If there’s one thing that divides opinion between PC hardware enthusiasts, it’s RGB lighting. For some it’s a tasteless display of gamer aesthetic and a glowing affront to the eyeballs, while to others it’s a dazzling display of neon that sets off a gaming setup. If you fall into the latter category then you might want to check out Hyte’s latest keyboard offering, as not only does it contain enough RGB lighting to divert low-flying planes, but Hyte has even gone and called it the Keeb TKL.
Ambassador, you really are spoiling us.
The Hyte Keeb TKL features a “Crystal Bubble Polycarbonate” case that allows a 155-pixel qRGB array to deliver a seemingly staggering amount of multi-colored lighting from all angles, but the unusual features don’t stop there.
At the top of the chassis sits two magnetic rollers which can be customised to give users control over all the usual roller-y things, like volume control, media shortcuts and tab selection, and beneath them lie five dedicated media keys that feature what Hyte calls its “Flappy Paddle” tactile low-profile blue switches.
Speaking of unusually named switches, try these on for size: The Keeb TKL’s main keyset makes use of—and I’ve been so looking forward to typing this—Fluffy Lavender linear switches, designed to deliver “unparalleled aesthetics and epic thocks”. Right-o then.
Each switch comes pre-lubed with Krytox 205g0 and has an actuation force of 40 grams, with an actuation distance of 1.5mm and a bottom out distance of 3.5mm to ensure a fast and responsive typing experience. Although if you talk to our Dave about lubing keeb switches he suddenly becomes rather quiet indeed.
There are also four layers of sound dampening, a gasket-mounted 5-pin hot swappable PCB and Hyte’s Nexus software that should allow you to customise many aspects of the Keeb TKL, including reactive per-key lighting, a range of animations and the creation of storable macros.
(Image credit: Colorwave)
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Look, I’m not going to lie to you: I prefer my RGB a little more on the subtle side than this. That being said, I can’t help but admire the effort here, not only to make it the most RGB version of itself it could possibly RG-be, but also to the attention to detail, from pre-lubed switches all the way to a naming scheme that I won’t forget in a hurry. I mean, it’s really going for a certain side of the enthusiast keyboard crowd.
It stands out from the pack, this little Keeb, although we’ll have to wait until we play with one ourselves to see what it’s like in person. Pricing for the Keeb TKL is $179.99, with an expected UK price of £199, which is definitely enthusiast pricing.
I’ll be sure to wear my sunglasses if we get one in, and perhaps even some ear defenders to protect against those epic thocks.
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PC Gamer’s CES 2024 coverage is being published in association with Asus Republic of Gamers.
