keyboards I’ve utilized recently. It whitethorn deterioration you down a spot much implicit time, but determination are advantages to this.
When it comes to playing FFXIV, wherever I’m perpetually cycling done my onslaught rotation connected close-by keys oregon trying to deed circumstantial actions astatine important moments, having magnetic switches that are some steadfast connected the actuation unit but acceptable to a shorter actuation constituent is incredible. I won’t “fat-finger” a cardinal due to the fact that of the stiffer absorption and I’ll registry the input accelerated since the keystroke volition beryllium recognized overmuch quicker. It’s the champion of some worlds successful a crippled similar FFXIV, particularly arsenic idiosyncratic who has a dense resting manus implicit his keyboard.
In games similar Counter-Strike 2 oregon Valorant, the abbreviated actuation points besides travel successful clutch for jiggle-strafing, speedy movements, switching weapons, oregon activating abilities connected a dime. I went with 0.5mm with the K4 HE, which is overmuch shorter than I would usage connected different keyboards, and that was the saccharine spot. I played my accustomed batch of ranked matches to find if this was suited for competitory crippled and it surely passed muster for me. Although I whitethorn privation to spell with thing lighter connected the actuation unit for competitory shooters, I surely enjoyed utilizing the K4 HE for them.
Such is the lawsuit with astir Hall Effect keyboards I’ve used, but the creaseless linear keystrokes of a magnetic power are rather satisfying, particularly arsenic idiosyncratic who ever utilized linear mechanical switches similar the Cherry MX Reds for astir a decade. As I'm typing this close now, I get a footwear retired of the creamy "thock" of each keystroke and the cleanable consciousness of the magnetic switch, which you tin besides property to the antithetic types of foam and padding tucked nether the keyboard's plating.
Originally posted:
Apr 5, 2025 12:09 am
Verdict
The Keychron K4 HE reminded maine of however overmuch I emotion the 96% layout for keyboards, providing full-sized functionality successful a compact signifier to inactive prevention abstraction connected my desk. But beyond the astute design, the Gateron Nebula magnetic switches onslaught a large equilibrium with a somewhat stiffer actuation unit and customizable actuation points, reducing errant inputs portion inactive being accelerated capable for competitory gaming. On apical of that, it’s a sleek and aesthetically pleasing keyboard, particularly the off-white and wood atom peculiar edition. It whitethorn beryllium abbreviated connected fancy onboard features of different high-end keyboards, but it's a reasonably priced enactment that executes connected the important parts highly good with a uncommon layout that makes it each the much special.
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