Latest news with #HallEffect
North Wales Live
12-07-2025
- North Wales Live
Review: Keychron Q1 HE is the ultimate keyboard for gamers and pros
Right, where do I start? If you sit at home all day in front of a computer, one of the most impactful things you can ever buy yourself is a mechanical keyboard. It's up there with a cappuccino machine for your home office. I can't quite put it into words why but trust me, the first time I got to try one and felt and heard the reassuring clickety click, it got a little dusty in the room! Of all the mechanical keyboards I have tested I've not come across a real stinker, but the king at the moment is definitely Keychron. The keyboards are just so solid and give you a lovely typing experience every time. However, they do cost. It's not that they're overpriced but sometimes if you want the best you're going to have to pay for it. The latest to come across my desk is the Keychron Q1 HE. It's the first 75% wireless QMK keyboard with Hall Effect Gateron double-rail magnetic switches. What does that mean? The Hall Effect mechanism offers super-fast rapid response times and allows user to assign multiple actions to a single key, depending on how deeply it is pressed. Sounds like magic. To be honest, if you're filling out spreadsheets or writing a report, you're not going to go out of your way to try this. However, if you're a a gamer of a video editor I'd imagine with a bit of imagination you'll have a field day. What will make you sit up straight, however, is the tactile feel of the keys themselves that will have you purring. Its small form factor means it doesn't dominate your desk, while having all the essential keys you'll need. It does not have a number pad, you'll have to get a full-sized keyboard for that. And don't be fooled by its size into thinking the Q1 is portable. It's made of aluminum and weighs a ton! Your cat will not be knocking it off your desk anytime soon. I found the typing angle comfortable and more than a little reminiscent of an old-fashioned typewriter. Due to the weight, you can't adjust that angle. This being a Keychron, if you're a pro user you can really get stuck in and customise the keycaps, the switches and even some of the internal components. There's also plenty of scope to make it your own by using the Keychron Launcher web app, which I found frwsshingly user-friendly for the layman. As for connections, you can take your pick from Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless dongle or wired. The Bluetooth 5.1 support allows pairing with up to three devices. You are given keys to switch in and out depending if you're on a Mac or Windows. I'm a shallow man in many ways so while all the tech is very cool, I found that I spent far to long playing with the 22 types of RGB backlight settings you have to choose from! As this might indicate, the Keychron Q1 HE is really for the pros and high-end users, although its form factor makes it great in the home office environment. And, if nothing else, it's built to last. If you're a light user, it's probably a little too much. I'd still recommend getting a mechanical keyboard, but you can pick up a perfectly decent one for half the price. But for anyone else, it's well worth a look.
Wales Online
12-07-2025
- Wales Online
Review: Keychron Q1 HE is the ultimate keyboard for gamers and pros
Review: Keychron Q1 HE is the ultimate keyboard for gamers and pros Users can assign multiple actions to a single key, depending on how deeply it is pressed The Keychron Q1 HE Right, where do I start? If you sit at home all day in front of a computer, one of the most impactful things you can ever buy yourself is a mechanical keyboard. It's up there with a cappuccino machine for your home office. I can't quite put it into words why but trust me, the first time I got to try one and felt and heard the reassuring clickety click, it got a little dusty in the room! Of all the mechanical keyboards I have tested I've not come across a real stinker, but the king at the moment is definitely Keychron. The keyboards are just so solid and give you a lovely typing experience every time. However, they do cost. It's not that they're overpriced but sometimes if you want the best you're going to have to pay for it. The latest to come across my desk is the Keychron Q1 HE. It's the first 75% wireless QMK keyboard with Hall Effect Gateron double-rail magnetic switches. What does that mean? The Hall Effect mechanism offers super-fast rapid response times and allows user to assign multiple actions to a single key, depending on how deeply it is pressed. Sounds like magic. To be honest, if you're filling out spreadsheets or writing a report, you're not going to go out of your way to try this. However, if you're a a gamer of a video editor I'd imagine with a bit of imagination you'll have a field day. What will make you sit up straight, however, is the tactile feel of the keys themselves that will have you purring. Its small form factor means it doesn't dominate your desk, while having all the essential keys you'll need. It does not have a number pad, you'll have to get a full-sized keyboard for that. And don't be fooled by its size into thinking the Q1 is portable. It's made of aluminum and weighs a ton! Your cat will not be knocking it off your desk anytime soon. I found the typing angle comfortable and more than a little reminiscent of an old-fashioned typewriter. Due to the weight, you can't adjust that angle. This being a Keychron, if you're a pro user you can really get stuck in and customise the keycaps, the switches and even some of the internal components. There's also plenty of scope to make it your own by using the Keychron Launcher web app, which I found frwsshingly user-friendly for the layman. The Keychron Q1 HE As for connections, you can take your pick from Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless dongle or wired. The Bluetooth 5.1 support allows pairing with up to three devices. You are given keys to switch in and out depending if you're on a Mac or Windows. I'm a shallow man in many ways so while all the tech is very cool, I found that I spent far to long playing with the 22 types of RGB backlight settings you have to choose from! As this might indicate, the Keychron Q1 HE is really for the pros and high-end users, although its form factor makes it great in the home office environment. And, if nothing else, it's built to last. If you're a light user, it's probably a little too much. I'd still recommend getting a mechanical keyboard, but you can pick up a perfectly decent one for half the price. But for anyone else, it's well worth a look. The Keychron Q1 HE is available for £239.99 via Amazon Alternatives Article continues below Razer Pro Type Ultra - Wireless Mechanical Keyboard AULA F99 Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard
