My search for the perfect gaming keyboard (w/ rapid trigger)

Summary

This video script explores the world of Hall effect keyboards, focusing on their advantages in gaming over traditional mechanical keyboards. The reviewer tests various models, including those from Wooding, Kyron, Everglide, and Echo, noting differences in latency, responsiveness, and build quality. Software and firmware are highlighted as crucial for customization, with Wooding and Kyron leading in user-friendly interfaces. Despite some requiring calibration, Hall effect keyboards offer a superior gaming experience with rapid trigger capabilities.

Takeaways

• 🎮 Hall effect keyboards are popular in the gaming community, with some players considering them superior to mechanical keyboards for gaming due to their responsiveness.
• 🏆 Pro players and enthusiasts believe that these keyboards can enhance in-game performance, with some even suggesting they offer a competitive edge.
• 🔄 Hall effect keyboards feature rapid trigger technology, allowing for keys to be released and re-triggered throughout the entire keystroke range, unlike mechanical keyboards.
• 🕹️ The review covers multiple Hall effect keyboards including the Wooding 60 H, Kyron Q1 H, Everglide AE68, Echo, and Endgame Gear KB 65 H, each with unique characteristics.
• 📊 A latency test was conducted using a solenoid to measure the real latency of the keyboards, revealing minor differences with Echo's keyboard performing the best under certain conditions.
• ⚙️ Customization is key for Hall effect keyboards, with the ability to adjust actuation points and rapid trigger sensitivities to suit individual preferences.
• 🤔 The script highlights the importance of software and firmware for configuring Hall effect keyboards, with Wooding and Kyron leading in this aspect.
• 💾 Echo's keyboard, despite having high-quality hardware, suffers from software issues, including bugs and a lack of proper profile management.
• 🛠️ Calibration is an important aspect, with some keyboards requiring occasional recalibration while others, like Wooding's, can calibrate keys on the fly.
• 💰 The script also touches on the value proposition of the keyboards, with some offering a more affordable option without compromising on quality.
• 🔑 Key takeaways include the rapid trigger feature, the importance of software for customization, and the varying performance and quality of the keyboards tested.

Q & A

What are Hall of Fame effect keyboards?

Hall of Fame effect keyboards are a type of gaming keyboard that uses Hall effect sensors for key detection, offering faster response times and the ability to re-trigger keys across the whole keystroke range, known as rapid trigger.

Why are Hall of Fame effect keyboards considered advantageous in gaming?

They offer a more responsive in-game experience compared to traditional mechanical keyboards, with features like rapid trigger that can enhance the precision of movements and actions, which some players feel is akin to cheating.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Hall of Fame Keyboards in Gaming

This paragraph introduces the concept of Hall of Fame effect keyboards, also known as rapid trigger or wooden clone keyboards, which are popular among professional gamers for their enhanced responsiveness. The narrator expresses a preference for these keyboards over traditional mechanical ones, noting their potential to improve in-game performance. The paragraph also mentions the variety of options available, including keyboards from Wooding, which popularized the Hall of Fame effect, and new entries from brands like Kyron, Everglide, and Echo, which are entering the market with innovative features such as 8 kHz polling rates. The narrator sets the stage for a series of tests to evaluate these keyboards' latency and performance.

05:01

🔍 Deep Dive into Keyboard Latency and Rapid Trigger Features

The second paragraph delves into the technical aspects of the keyboards, focusing on latency and the rapid trigger feature. The narrator discusses the importance of latency in gaming and how Hall of Fame effect keyboards differ from mechanical ones. The rapid trigger capability is highlighted as a key advantage, allowing for more precise control and faster in-game actions. The paragraph also addresses the different settings and software interfaces of various keyboards, pointing out the unique features and limitations of each, such as Echo's raw mode and Wooding's teon mode. The narrator emphasizes the need for a good Hall of Fame keyboard for gaming and the challenges in choosing the right one among the growing competition.

10:02

🛠️ Customizing Actuation Points and Rapid Trigger Settings

This paragraph discusses the customization options available on Hall of Fame effect keyboards, particularly the actuation points and rapid trigger settings. The narrator explains how these settings can affect the keyboard's performance and user experience. The paragraph compares the software and firmware of different brands, noting the ease of use and functionality of Wooding's slick web interface and Keyron's comparable web interface. It also criticizes the software of other brands like Echo and Endgame Gear for their lack of features and bugs. The narrator highlights the importance of quick profile switching for different use cases and the issues with keyboards that lack dedicated actuation point settings or have problematic implementations of rapid trigger features.

