Latest news with #KeychronQ1HE
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
Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Keychron Q1 HE review: A next-gen magnetic marvel for typing and gaming alike
The Keychron Q1 HE is an impressive wireless mechanical keyboard that blends cutting-edge hall effect technology with a minimalist aluminium build, offering gamers and typists customisable control, fast actuation, and incredible versatility. The market has been flooded with mechanical keyboards over the last decade, but not all are made equal. Keychron is a keyboard maker that distinguishes itself with customisable builds and clean aesthetics. I've been testing their new Q1 HE mechanical keyboard, which features hall effect magnetic switches and wireless QMK/VIA support in a compact 75% form factor. Spoiler alert, it's one of the best wireless mechanical keyboards I've used to date. It's not without its quirks, but the attention to detail, responsiveness, and flexibility make it a top-tier offering. Design and build The Q1 HE is similar to the Q6 Max I recently reviewed. It features an all-aluminium CNC-machined body made from 6063-grade material, and at 1,735g, the Q1 HE is one of the heaviest 75% keyboards you'll come across. That extra weight not only adds to its durability but also gives it a premium, high-end feel. The unit I tested, in carbon black finish, looks exceptionally sleek on a clean desk setup. Build quality is excellent. There's no deck flex, no rattling, and the anodised finish resists fingerprints surprisingly well. It's heavy enough to stay planted, even during more intense gaming sessions. The included PBT keycaps have a satisfying texture, and thanks to the double-gasket mounting system, typing on the Q1 HE feels both dampened and firm. The keyboard I received is fully ISO-UK layout conformant, and it worked perfectly with both my MacBook and Windows PC. Magnetic switches Instead of traditional mechanical switches, the Q1 HE uses Gateron double-rail hall effect magnetic switches. These switches don't rely on physical contact to register input; instead, they detect how close a magnet is to the PCB, allowing for adjustable actuation points from 0.1mm to 4.0mm. That means you can tune each key's sensitivity exactly to your liking. This results in a dramatically different feel compared to traditional mechanical switches. For gaming, the rapid trigger functionality is excellent. You don't have to lift your finger entirely to re-activate a key, which means faster inputs, tighter control, and smoother transitions, particularly in fast-paced FPS or action titles. I'm not a competitive gamer, but I really appreciated the feel and customisability of the keyboard. As someone who spends most of their time typing and occasionally gaming, I loved being able to fine-tune the experience. For example, I set a deeper actuation point for writing and shallower triggers for gaming. You can even program dual-action keypresses, triggering different actions depending on how far you press a key. Wireless versatility and performance Despite all the talk of mechanical and magnetic switches, the wireless performance on this keyboard is equally impressive. The 2.4GHz connection, paired with a 1,000Hz polling rate, ensures lag-free responsiveness, even when used wirelessly for competitive gaming. I was sceptical at first, but over several hours of testing across titles like Destiny 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, I couldn't detect any meaningful input lag. It supports Bluetooth 5.1, which is excellent for pairing with up to three devices. Switching between my MacBook, Windows PC, and iPad Pro was as simple as tapping a function key combo. Keychron has nailed the connectivity options here, and for those who still prefer it, a USB-C wired mode is also available. One caveat: battery life can vary depending on backlight usage and polling rate. With RGB turned off, Keychron claims up to 180 hours of use. Customisation and software support The Q1 HE is fully programmable with QMK and VIA, as well as Keychron's own web-based Launcher. This means full key remapping, macro assignment, and lighting control, all right from your browser, so no software installation is necessary. It works well, although the interface could be daunting for absolute beginners. The board is hot-swappable, so you can replace the hall effect switches with other compatible magnetic variants. The keycaps are standard profile and easy to swap too. Verdict The Q1 HE is certainly not cheap. However, considering the materials, wireless technology, hall-effect switches, and sheer customisability on offer, it's well within reason for enthusiasts. However, the price could be a barrier for casual users or first-time mechanical keyboard buyers. The Q1 HE is an absolute joy to type on, and the keys are noticeably quieter than most mechanical keyboards I've tested. If you're ready to dive into the future of custom mechanical keyboards, this one is hard to beat. €211