CNET
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Save Big on a Nitro Deck for Your Nintendo Switch This Prime Day and Avoid Stick Drift
As always, Amazon Prime Day heralds many new tech and lifestyle deals, which means you can level up your gaming experience by nabbing some accessories at more affordable prices. CNET's experts are pulling together the best deals as they go live, so stay tuned for the latest steals during July Prime Day. If you're not planning on upgrading to a Switch 2 quite yet, there's never been a better time to snag some peripherals for Nintendo's original hybrid console. You can get CRKD's Nitro Deck handheld controller and carry case for just $48 this Prime Day. That's a 40% discount from the original price. This cool conversion kit comes in a pretty retro purple color that evokes memories of your favorite GameCube controllers, but you can also choose to purchase the controller in retro mint or the transparent orange zest or crystal pink offerings instead. One of the best things about this controller is that it features Hall Effect sticks. That means they won't quickly break and start drifting like the standard Joy-Cons do. You won't have to ease up your thumbs on the CRKD Nitro Deck, knowing that this controller will last a long time means that this is an investment in the longevity of your Nintendo Switch. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. The carry case bundle is the perfect fit for your console and controller because the whole Switch slides right in there with the Nitro Deck attached. If you enjoy playing the Switch in handheld mode more than you enjoy docking it and playing on the TV, this is one of the best ways to game on the go. But maybe you don't want the Switch to be a purely handheld controller. In that case, you should check out the best Switch controllers as carefully curated by CNET's gaming experts. Why this deal matters The Switch 2 might be all the rage right now, but many people are sticking with their original Switch consoles. Now is the perfect time to pick up peripherals for your reliable Nintendo system, and the CRKD Nitro Deck is a great conversion kit that will help you avoid the pesky stick drift that bogs down normal Joy-Cons.
WIRED
02-07-2025
- WIRED
Wooting's 80HE Feels Like the Pinnacle of Hall Effect Keyboards
Wooting was one of the first analog keyboard brands to break into the mainstream. When the original Wooting One TKL launched, it was a big deal—optical switch technology was still new to most people, and the idea of a keyboard with hyper-fast, adjustable key actuations was both novel and revolutionary at the time. Later, when it debuted its Lekker Hall effect switch in the Wooting Two, it was one of the first companies to utilize the technology for gaming. Things ramped up in 2020 with the release of the Wooting 60HE: Wooting was taking preorders months in advance, the keyboard was reselling with massive markups, and Hall effect completely overshadowed optical switches as the next big thing. Now, Hall effect keyboards are a dime a dozen. It kicked off an arms race, and Wooting's 60HE fell behind. But with the new Wooting 80HE, the company returned to the tenkeyless (TKL) layout of its first keyboard and made a keyboard that's not only competitive but impressive. The 80HE has every feature I want in a Hall effect keyboard, without any of the mistakes I commonly see. It's robust, reliable, and easy to repair. The 80HE has two versions, one with a plastic case and the other with a zinc alloy. The plastic version retails for $200 and comes in opaque black or transparent gray. The zinc alloy model costs $290 and includes a carrying case. It comes in black or white. You can also get the keyboard in ANSI, ISO, and JIS layouts. I tested the zinc alloy case in black with a standard ANSI layout. Fantastic Functionality Photograph: Henri Robbins For nearly every Hall effect keyboard I've reviewed, software has been a sore spot. They've been buggy, awkward, poorly designed, filled with advertisements, or just plain unintuitive. Even the best software I've tested, from Keychron, has minor issues with connectivity and setting functions. This is where Wooting stands out. Its in-house app, Wootility, is great. It's a simple, lightweight utility that provides extensive adjustments and customizations. It's available both in-browser and as a downloadable executable, meaning you can access it anywhere and use it offline. More than that, every part of its design makes sense: The application is organized, easy to use, intuitive, and explains every setting. Plus, during my entire time using the browser version, I never ran into connectivity issues—the minute I hit 'enter' for the URL, it recognized the keyboard. This isn't the case for most in-browser keyboard utilities, which don't always want to connect. Even niche features like gamepad emulation worked flawlessly. I replicated the analog inputs of an Xbox controller's stick and triggers without any hiccups or confusion, adjusting the settings on the fly and still maintaining keyboard inputs for unmapped keys. I even put down a half-decent lap time in Art of Rally after a bit of practice (and a few crashes).
