REVIEW – I’ve gone by means of dozens of keyboards in my years working and gaming with computer systems, starting from the worst mushy low-cost keyboards in my school days to some very wonderful mechanical keyboards in recent times. I even purchased a few Keychron’s K1 Professional slim keyboards for me and my companion, which have been our each day drivers on and off for the previous 12 months or so. The brand new Keychron K4 HE keyboard mannequin instantly caught my eye with its gorgeous appears to be like and gaming-specific options, so I fortunately volunteered to test it out.
⬇︎ Bounce to abstract (professionals/cons)
Worth: $144.99 (for the Particular Version), $134.99 for the usual model
The place to purchase: Keychron
What’s it?
The Keychron K4 HE mechanical keyboard is a 96% format keyboard with Corridor Impact magnetic switches, pre-lubed Gateron double-rail magnetic switches, and a premium base and case that features supplies like aluminum and actual wooden (on the Particular Version).
What’s included?
- Absolutely assembled Keychron K4 HE keyboard
- Sort-A to Sort-C USB cable
- USB Sort-A 2.4 Ghz receiver dongle
- USB-Sort-C Extension adapter for receiver
- Keycap and change puller
- Screwdriver
- Hex key
- Handbook/Fast begin information
Tech specs (Particular Version)
Size: 377.1 mm
Width: 126.4 mm
Entrance peak: 31.7 mm (incl. keycap)
Again peak: 40.9 mm (incl. keycap)
Weight: 1066 g
Keycaps: OSA Double-shot keycaps (opaque on Particular Version, shine-through on customary version)
Backside case materials: ABS Plastic
Connectivity: USB wired/2.4 Ghz wi-fi/Bluetooth 5.2
MCU: ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit STM32F402RC (256KB Flash)
Stabilizer: plate-mounted stabilizer
Change: Geteron double-rail magnetic change
Key angles: 5° / 8° / 11°
Backlight: North-facing RGB LED
Plate materials: Aluminum
Sensitivity: 0.1 mm
Fast Set off: Sure
Adjustable actuation factors: 0.1 – 3.8 mm
Battery: 4000 mAh rechargeable li-polymer battery
Battery life: as much as 110 hours with backlight off
NKRO: Sure for each wi-fi and wired modes
Sizzling swappable: Sure, suitable with Gateron double-rail magnetic change solely.
Polling charge: 1000 Hz (Wired and a pair of.4 GHz) / 125Hz (Bluetooth)
Design and options
The Keychron K4 HE keyboard is a 96% format keyboard, which suggests it’s extra compact than a full keyboard whereas nonetheless retaining the 10-key quantity pad. The photograph above illustrates the dimensions in comparison with a full 104 key Das Keyboard 6 Skilled (with Comedian Line keycaps from Keygeak.com). I like this format, because it provides me extra room to maneuver my mouse with out crowding the keyboard whereas protecting that essential-for-me 10-key pad.
The keyboard has premium parts pre-installed like foam layers and acoustic pads, leading to a really good thocky-sounding keyboard.
The keycaps themselves are OSA Double-shot keycaps (opaque on the Particular Version, shine-through on the usual model). I like the squircle formed keys and slight concave form. Management/Choice/Command keys are put in by default, nevertheless it’s simple to swap these out for Management/Home windows/Alt if you happen to’re a gamer and/or a Home windows person like me.
Whenever you take away the keys, the hot-swappable Gateron double-rail magnetic switches are seen. You’ll be able to solely swap these with very particular magnetic HE Gateron switches, although possibly there shall be extra choices sooner or later. The three choices accessible at launch range solely in spring power, starting from 30 g to 60 g beginning power (the preinstalled switches are 40 g power variations). In addition to that, you’ll be able to change the actuation vary by means of software program. These are linear switches (non-clicky), and are very secure and easy due to the double rail construction and the truth that they’re pre-lubed out of the field.
Like most keyboards, every row is at a barely totally different angle for ergonomics, which you’ll be able to see above.
The underside of the keyboard has rubberized pads to forestall motion throughout use.
There are three adjustable heights/angles for the keyboard. The flip out tabs on the underside are proven above, and now have non-slip surfaces. The keyboard is totally secure for me, solely transferring after I need it to, even throughout frantic gaming moments.
The Keychron K4 HE keyboard is accessible in black or white for the Particular Version, with brown Escape and Enter keys on each. Alternate black/white keycaps are additionally included if you happen to don’t just like the two-tone look.
You’ll be able to join the keyboard in three other ways: Wired (USB), Wi-fi with a 2.4 GHz USB receiver, and through Bluetooth (with three switchable paired Bluetooth units). Polling charge is 1000 Mhz on each wired and a pair of.4 Ghz wi-fi, which drops to 100 Mhz on Bluetooth. There’s additionally a Home windows/Android and MacOS/iOS mode change.
The backlighting is nice, with 22 totally different presents together with reactive ones that splash animations primarily based in your key inputs. Nevertheless, there’s no per-key customization, if you need customized colours you’ll be able to solely apply a colour to the entire board. Additionally word the sunshine gray bluetooth symbols on the 1-4 keys within the above photograph. I like that they printed these on the keycaps, on different keyboards prior to now I’ve needed to dig out the guide or attempt to discover it on-line to recollect the way to change/pair units.
