Magnetic Switches Are The Future

Keychron is entering a new field of keyboards with its Q1 HE. If you’ve been interested in what magnetic switches are all about, this keyboard is sure to sate your curiosity. It convinced me that these switches are the future.

Keychron Q1 HE

The Q1 HE is the world’s first 75% layout wireless QMK custom keyboard equipped with Hall Effect Gateron 2.0 magnetic switches. These switches provide a distinct advantage due to their unique mechanism, offering faster feedback, dynamic rapid triggering, and adjustable actuation points, resulting in epic enhancements for the gaming experience tailored to your individual preferences.

Form factor

75% Keyboard

Switch options

Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula Switch

Colorways

Carbon Black, Shell White

Backlight

South-facing LED Backlights

Construction

Aluminum

Keycaps

OSA Profile PBT Keycaps

Supported operating systems

Windows, macOS

Hot-swappable

Yes

Battery capacity

4000 mAh

Connectivity

2.4G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wired

Software customizability

Keychron Launcher Web App

Weight

3.84lbs (1745g)

Price

$219

Number of Keys

84

Brand

Keychron

Num Pad

None

Battery life

Up to 100 hours

Polling Rate (Refresh)

1000Hz

Pros

• Magnetic switches allow you to adjust for exact actuation points
• Switches and keys are hot-swappable
• feels and sounds great out of the box without any adjustments

Cons

• Magnetic switches mean there aren’t as many options to swap with
• Limited LED options
• Difficult to use as both a productivity and gaming keyboard

Expand

Price and Availability

The Keychron Q1 HE retails for $219. Only the Carbon Black colorway is available at launch, but you can update the knob to a variety of types, as well as customize your Q1 HE on the Keychron website.

Design: Sturdy, With a Premium Feel

The first thing I noticed when I got this keyboard was just how heavy it was. The Keychron Q1 HE’s metal body adds a fair amount of heft compared to plastic, and while I was testing it, the keyboard did not move around my desk mat like lighter keyboards would.

The Q1 HE is a 75% keyboard—smaller than a tenkeyless keyboard but still featuring the function key row and a few other keys. For reference, my daily driver is a 60% keyboard, which is missing the function keys and condenses some of the remaining keys into a smaller form factor. But even though the Q1 HE is technically bigger than my keyboard, it still fits nicely on my small desk, not getting in the way of moving my mouse.

The PBT OSA style keycaps felt great to type with and looked clean. The Gateron 2.0 switches are quiet and feel great. There is also a knob on the keyboard, which is great for adjusting the volume of your music or videos. I’ll admit I often forgot about it while testing, but it’s a neat function regardless.

The only knock for the Q1 HE design-wise is the LED lighting. I prefer the ability to completely tweak my keyboard lighting, whether this is by colors, effects, or anything else. Keychron only has some lighting preset options, and you can’t change them by key. It’s disappointing, but the presets look nice enough, and you can always disable the lighting if you prefer.

Even with its factory standard set-up, the Q1 HE feels like a premium experience. But if you don’t like something about the keyboard, it’s easy to change it! This Keychron keyboard, like many of the company’s line, is hot-swappable so that you can swap out the switches and keycaps to your liking.

You can’t just replace the switches with any switches, however. The Keychron Q1 HE has magnetic switches, which are different from the more common switch types.

Magnetic Switches: The Future of Keyboards?

The standout aspect of the Keychron Q1 HE is the use of magnetic switches as opposed to normal mechanical switches. What this boils down to is that instead of the switch sending a manual signal that it’s pressed with electricity and pins, magnets will send the signals.

Gamers likely already know this technology as ‘Hall Effect‘ technology, which has recently become popular with gaming controllers due to its ability to prevent stick drift and ensure they last longer. Hall Effect switches aren’t exactly new to the keyboard world either, but they’re making a big comeback, and the Q1 HE is an example of what makes them so great.

For one, the magnetic switches make typing far quieter than even the quietest mechanical switches. They’re great for those who dislike the loud clacking of even brown mechanical switches or those who live or work in a shared space where the noise can be distracting. As much as I enjoy the Holy Panda X switches in my normal keyboard, I can’t deny that they are loud, and the noise can distract me or others who can hear it when I’m voice chatting. These magnetic switches offer a quieter solution without making my typing experience worse.

But the real claim to fame for magnetic switches is the ability to set the actuation point of each individual key. Handled via the Keychron Launcher browser app, you can control just how hard you need to press a key for it to register.

Actuation points are important for both productivity and gaming. Keyboards for productivity want an actuation point somewhere in the middle range to prevent typos while lowering fatigue by reducing the distance needed to press the key for it to register. For gaming, however, you want a lower actuation point to get the best reaction time possible. Being able not only to control the actuation points but to set a unique point for each key, is a great advantage for keyboard and mouse gamers.

This fancy magnetic switch tech does come with a disadvantage—the Q1 HE cannot be customized with the VIA app like many keyboards are. You have to use the browser app, which is serviceable enough but not as good of an experience.

Great for Productivity And Gaming

The Keychron Q1 HE is made for gaming, but it’s also a great productivity keyboard. With a smooth and quiet typing experience straight out of the box, you really can’t go wrong here. Since you can switch easily between Mac and Windows modes (with swappable keycaps to match) and between wired and wireless modes, this keyboard is easy to use with any device you have.

Of course, this keyboard is also great for gaming, though you may need to tweak things more to your liking. If you’re a casual gamer, you’re not likely to feel a difference in the actuation points, but if you game more seriously or play titles that need a fast reaction time, you can adjust everything to your liking.

That said, if you do change the actuation point for gaming, it may be too sensitive for normal typing. If you need to use the same computer for work and gaming, you’ll want to plan for this— you’ll either need to balance your settings so it’s not too sensitive for normal typing or keep another keyboard around to swap with as needed.

Should You Buy the Keychron Q1 HE?

The Keychron Q1 HE is a great keyboard that offers an excellent typing experience, whether you plan to use it for gaming or productivity. The magnetic switches are smooth and quiet, and the ability to adjust actuation points is a boon for hardcore gamers. Besides some minor slip-ups, this is a keyboard worth the investment.

Keychron Q1 HE

The Q1 HE is the world’s first 75% layout wireless QMK custom keyboard equipped with Hall Effect Gateron 2.0 magnetic switches. These switches provide a distinct advantage due to their unique mechanism, offering faster feedback, dynamic rapid triggering, and adjustable actuation points, resulting in epic enhancements for the gaming experience tailored to your individual preferences.