Tom's Guide
19-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
I tried this trippy-looking Xbox controller from PowerA and it takes RGB lighting to a whole different level
The right controller can make or break the experience of playing your favorite games. That's why when I sit down in front of my PC or console, I prefer playing with a pro controller over a standard one thanks to all their extra features. From remappable back buttons you can customize to your liking to thumbsticks with Hall Effect sensors that are less likely to develop stick drift, spending a bit more to upgrade to a pro controller is absolutely worth it in my opinion. It also beats buying one stock controller after another when their buttons or thumbsticks eventually wear out. I've tried a lot of the best PC game controllers over the years and besides pro-level features, many of them have started incorporating built-in RGB lighting into their designs. From subtle customizable lighting near their home buttons to lightstrips that wrap all the way around, controllers with RGB lighting have come a long way in a short time. Just when I thought I had seen it all though, I came across the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Like other pro controllers I've tested, this one is feature-packed and comes with a carrying case. However, once I switched on its RGB lighting, I couldn't take my eyes off everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind controller and why its unique design takes RGB lighting to a whole new level. This controller works wirelessly on both Xbox and PC while packing in all of the pro-level features like remappable back buttons, Hall Effect thumbsticks and trigger locks you'd expect at this price. You also get a carrying case and a magnetic charging stand in the box. However, it's PowerA's one-of-a-kind RGB Ghost Lighting that really makes this controller Check: $89 used at Amazon Renewed One thing you can count on if you do decide to pick up a pro controller is that it will come with a lot of accessories. The PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller is no different and in addition to a carrying case, you also get a controller stand with a magnetic wireless charger. However, if space is limited on your entertainment center or desk, you can simply detach the magnetic wireless charger and use it on its own. At first glance, the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller doesn't look all that different from your standard Xbox controller. On closer inspection, you can see that it has anti-friction rings around its Hall Effect-equipped thumbsticks and that you have microphone controls at the bottom of the controller above its 3.5mm audio jack. Unlike on the Xbox Elite Series 2 pro controller though, you get a dedicated screenshot button instead of a button to switch profiles. The included charging stand has another trick up its sleeve too. Around back, there's a slot where you can store the controller's wireless USB adapter. The PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller also features Bluetooth but if you're playing on Xbox, you'll need this adapter to use the controller wirelessly. While I love having a place to store the adapter, there isn't actually a USB port in the stand to plug it into. This is a small gripe though and if you plug the adapter into the back of your Xbox, you'll never actually see it. Although the front of the controller has a standard look to it, flipping the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller over reveals even more of its pro-level features. There are rubber grips on the backside of its handles to make it easier to hold and towards the center of the controller, you get four remappable back buttons. Up top, trigger locks allow for faster actuation which shortens their pull distance and can be very useful when playing first-person shooters. What sets PowerA's pro and enhanced controllers apart from the competition is that you can use the buttons around back to customize their remappable buttons on the fly. Sure, there is an app (more on that later) but being able to quickly reprogram your back buttons depending on the game you're playing is a very useful feature. Many pro controllers come with swappable thumbsticks as some people prefer having one higher or lower than the other for more precise aiming in first-person shooters. This also gives you a greater range of motion and can help reduce thumb fatigue for some gamers. Instead of swappable thumbsticks you can misplace if you don't put them carefully away in a carrying case, PowerA has started doing things differently with its latest controllers. By gripping the thumbsticks of the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller with two fingers and twisting, you can adjust their height without having to take them or the controller's faceplate off. There are three different height settings on this controller and I found that swapping between them was not only fast but also quite easy to do. I was already quite impressed with the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller based on its pro-level features alone. However, once I charged it up and connected it to my Xbox, that's when things took a turn on the trippy side. Hiding underneath its black exterior, the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller has what the company is calling Ghost RGB Lighting and I think that's definitely a