Lastly, there are some macro and gaming particular features to debate. You’ll be able to arrange fairly advanced macros, which might be helpful for each productiveness and gaming conditions. There are 4 programmable layers on the keyboard, and you’ll assign macros to just about each key, for tons of of macro potentialities. I used to be rather more within the gaming options although, a lot of that are solely potential due to the Corridor Impact magnetic switches.
One such function is an analog joystick emulation function, the place the keyboard can mimic a gamepad or joystick, so you’ll be able to press tougher or softer to offer kind of enter to a particular route. This makes driving or flying video games SO a lot simpler than with a conventional keyboard. I examined this with ArmA 3 (helicopter flying) and Forza Horizons (racing) and I may see this turning into vital function for me for gaming. The GIF above reveals me urgent a key with various power.
One other cool set of options are Final Keystroke Prioritization and Snap Click on. LKP prioritizes the final key pressed, making motion very snappy in quick motion video games – so even if in case you have two directional keys pressed on the identical time, the newest one takes precedence. Snap Click on is a bit totally different, prioritizing the important thing that’s pressed tougher, if two are pressed on the identical time. This may help get rid of unintentional keystrokes (a standard downside for me when gameplay will get demanding). Lastly, a Dynamic Fast Set off function permits you to hit the identical key repeatedly with out fulling miserable it between clicks (so that you’re principally fluttering your finger relatively than absolutely urgent and releasing in fast succession). For sure gameplay eventualities this could allow you to repeatedly press the identical key a lot sooner than with different keyboards.
The entire above options are pretty situational and need to be turned on by means of Keychron’s customization software program. One other incredible function is the power to simply modify the actuation level (throughout the board, and even for particular keys). The default actuation level is nice for me, however if you happen to like lighter or tougher keypresses, you’ll be able to change that by means of the software program. With different mechanical keyboards, you must change the precise key switches to have totally different actuation factors, however all it takes is a click on of a button with the Keychron K4 HE keyboard. On the lightest setting, you’ll be able to barely graze your fingers throughout the keys to register presses. On the heaviest, you’ll be able to thunk away with as a lot power as you’d like because the keys received’t activate till close to the underside of the switches vary.
Meeting, Set up, Setup
The Keychron K4 HE keyboard comes pre-assembled, so until you need to change among the keycaps you will get proper to connecting the keyboard to your machine. In the event you’re going USB wired, the keyboard is totally plug-and-play (although you’ll need to change the Home windows/Mac mode change to the suitable mode). The two.4 Ghz wi-fi mode is as simple as wired, you simply choose that mode on the keyboard and plug the receiver dongle into your machine through USB. The keyboard auto-sleeps and wakes up virtually immediately when pressed later. Bluetooth mode is simply barely extra advanced, you choose a tool by urgent Operate+1-3, then begin pairing with Operate+4 and add by means of your machine’s Bluetooth settings menu.
As soon as plugged in or related, the keyboard is able to go, although you’ll be able to go pull up the customization web site if you wish to mess with macros, actuation settings, or the particular gaming options: Keychron Launcher
I discovered the customization software program to be one of many best I’ve ever used, and I particularly love that there was no software program set up in any respect, only a internet browser web page. Different corporations may be aware of Keychron’s technique right here, I a lot want it over the half-dozen applications I’ve to put in and run for different peripheral units.
Efficiency
The Keychron K4 HE keyboard was very simple to regulate to coming from different keyboards, aside from the suitable Management and Shift keys, and the place of the 0 key on the numpad. In comparison with a full 104 key keyboard these keys are barely shifted to squeeze into this smaller dimension, however the adjustment interval wasn’t too dangerous for me (although I nonetheless hit the suitable arrow key as an alternative of 0 when coming into numbers generally).
I like the sound and really feel of the keyboard (video above reveals the backlighting and the sound of the keys). I performed many hours of video games and wrote a number of opinions whereas testing this keyboard and cherished each minute of it. This appears like the kind of keyboard I may use for a decade or extra relatively than needing alternative sooner.
Last ideas
The Keychron K4 HE keyboard simply earned the daily-driver spot at my desk. It appears to be like completely incredible, feels premium, and performs higher than another keyboard I’ve tried up to now. I look ahead to years of gaming and dealing on this beautiful keyboard.
Replace 4/12/2025: My spouse stole this keyboard as a result of SHE appreciated it a lot. So, I needed to order one other one only for myself.
What I like concerning the Keychron K4 HE keyboard
- Nice appears to be like and construct high quality
- Helpful gaming options like analog enter and fast set off features
- Wonderful for each productiveness and gaming
What must be improved?
- No per-key lighting customization – virtually all the things else concerning the keyboard is extremely customizable so it is a stunning limitation.
- I’m a sucker for knobs or spinners for quantity management, however this keyboard makes use of operate keys to regulate quantity.
Worth: $145 (for the Particular Version), $135 for the usual model
The place to purchase: Keychron
Supply: The pattern of this product was supplied at no cost by Keychron. Keychron didn’t have a last say on the assessment and didn’t preview the assessment earlier than it was printed.
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