NuPhy WH80: New gaming keyboard combines HE tech, wireless connectivity, and 8 kHz polling in a retro-futuristic design
NuPhy, maker of the revered Halo and Air series mechanical keyboards, has been busy lately, most recently announcing a battery life update to the Halo V2 series and then revealing the Node75 low-profile mechanical keyboard. Now, however, the keyboard company has turned its hand back to the Hall effect gaming keyboard scene, teasing the WH80, a new tri-mode wireless Hall effect keyboard that seemingly overcomes compromises made by other wireless Hall effect keyboards we've previously reviewed, like the Lemokey L1 HE.
According to both NuPhy's social media posts and the pre-launch site, the keyboard will cost $249.95 at launch, with a 15% discount for pre-orderers (along with some other goodies, like the transparent keycaps and a carrying case).
NuPhy WH80 - 500 hour battery life, 8 kHz polling, and Hall effect tech
NuPhy seems to be hitting all of the check boxes with the WH80. The new keyboard will have wireless connectivity, with both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz, 8 kHz polling for ultra-low latency, and even a gasket-mount design, sound damping, and custom switches for a polished sound profile. The Hall effect sensors will also enable rapid trigger sensitivities of up to 0.005 mm, which is far beyond what any human will likely be able to perceive. While NuPhy has opted for a gasket mount for the WH80, the company has still elected to use an aluminium plate, suggesting that there will not be much flex. Transparent keycaps and Hall effect switches are also both prone to a pretty high-pitch sound profile, so those looking for the "thock" might want to look elsewhere.
NuPhy also claims that the wireless connectivity will be backed up by up to 500 hours of battery life. This isn't surprising, considering our experience with the Kick75, a mechanical keyboard powered by the same NuPhyIO firmware, although it will be interesting to see how exactly the WH80 performs when it comes to polling rates in wireless modes. If gaming mice are anything to go by, higher polling rates could significantly cut the battery life of the keyboard.
NuPhy has not yet launched the early reservations page for the WH80, leaving much of the keyboard's specifications and information up to speculation, but there is enough information on the pre-launch mini-site to draw some interesting conclusions. The site confirms that the new keyboard will feature a slight variation of a TKL — or 80% — layout, with the 3 × 2 navigation cluster typically found over the arrow keys condensed to two columns of three rows each. This unorthodox layout should save on mouse space without sacrificing the usability of the keyboard too much.
| Form factor | 80%/TKL |
| Keycaps | Cherry profile, transparent or smoky translucent, likely polycarbonate material |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, USB-C wired |
| Battery life | 500 hours claimed |
| Backlighting | North-facing per-key RGB |
| Firmware/Customisation | NuPhyIO with web customisation tool |
| Switch compatibility | Typical universal Hall effect switch compatibility (downward-facing N-pole configuration) |
| Mounting style and case material | Plastic case, plate gasket mount |
| Polling rate | Up to 8 kHz (with >8 kHz scan rate) |
| Price | $249.95 |
The micro-site has also revealed pretty much the full design, and here there are also some interesting touches, like two dedicated three-way toggles, one for connectivity mode, and another that is simply labelled "M1, M2, M3," suggesting it is for switching between profiles. The WH80 will also have a knob in the top right corner, but it looks as though this might not be the sort of free-spinning knob that is typically found on other mechanical and HE keyboards. Instead, it has a red indicator and graduations along one edge of the knob, suggesting it may have some sort of specific range of motion, although this would greatly limit its functionality, so this may simply be a stylistic choice. Judging by the exploded view of the keyboard, the actual case looks to be made from plastic, although this is unconfirmed, and there are decorative aluminium plates on the side and seemingly along the front edge, surrounding a long RGB light bar.
NuPhy has also again worked with Gateron on a new branded switch, the NuPhy x Gateron Dragon-N switch, which looks like a slight variation of the Gateron Dual-Drive Magnetic Spark and Sakura switches (curr. $119.99 for 70 switches on Amazon), albeit with what looks like a POM stem for smoother operation. Given that the transparent keycaps with the dot-matrix style lettering is listed as a pre-order bonus, it's unclear what keycaps the WH80 will officially retail with, although the keyboard is pictured on the site with smoky grey translucent keycaps. Either way, both versions of the keyboard have a very retro-futuristic look to them, which should appeal to a specific crowd of people.
Source(s)
