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Keychron K2 Ultra 8K: One-minute review
The K2 Ultra 8K is a wireless mechanical keyboard that aims to compete with the big names in the space.
It adopts a fairly basic design, harking back to keyboards of yore with its chunky chassis and tall keycaps. This substantial form is complimented by a reassuring weight that keeps the unit in place, without being too heavy to move around when needed.
The aluminum frame is also welcome thanks to its pleasingly solidity, although its texture isn’t the most alluring. The keycaps are of a better quality, though, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which often adorns the best gaming keyboards. Their opaque lettering means the backlighting fails to shine through them, which is an oversight committed by many Keychron keyboards.
To customize the inputs of the K2 Ultra 8K, you can use Keychron’s Web App. There are plenty of remapping options here, with numerous system and media commands available. There’s also a SOCD feature with a few different modes to choose from. You can also adjust the bounce time of both down and up strokes.
My review unit came with Red switches, which performed quite well. They were slightly lubed and well-damped, while still retaining a certain snappiness. However, I found their actuation a little too deep, which did result in some of my presses failing to register. Also, the sheer thickness of the keyboard did cause my wrists to ache after a while.
Using the WASD position when gaming was a little more comfortable than a typing position, and the generous spacing of the keys made navigating them quite easy. The quick rebound of the keys was also something I appreciated, and helped to make up somewhat for that aforementioned deep actuation point. Both wireless connectivity options worked well, and hot-swapping between devices was easy, thanks to the switch on the side of the unit.
The K2 Ultra 8K is competitively priced for a wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable hardware. It can’t match the sheer performance and premium designs of its more notable rivals, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% and the HyperX Origins 2 1800, but considering all that it offers, the K2 Ultra 8K is good value.
Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Price and availability
- $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170)
- Available now with various switch types
- Reasonable for a wireless gaming keyboard
The K2 Ultra 8K costs $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170) and is available now. Three stock switches are available to choose from: Red, Brown, or Banana.
This is a reasonable price for a hot-swappable, wireless mechanical keyboard with premium materials and numerous customizations available. Equivalent models from bigger brands are generally more expensive. Take the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, which is an eyewatering $299 / £299 / AU$499. However, this is one of the best mechanical gaming keyboards I’ve ever tested, and it offers a wealth of customizations that put many others, including the K2 Ultra 8K, to shame.
Then there’s the HyperX Origins 2 1800, another superb mechanical keyboard, but one that’s only marginally more expensive than the K2 Ultra 8K. Again, I thought this performed better than the K2 Ultra 8K when I tested it, although its customizations aren’t as extensive. It’s also wired only, which diminishes its value somewhat relative to the K2 Ultra 8K.
Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Specs
|
Layout |
TKL |
|
Switch |
Keychron Apex Switch (mechanical) |
|
Programmable keys |
Yes |
|
Dimensions |
12.3 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches / 311.5 x 121.5 x 31.2mm |
|
RGB or backlighting |
Yes (customizable) |
Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Design and features
- Very thick
- Solid aluminum frame
- Numerous customizations via web app
The K2 Ultra 8K has a somewhat retro design with some modern touches. The chunky chassis and squared off frame are certainly throwbacks to simpler time, but the keycaps are more contemporary affairs, thanks to their soft, rounded form.
With that thick body comes a considerable weight. This helps keep the K2 Ultra 8K planted, yet it’s not too heavy to make moving it around a chore when needed. It also contributes to the unit’s durability, as does the aluminum construction of the frame. This doesn’t feel quite as premium as others, owing to its slightly rough texture, but it’s welcome all the same. Better are the keycaps, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which is the gold standard in the keyboard world.
Somewhat unusually, the USB-C port is located on the left side of the K2 Ultra 8K rather than the rear. This may prove inconvenient for certain setups, but thankfully it’s positioned quite far back, so the difference isn’t that huge. Also, the provided USB cable has an L-shaped jack, so it doesn’t protrude outwards all that much, with the cable naturally running towards the likely location of your device.
There is some RGB backlighting on the K2 Ultra 8K, but like other Keychron keyboards, this is quite lackluster. It barely shines through the spaces between each keycap and since the keycap symbols are opaque, you still can’t make them out in a dark environment, which rather defeats the point of backlighting in the first place. Keychron does sell transparent keycaps, but this is an add-on you have to purchase separately rather than being a configurable substitute.
At least this lighting can be customized, either by using the dedicated key in the top-right corner or Keychron’s Web App. This app contains a lot of options for patterns and colors. It also features input customizations, with a wealth of rebinding options that includes various media and system shortcuts.
There aren’t any advanced performance-based features here, save for bounce time settings and an SOCD function. The former lets you set the press and reset times independently for keys. There are two sliders for this purpose with a range of 10-50ms, with millisecond increments. The latter lets you adjust key priority when two are pressed at the same time — you can set the first pressed key to take priority, a chosen key to always take priority, or both to cancel.
As web apps go, Keychron’s is fast and easy to use. I didn’t encounter any frustrating loading times and or major bugs. Still, I would’ve preferred a standalone app for the sake of convenience, saving you from having to load your browser every time.
- Design and features: 4 / 5
Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Performance
- Actuation too deep for effective typing
- Good key spacing and response for gaming
- Unit thickness can cause discomfort
My review unit came with Keychron’s Red switches, which felt a little heavier than I’m used to. They’re damped and lubed to a reasonable degree, though, which made their operation smooth, and I found the clicky impact at the end of a key’s travel quite satisfying.
I was less enamored with the actuation point. It felt like I had to press down quite far for inputs to register, which caused me issues when typing fast, as characters were often missed. Typing isn’t helped by the tall keycaps, either: as someone who usually prefers a low profile, my ability to glide around the board was limited.
What’s more, that aforementioned thickness of the chassis caused me some discomfort after a while, even with the feet folded out, as I had to angle my wrists a fair amount. The K2 Ultra 8K is crying out for a wrist rest, but alas it doesn’t come with one.
Thankfully, I found gaming in the WASD position less problematic. Despite the compact nature of the layout, the keys are still generously separated, while the ergonomic shape makes navigating them quite easy. They also rebound quickly, too, which somewhat makes up for that deep actuation point.
I didn’t have any issues when connecting the K2 Ultra 8K to my PCs wirelessly via the 2.4GHz USB dongle or via Bluetooth. Hot-switching between two devices was also easy and effective, thanks to the slider on the side of the unit.
Should I buy the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K?
Scorecard
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|
Value |
Not many mechanical keyboards offer better value than this. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Design and features |
Very solid and quite heavy. The keycaps are high quality, too, although the backlighting is poor. It sorely needs a wrist rest, too. |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance |
Presses are satisfying and quite quick, although it requires a heavier touch than I would’ve preferred. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Overall rating |
Considering its spec, the K2 Ultra 8K is good value for money, but its key registering issues and uncomfortable thickness dent its appeal somewhat. |
3.5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Also consider
How I tested the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K
- Tested for a few days
- Used for a variety of tasks
- Plenty keyboard reviewing experience
I used the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K for a couple of days, during which time I used it for working, gaming, and general browsing. I connected to two different Windows 11 PCs, one via the 2.4GHz dongle and the other via Bluetooth. I also used it in wired mode with the supplied cable.
I played games such as 007 First Light and Counter-Strike 2, both of which are good tests for the responsiveness of key presses and the comfort of using the all-important WASD position.
I’ve been using keyboards for decades for all sorts of purposes, from working to gaming. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, from budget offerings to high-performing, feature-filled extravagances.
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