While Keychron has established themselves as a brand that builds great mechanical keyboards at budget prices with native Mac and Windows support, they’ve only recently started climbing into the higher-end custom keyboard market.
Building on their success with the Q1 Keyboard release in 2021, Keychron is releasing a next-level custom 65% mechanical keyboard with QMK compatibility for endless customization possibilities. The Keychron Q2 Custom Mechanical Keyboard is changing the game for Keychron, and we are all about it.
Starting at: $179.99
The Style
From an aesthetic perspective, the Q2 checks a lot of boxes.
Anodized aluminum body?
Check.
Custom double-shot PBT keysets in a brand new keycap profile (OSA)?
Check.
Fully customizable RGB LEDs?
Check.
Premium rotary encoder knob?
Check.
Even when you aren’t typing on clouds, the Q2 is going to elevate the look of your setup.
The Build
There are so many things to be excited about on the Q2; potentially the most exciting of all is the construction. The CNC aluminum case holds a steel plate sitting on a luxurious double-gasket design that will transform your typing experience. The gasket mounting ensures that the plate does not contact other metal components on the keyboard. This provides a cushioned feel that was once reserved for keyboard enthusiasts willing to undertake time-consuming mods.
For a mechanical keyboard to come out of the box with these features is really a step toward mainstream consumers meeting the custom mechanical keyboard community.
The Keycaps
The Keychron Q2 features a relatively new keycap profile dubbed “OSA.” The OSA profile is a medium height spherical profile, combining attractive features from the ubiquitous OEM and SA profiles. The key surface is slightly larger than SA for a more comfortable typing experience, while providing a satisfying “thoc” when bottoming out.
These caps are made from PBT plastic: the benchmark material for high-quality keycaps. The doubleshot manufacturing method means that the legends will never fade. Whether you’re constantly spamming ‘Q’ in League of Legends, keeping your fingers all over WASD for MMOs, or just mashing backspace all day they will remain crisp for years.
The Switches
Gateron has updated their molds and materials to make their standardized line of switches even better. There are three options available out of the box for the Keychron Q2 (but don’t worry; with a hot-swappable PCB, you can swap in any switch after purchase): Gateron G Pro Red, Gateron G Pro Blue, and Gateron G Pro Brown.
For the Red and Brown versions, the switches come pre-lubed which means you’ll never want to type on anything else again.
Here are the specs:
Gateron G Pro Red
| Actuation force | 45 ±15gf |
| Pre-travel | 2 ±0.6mm |
| Travel distance | 4 ±0.6mm |
| Behavior | Linear |
| Pre-lubed | Yes |
| Sound level | 1/10 |
Gateron G Pro Blue
| Actuation force | 60 ±15gf |
| Pre-travel | 2.3 ±0.6mm |
| Travel distance | 4 ±0.6mm |
| Behavior | Clicky |
| Pre-lubed | No |
| Sound level | 8/10 |
Gateron G Pro Brown
| Actuation force | 55 ±15gf |
| Pre-travel | 2 ±0.6mm |
| Travel distance | 4 ±0.6mm |
| Behavior | Tactile |
| Pre-lubed | Yes |
| Sound level | 4/10 |
The Software
The customization doesn’t stop with the hardware. That’s only the beginning. The QMK firmware and Via software allow for customization of every facet of the keyboard. Want to change to a Dvorak layout? Go for it. Want to light up the RGBs in any conceivable way? Yup, you’re fully able to. Add in layers, macros, and hotkeys and you have the recipe for, well, whatever you want a keyboard to do.