Look at this keyboard – The Verge

Keyboards of The Verge

2026-10-31T15:17:51-04:00

What is a keyboard if not the original brain-computer interface? You can tap on a touchscreen or talk to the computer, but if your work involves getting information out of your head and into the computer, you're probably spending a lot of time using a keyboard.

We've written about many keyboards over the years, from the legendary Optimus Maximus to the ultra-luxe Seneca to even stranger fare. But I wanted to know what my coworkers actually use. As I'd hoped, there's a wide range. Some of us are strictly utilitarian, optimizing for ergonomics or functionality. Others obsess over every detail of feel, sound, layout, and looks. Still oth …

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This great retro-inspired keyboard now comes preassembled

2026-08-11T10:09:47-04:00

“Where’s the number pad?” The number pad is holding you back. | Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

You probably know just by looking at it if the Classic-TKL Underscore Edition is for you. Do you want a retro-looking wired keyboard without a number pad? Great. Do you care that it doesn't have wireless? Perfect. Do you want it preassembled? Buddy, you're in the right place.

But Nathan, you might say, preassembled is the regular way to buy a keyboard. That is the baseline expectation. Most people buying a cake expect a cake, not a box of cake mix. And that's true, for most people and most keyboards. But until now, the Classic-TKL has only been available as a bare-bones kit, and now you can buy one ready to go, with quality components, for …

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Hey number pad lovers, this is a keyboard we can finally agree on

2026-07-02T22:10:29-04:00

I’m right-hand dominant but a lefty at heart. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

I know a vocal group of people who swear by the number pad on their keyboard. And yet, for years I haven't cared about using one - until I put my hands on the Epomaker RT98. It's a mechanical keyboard with a charming retro aesthetic, a fun CRT-like screen, VIA compatibility, a nice typing feel, and most importantly, a modular number pad that can be moved to either side. It's a clever compromise in a budget friendly-ish board, allowing you to further customize your setup without losing the functionality of the coveted "tenkey."

But like many mechanical keyboards out there, it's got some unique quirks and tradeoffs.

Epomaker RT98

Score: 7

Pr …

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This Ghost in the Shell keyboard makes me want to activate the hundred spidery robot fingers inside my regular fingers

2026-06-18T09:25:18-04:00

These keyboards stand alone. Complex. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Anime collaborations are everywhere, from Gundam watches and Naruto nights at Major League ballparks to just about anything Evangelion. But these Ghost in the Shell keyboards from Iqunix are some of the coolest examples I've seen of anime-inspired everyday tech. They look sick and they type and play great. At $249 they're a hefty upcharge over the regular $169 version, but that's still a decent price for such excellent build quality and unique designs.

The standard Iqunix EV63 that the Ghost in the Shell Edition is based on is a 65-percent Hall effect keyboard aimed at gamers. It's got a compact layout, an 8,000Hz polling rate, and ultra-se …

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Marathon battery life makes Keychron’s Ultra 8K keyboards its best yet

2026-04-19T23:01:29-04:00

Keychron's expansive keyboard catalog covers everything from basic full-size mechanical boards to niche layouts like southpaw Alice or a one-handed half-keyboard for gaming. Its Q and V series are among our go-to recommendations for off-the-shelf keyboards, and the latest iterations - the Q and V Ultra models - are a straightforward upgrade to the lineup, with benefits for regular users and deep-in-the-weeds keyboard nerds alike.

I've been testing two Ultra keyboards: the Keychron V5 Ultra 8K and Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K. The $119.99 V5 Ultra is a near-full-size 1800-layout board with a number pad in a plastic case, while the $229.99 Q1 Ultra i …

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This DIY kit turned my favorite mechanical keyboard into my favorite electrocapacitive keyboard

2026-02-23T12:00:43-05:00

For my money, you simply cannot get a better electrocapacitive keyboard than the Bauer Lite with a DynaCap kit.

[Editor's note: Huh?]

You can get a nicer EC keyboard, without having to build it yourself, by simply spending $3,600 on a Norbauer Seneca. Or you can get a Happy Hacking Keyboard or a Realforce for south of $300, also without having to build it yourself, with genuine Topre switches, Bluetooth if you want it, and decent - but not great - remapping capability.

Or, for about $250, a set of keycaps, and a couple of hours of assembly, you can design a Bauer Lite in any of a zillion color combinations and use DynaCap parts to turn …

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Naya Connect is a modular mechanical keyboard system for the indecisive

2026-01-15T05:46:13-05:00

Naya has already shipped one successful Kickstarter for a weird keyboard. The Naya Create was an ergonomic split deck with four swappable controller add-ons: a touchpad, a trackball, a rotary encoder, or a 6DoF spatial mouse. The Connect takes that modular concept, applies it to a more traditional flat keyboard form factor, and expands the ecosystem to be even more flexible. And clearly, people are into the idea, because it hit its minuscule funding goal in just six minutes.

The Naya Connect has four main components: a low-profile 75% mechanical keyboard called the Naya Type, a 24-key multipad, a six-key programmable strip, and a dock. The …

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This keyboard and trackball combo is for the tinkerers

2026-10-23T13:27:39-04:00

Look at that trackball! That’s ZSA’s Navigator, an accessory for its Voyager keyboard.

Do you love to tinker with your keyboard layout? Do you love trackballs and think that one that attaches magnetically to your keyboard would be the coolest thing ever? Are you willing to completely blow up your setup in pursuit of possibly huge - or possibly marginal - gains in comfort or efficiency? Then I have a keyboard and trackball recommendation for you, with some caveats.

In early September, I started dabbling with ZSA's Voyager keyboard and new Navigator trackball attachment. The Voyager is a low-profile, wired, split mechanical keyboard with 52 hot-swappable keys in a columnar-staggered layout. When you buy it, you can pick from …

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The Asus Falcata is an ambitious split ergo gaming keyboard that falls short

2025-11-16T09:51:39-05:00

Each half is compact, and they fit together for easy travel.

Hall effect gaming keyboards aren't uncommon. But Asus' ROG Falcata is the only one that's also a split ergonomic keyboard, aimed at alleviating wrist, hand, or arm pain. For the luxury of having it all, you'll pay $419.99, enough to buy a nice Hall effect keyboard and a split ergonomic one.

It'd be worth it if the Falcata truly represented the best of both worlds, but I'm split. As a Hall effect board, it succeeds, offering a wealth of customization options, including the ability to let you adjust each key's actuation point by as little as a hundredth of a millimeter at a time. But if you're buying it for ergonomics, like me, then maybe n …

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Logitech’s latest keyboard dabbles in enthusiast features

2025-11-05T17:16:21-05:00

Love me some lavender.

Logitech's Alto Keys K98M mechanical keyboard is now available in North America after its initial launch in China and other select markets. The $119.99 Alto Keys K98M is an almost full-size 1800-layout keyboard, offering a slightly compact design that maintains a number pad. But what makes the K98M special for a mass-market Logitech board is that it's fully hot-swappable with standard Cherry MX-compatible key switches and uses an internal gasket mount for a semi-soft typing feel. Logitech is taking some belated cues from enthusiast keyboards.

The Alto Keys has a two-piece plastic case with a translucent top portion and opaque bottom that's …

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