New TKL mechanical keyboard with 8K polling rate and 660 hours of battery life: Keychron Q3 Ultra now available

The Keychron Q3 Ultra was announced at CES 2026 as the brand’s first ZMK-based mechanical keyboard, alongside the Q6 Ultra, Q1 Ultra, and budget-friendly V Ultra models. Not to be confused with the QMK/VIA-compatible Keychron Q3 Max (curr: $229.99 at Amazon), the Q3 Ultra runs ZMK firmware for customization, which is known to be more battery-efficient than QMK. As a result, Keychron claims battery life of up to 660 hours, compared to around 180 hours on the Q3 Max.

8K performance and new smooth switches

The Keychron Q3 Ultra retains the same 80% TKL layout as the Q3 Max, including a similar customizable knob in the F row, but introduces several notable improvements. The Q3 Ultra now supports an 8,000 Hz polling rate in both wired and 2.4 GHz wireless modes, up from 1,000 Hz on the Q3 Max. Like other keyboards in the Q Ultra series, it also ships with new Silk POM switches in linear and tactile variants for smoother keystrokes.

The keyboard itself features a CNC-cut aluminum chassis, a double-gasket design, multiple sound-dampening layers, and a hot-swappable PCB. It supports Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless modes, as well as wired mode via USB-C. Buyers can choose between black or white color options, each available with three switch variants: red (linear), brown (tactile), and banana (tactile). On top of that, the keyboard comes with double-shot PBT keycaps in Keychron's KSA profile and fully adjustable RGB lighting.

Pricing and availability

The Keychron Q3 Ultra is available to order in the US for $229.99 via Amazon and the Keychron website. In Europe, the keyboard is priced at €236.99 and is currently available directly from Keychron.