Keychron's (more) affordable wireless mechanical keyboards with 660-hour battery life and 8K polling are now available
We previously reported on the launch of Keychron's latest wireless mechanical keyboard series, which included the premium Q Ultra 8K series and the V Ultra 8K series. Aside from a handful of aesthetic changes and a new selection of switches, this launch saw Keychron move away from the open-source QMK firmware the brand had previously relied on and instead opt for ZMK firmware, likely in pursuit of the improved wireless battery life promised by the hyperefficient ZMK firmware. The first round of keyboards in the Q Ultra 8K series became available shortly after launch, but now, the more affordable V Ultra 8K line-up has also become available via the Keychron online store, starting at $114.99 for the V1 and V3 Ultra 8K and topping out at $119.99 for the V5 Ultra 8K.
| V1 Ultra 8K | V3 Ultra 8K | V5 Ultra 8K | |
| Size | 328.5 × 148.7 mm; 21.5 mm front height | 367.8 × 149 mm; 23.6 mm front height | 391.5 × 148.7 mm; 21.7 mm front height |
| Case material | "Lightweight, rigid polymer" (Plastic) | ||
| Weight | 770 g | 960 g | 983 g |
| Plate material and mounting style | PC Plate, Poron foam gasket mount | ||
| Connectivity | USB type-C, 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.3 | ||
| PCB and switch style | 3-pin, 5-pin hot-swap PCB for MX switches | ||
| Default switch options | Keychron Silk POM Red (linear), Brown (tactile), Banana (sharp tactile) | ||
| Layout | 75% with a knob | TKL with a knob | Exploded 96% with a knob |
| Keycap material and profile | Double-shot PBT, OSA profile, non-shine-through | ||
| Customisation software | Open-source ZMK firmware, customisable in Keychron Launcher | ||
| Battery capacity | 4,000 mAh | ||
| Battery life | 660 hours (no backlighting), 200 hours (with backlight) | ||
| Backlight | Per-key south-facing RGB backlighting | ||
| Polling rate | 8,000, 2,000, 1,000 Hz over wired and 2.4 GHz, 133 Hz over Bluetooth | ||
| Price | $114.99 | $114.99 | $119.99 |
| Availability | Keychron | Keychron | Keychron |
The biggest differences between the Q Ultra 8K series and this latest V Ultra 8K family is the switch from aluminium to plastic for the case material. The keycaps are also different, with the V Ultra 8K series opting for OSA instead of KSA keycaps. On a technical level, the Keychron V Ultra 8K keyboards have the same performance characteristics as the Q Ultra 8K, although the plastic cases of the V Ultra 8K keyboards do offer a few advantages. For starters, the V Ultra 8K series keyboards are lighter, making them slightly easier to cart around if you are so inclined. The same updated Silk POM mechanical switches that debuted on the Q Ultra 8K series are present here as well, and Keychron offers them in 45 gf linear Red, 55 gf tactile Brown, and 57 gf tactile Banana options, the latter of which offers a firmer tactile bump than the Brown switches, similar to Gateron's Jupiter Banana switches (curr. $39.98 for 110 switches on Amazon) which we reviewed in the Keychron Q13 Max not too long ago.
The V Ultra 8K series also features updated CNC aluminium covers for the programmable knobs. Along with complete remapping of the keyboard's keys, the knob can also be programmed to perform a number of actions, including mouse keys, macros, and just about anything else a regular key press can do. The V Ultra 8K series' cases also offer typing angle adjustment via kick-out feet, allowing for typing angles of 4°, 7°, and 10°, which is a feature the Q Ultra 8K series does not offer.
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