QwertyKeys tips Hall effect gaming upgrade for premium compact wireless mechanical keyboard
QwertyKeys is well known in the custom mechanical keyboard space for its Neo line-up, which is a range of mid-tier and premium DIY mechanical keyboards that pack a lot of impressive design features into a good-looking package. The latest Neo keyboard to come out of QwertyKeys is the Neo65 series, which consists of the affordable Neo65, mid-range Neo65 Core Plus, and the premium, copper-shrouded Neo65 Cu, and most recently of all, the Neo65 Sonic HE+.
QwertyKeys Neo65 Hall effect teased - what to expect
According to a recent post in the company's official Discord server, though, a drop-in Hall effect PCB upgrade will also be offered for the Neo65 line-up, meaning that if you want a QwertyKeys Hall effect gaming keyboard, you won't have to buy an entire keyboard — only a new PCB and switches.
This means that the enthusiasts out there can carry over the same customisations they have already performed on their Neo65 or Neo65 Cu keyboards, as well, and that the same mounting options will be available on the HE PCB as are on the Sonic HE+. There are still some questions about compatibility, though. For starters, it's unclear how the new HE PCB will cooperate with the tri-mode wireless versions of the Neo65, since it features 8 kHz polling, which is not commonly seen on wireless keyboards, even if it is a popular feature on gaming mice, like the Keychron M7 8K we recently reviewed. However, the Sonic HE+, and by extension, the Neo65 HE PCB upgrade, will be compatible with a custom browser-based customisation tool, which will make setting features like adjustible actuation distance, SOCD, Mod Tap, Snap Tap, and DKS more convenient.
It also seems likely that an HE upgrade will need a new daughterboard to be able to utilise the full 8 kHz polling rate functionality, since the original mechanical Neo65 series only goes as high as 1 kHz. Fortunately, all of the other features of the Neo65 and Neo65 Cu line-up will still be available, like the familiar 65% layout, sleek design, and the various plate options — polypropylene, PC, aluminium, and carbon fibre. Those Neo65 owners that decided to go plateless will probably also have to purchase a plate, since plateless HE keyboards are few and far between.
QwertyKeys has not yet announced a price for the Neo65 Hall effect PCB upgrade, but the entire Sonic HE+ keyboard retails for $115 at the time of writing, so it would not be surprising to see the PCB launch somewhere around the $50–60 range, since the most expensive mechanical add-on PCB for the original Neo65 costs $55. Switch compatibility is another question, but the magnetic flux specifications on the OwLab Nova switches are similar to those of the Gateron Magnetic Jade Pros (currently $56 for 70 switches on Amazon), which are a common aftermarket Hall effect switch, meaning compatibility with third-party switches should be good.
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