fitting name for it. With its RGB lighting disabled, the controller has a stealth look to it but when you turn it on, not only are you greeted with a rainbow of colors, there's also a really cool (and certainly trippy) pattern lurking beneath its surface. Just like with PowerA's previous Lumectra-equipped controllers, this one features four customizable lighting zones that extend across the controller starting from left to right. Zone 1 is located on the controller's left handle, Zone 2 extends from the top left corner to the middle, Zone 3 goes from the middle to the top right corner and Zone 4 is located on the right handle. Like with its remappable back buttons, you can customize the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller's RGB lighting and effects right on the controller. By default, its RGB lighting is set to Rainbow and uses a Wave effect across the entire controller. This makes the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller almost appear as if it's breathing. As its hidden pattern is abstract by design, trying to figure out what it actually depicts adds to the controller's trippiness. At times I could see what appeared to be an animal's face in the center but when I looked away from the controller, I saw something completely different in its pattern. If you prefer to avoid the trial-and-error process of remapping back buttons or adjusting RGB lighting directly on the controller, the PowerA Gamer HQ app is available for Xbox and PC to simplify things. It lets you do all of this, along with testing or calibrating the controller, changing audio or vibration settings, and setting dead zones for its thumbsticks. PowerA's app worked well enough but it certainly threw me through a loop at first. The reason being is that instead of having its menu items on the top and letting you navigate through them using the controller's bumpers, they're located on the side. Fortunately, once you figure out how to remap those back buttons on the controller itself, it's a fairly simple process. Quickly changing the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller's lighting modes this way is pretty easy too, though I did prefer using the app when coming up with more complex color combinations for its hidden pattern. As for using the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller on Xbox and PC, everything worked great and it felt very comfortable in hand. Granted, I have been using the company's Fusion pro controllers since back when they were only available in a wired configuration. I really like having four remappable back buttons so I don't have to take my thumbs off the controller's joysticks at all since I usually map them to the ABXY face buttons. In regard to its Lumectra lighting, I found it really stood out in a dark room at night, even if it was a little distracting at times. During the day though, it's more of a light glow than a full-on light show like in the picture above. Besides having the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller's full pattern lit up, you can also have parts of the controller light up when you hit certain buttons. I liked using it this way as I could immediately tell when a particular button was pressed. For those times when I wanted some extra light but with fewer distractions, you can also have the controller emit a steady glow and I really liked how this looked with the controller's RGB lighting set to plain white. These days, there are a ton of different options when it comes to picking up a pro controller for one of the best gaming PCs. However, it's a different story on Xbox where wireless third-party controllers (and especially pro-level ones) are few and far between thanks to Microsoft's own restrictions. The company has opened the gates a bit in recent years but due to its licensing fees, you're always going to pay a bit more for a PC controller that also works wirelessly on Xbox. If you're a big fan of RGB or just want to add a pop of psychedelic color to your gaming setup, it's a great controller that comes with plenty of useful accessories like its magnetic charging stand and carrying case in the box. The PowerA Fusion Pro gives you the best of both worlds and its included wireless USB adapter makes it easy to quickly switch between PC or Xbox. If you're a big fan of RGB or just want to add a pop of psychedelic color to your gaming setup, it's a great controller that comes with plenty of useful accessories like its magnetic charging stand and carrying case in the box. You are paying a premium for wireless connectivity support on Xbox though. If you like the look and features of this controller and primarily play on PC, I'd suggest picking up the $99 PowerA OPS v3 Pro instead. While its RGB lighting is a bit simpler, you can still customize it and tweak the colors of its various zones. You also get two additional programmable buttons next to the triggers on the top of the controller. At the same time, it does come with a magnetic charging stand but this one lays flat instead of propping your controller up. PowerA has done something quite different with its Fusion Pro Wireless Controller when it comes to its RGB lighting while still including all of the extra features you'd expect in a pro controller. Personally, I can't wait to see what the company comes up with next in regards to RGB lighting as this controller's hidden Ghost RGB Lighting is definitely going to be hard to top.
