Keychron swaps to ZMK firmware for updated wireless mechanical keyboard series with massive battery life potential along with design refresh

When the Q6 Ultra 8K and V1 Ultra 8K emerged, it was clear that Keychron would be releasing new switches and new wireless mechanical keyboards, but Keychron confirmed in its response to Notebookcheck that the new Milk POM switches, and that the new keyboards are currently exclusive to Best Buy. However, the plan is to launch the Q6 Ultra 8K and V1 Ultra 8K — as part of the "Q Ultra 8K and V Ultra 8K series" — on Keychron's web store in early 2026. 

Aside from the visual changes that are to come, Keychron confirmed that the firmware for the new full-size mechanical keyboard and its Q and V Ultra siblings will be based on ZMK. Although this may not be obvious to most users, especially if they use Keychron Launcher for customisation, it may have implications for longevity and battery life. At the time of writing, however, neither Keychron nor Best Buy have provided any battery life estimates for the new full-size mechanical keyboard or the 75% version. 

ZMK is often considered an alternative to QMK specifically designed for wireless mechanical keyboards, making it usually far more efficient than QMK, which is what most current Keychron mechanical keyboards are based on. Case-in-point, the Keychron B2 Pro, which uses ZMK firmware, is estimated to provide 300 hours of use from an 800 mAh battery. Meanwhile, the QMK-powered Keychron Q1 Max (curr. $229.99 on Amazon), which has a 4,000 mAh battery, is only estimated to get around 100 hours of battery life with the backlighting disabled. Of course, this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the gap in efficiency is obvious, and it points to massive battery life improvements over the Q Max keyboards. 

According to our correspondence with Keychron's PR team, the Q Ultra series will share many of the same specifications as the current Q Max series, suggesting that there will be a slew of layout options for buyers to choose from, including 75%, 65%, and obviously full-size mechanical keyboards. Despite the layout similarities, though, Keychron has also updated the materials on the Q Ultra 8K keyboards. For starters, the rotary knobs on the new Q and V Ultra series keyboards will feature new designs made from CNC-cut aluminium. These new smooth CNC aluminium knobs will replace the knurled knobs found on the likes of the Q13 max we reviewed, and Keychron claims they provide increased durability.

Also, somewhat out of the ordinary for Keychron, the new Q Ultra keyboards will feature decorative plates on the bottoms of the keyboards — something more commonly seen in custom mechanical keyboards. The decorative plate on the bottom of the Q6 Ultra 8K full-size keyboard is described as a "sci-fi futuristic backplate design" and features engravings clearly inspired by physics concepts, like the depiction of an atom and what looks like the orbit of a planet. 

Just as the keyboards' cases received a moderate material update, the switches, too, have been updated to the new Keychron Silk POM switches, which should provide a long-lasting smoothness in the keystrokes and a more contemporary sound profile compared to the nylon, POM, and PC mix from the Gateron Jupiter switch series.