This custom magnetic keyboard shows how “gaming” is becoming less of a category and more of a feature set

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The current trend in personal technology is centered around Hall Effect magnetic sensors, particularly in controllers and keyboards. As a novice with these devices, my review of the Keychron K4 HE left me thoroughly amazed.

Keychron is growing its line of Hall Effect keyboards by introducing new layouts and designs, one of which is the wireless K8 HE keyboard. This board features a more streamlined 80% layout compared to the 96% of the K4 HE, yet it offers the same functionality.

Since I’ve thoroughly explored the topic in my initial K4 HE review, I won’t repeat myself here. Instead, let’s delve into the capabilities of this excellent keyboard, demonstrating that a gaming-oriented keyboard isn’t always necessary for an outstanding gaming experience.

This review was conducted using a product sample generously provided by Keychron. It’s important to note that Keychron played no role in the content creation process for this review, and did not preview it before it was published.

Another excellent keyboard from a brand I trust

Without much effort needed, Keychron won me over – their performance in all tests conducted by Windows Central has been nothing short of impressive, reigniting my admiration for tailorable, high-end keyboard solutions.

Designed for customization, featuring hot-swap mechanisms for switches and keys that can be effortlessly changed, a Keychron keyboard allows you to personalize it to your liking, while maintaining its consistent high-quality sound and software capabilities.

Keychron has begun addressing the biggest weaknesses of boutique keyboards — performance.

Recently, Keychron has started focusing on improving the main drawbacks of most specialized keyboards, particularly their performance. This is where keyboard lines such as the K-series become relevant, with a special mention to the HE versions equipped with Hall Effect switches, which are designed for enhanced performance.

Apart from enhanced wireless functionality and reliability, lower response time (latency), and customizable RGB illumination, Hall Effect keys offer the ability to tailor actuation point and provide advanced software adjustments for special features such as quick-fire triggers, priority for the last keypress, and many additional ones.

Everything is designed to enhance your competitiveness in the toughest games, yet it doesn’t compromise the essential elements of personalization and audio quality that have made these keyboards such a significant investment for many users.

The Keychron K8 HE showcases a tray-mounted design (accentuated by a unique rose wood edition) along with Gateron double-rail magnetic keys, multi-connectivity options (encompassing 2.4GHz and three Bluetooth profiles), compatibility with both Windows and macOS systems, and the ability to utilize Keychron’s web-based software.

In simpler terms, the design of the K8 HE is a condensed version of what I loved about the K4 HE, offering a roomier feel due to increased spacing between sections. However, this compactness also carries over the same issues found in the K4 HE, but now they’re packed into a smaller form factor.

The K8 HE has everything I love about the K4 HE, but it also shares the same flaws.

The included cable with the Keychron keyboard remains unusually short, despite the company’s provision of numerous valuable extras such as disassembly tools and keycaps compatible with both macOS and Windows systems.

As an analyst, I couldn’t help but observe that the cable for the Keychron K8 HE is rather short. Additionally, it’s important to note that the device doesn’t offer outstanding battery life due to its per-key RGB lighting feature. This means you’ll need to connect it to a power source to make any customizations using the Keychron Launcher, which continues to feel less than ideal.

For anyone interested, it’s worth noting that the K8 HE models are not available as DIY kits for self-assembly; instead, they arrive fully assembled straight out of the box.

You no longer need to consider a “gaming” keyboard

Generally speaking, gamers tend to have unique preferences when it comes to design and features compared to technology designed for productivity, creativity, or luxury. As a result, they often turn to brands such as Razer, Alienware, Corsair, ASUS, and numerous others to fulfill their gaming equipment and accessory needs.

The demand has grown for technology that seamlessly combines multiple functions, and Keychron is enhancing its custom keyboards specifically for gaming by boosting performance, adding features, and incorporating RGB lighting. Meanwhile, companies like Razer are competing with Keychron by releasing products such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 75%, which offers hot-swappable components and a focus on sound quality, a feature that we’ve reviewed.

Instead of concentrating on specific “categories”, we now prioritize finding the precise attributes and worth that suit our needs best.

Actually, I’ve just assembled my first custom keyboard using only the BlackWidow V4 75% Barebones kit. This bare-essentials setup lets me select and install my preferred mechanical switches and keycaps instead.

To put it simply, we’re moving forward in the correct path. From now on, let’s concentrate less on “classifications” and more on what truly matters: Is this product delivering the style, functionality, attributes, and worth that I seek?

Nowadays, we have an abundance of choices at our disposal. You could opt for a ready-made gaming keyboard that takes care of everything, or alternatively, tailor one to suit your preferences while ensuring an exceptional gaming experience.

Regardless of the choice, the typing experience ought to be flawless (trust me, keyboards engineered for the sensation and sound of typing are hard to resist after trying them).

My final thoughts on the Keychron K8 HE keyboard

✅You should buy this if …

  • You want the unparalleled per-key customization of magnetic switches.
  • You want to game on the keyboard that you can recreate yourself.
  • You care a lot about the typing experience and acoustics.

❌You should not buy this if …

  • You don’t want to be limited to just certain Hall Effect switches.
  • You’ll never use all the features and adjustability Hall Effect gives you.

It’s no surprise that the Keychron K8 HE performs exceptionally well, much like its predecessor, the K4 HE. Previously, Keychron was known for producing outstanding keyboards, but with these new models, they are now crafting keyboards specifically designed for gaming as well.

One aspect that makes it appealing is the incorporation of the Hall Effect technology. While some may still favor traditional tactile mechanical switches, there are numerous reasons to believe that Hall Effect is superior in many aspects. It offers enhanced durability and a greater degree of customization, without a doubt.

A simple mechanical switch can’t match the versatility offered by multi-level macros, analog inputs, swift response times, and more advanced features enabled by Hall Effect technology. Ultimately, the Keychron K8 HE offers an additional choice for gamers, keyboard aficionados, and everyone in between, which is quite exciting.

You can configure your Keychron K8 HE from $129.99 at Keychron in standard and special editions.

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2025-07-04 16:11