15:02

🏆 Comparing the Top Hall of Fame Effect Keyboards

The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by comparing the top Hall of Fame effect keyboards, focusing on the pros and cons of each. The narrator shares personal experiences with the keyboards, including the build quality, sound, and performance of the Wooding 60 H and the Keyron Q1 H. The paragraph also touches on the issues faced with other keyboards, such as the Everglide AE68 and the Endgame Gear KB 65 H. The narrator concludes by expressing a preference for the 75% layout of the Q1 H but acknowledges the superior sound and reliability of the Wooding 60 H. The paragraph ends with an anticipation of future developments in the Hall of Fame effect keyboard market.

Keywords

💡Hall effect keyboards

Hall effect keyboards are a type of gaming keyboard that uses Hall effect sensors to detect key presses. These keyboards are known for their high responsiveness and reduced latency, which can provide a competitive edge in gaming. In the video, the speaker discusses the advantages of Hall effect keyboards over traditional mechanical keyboards, stating that they feel more responsive in-game and can potentially enhance a player's performance.

💡Rapid trigger

Rapid trigger is a feature of Hall effect keyboards that allows keys to be released and re-triggered at any point during the keystroke, unlike mechanical keyboards that require the key to be fully released. This feature is highlighted in the video as a significant advantage for gaming, as it enables more precise control and faster reaction times. The script mentions that this feature makes Hall effect keyboards stand out in the gaming keyboard space.

💡Wooding 60 H

The Wooding 60 H is a specific model of Hall effect keyboard mentioned in the script. It is noted for having made Hall effect keyboards popular and is considered an obvious choice for gamers. The video discusses its features, such as the aluminum case and the responsiveness of its keys, and compares it with other keyboards in the market.

💡Polling rate

The polling rate of a keyboard refers to how often the keyboard checks for key presses. A higher polling rate can lead to faster response times. In the video, the Echo keyboard is discussed for having an 8 kHz polling rate, which is eight times the rate of the Wooding 60 H, suggesting it could offer even faster response times in certain conditions.

💡Latency

Latency in the context of keyboards refers to the delay between a key press and the corresponding action appearing on screen. The video script discusses the importance of low latency for gaming and how Hall effect keyboards can offer reduced latency compared to mechanical keyboards. The script also details a test setup to measure the latency of various keyboards.

💡Actuation point

The actuation point is the distance at which a key press is detected by the keyboard. In the video, different keyboards have various settings for the actuation point, which can affect the sensitivity and responsiveness of the keys. The script explains how adjusting this setting can help with issues like accidental key presses or the need for more precise control.

💡Endgame Gear KB 65 H

The Endgame Gear KB 65 H is another Hall effect keyboard model discussed in the video. It is noted for its aluminum case and its approach to rapid trigger functionality, which is always active but lacks a dedicated actuation point setting. The script also mentions its price point and the user's experience with its sensitivity settings.

💡Key calibration

Key calibration is the process of adjusting the sensitivity and responsiveness of individual keys on a keyboard. The video script mentions that some Hall effect keyboards, like the Kyron Q1 H, may require occasional recalibration to address issues with key registration, while others, like the Wooding 60 H, do not need calibration and can calibrate keys on the fly.

💡Software interface

The software interface is the user interface of the software used to configure and customize keyboard settings. In the video, the script compares the software interfaces of different keyboard brands, noting that some are more intuitive and feature-rich than others. The quality of the software interface is highlighted as an important factor in the overall user experience with Hall effect keyboards.

💡Build quality

Build quality refers to the materials, construction, and overall durability of a product. The video script discusses the build quality of various Hall effect keyboards, noting differences in materials like aluminum and brass, as well as the precision of machining. High build quality is associated with a more premium feel and longer-lasting product.

💡Profile switching

Profile switching allows users to quickly change between different keyboard settings tailored for various tasks or games. The video script mentions the convenience of being able to switch profiles with a keyboard shortcut, which is a feature available on some keyboards like the Wooding 60 H, but not on others like the Endgame Gear KB 65 H, where profiles need to be managed through an application.

Highlights

Hall of Fame effect keyboards and rapid trigger keyboards are popular among professional gamers and are considered by some to offer a competitive advantage.

The Hall of Fame effect keyboards provide a more responsive gaming experience compared to traditional mechanical keyboards.

Wooding's 60 H is a popular Hall of Fame keyboard, known for its aluminum case and high performance.

Competition in the Hall of Fame keyboard market has increased, with well-known brands entering the space.

ECHO's keyboard stands out with an 8 kHz polling rate, which is eight times higher than the Wooding 60 H.

Latency tests using a solenoid reveal that ECHO's keyboard has the lowest latency when in 'raw mode', but this mode is limited to four keys.

Wooding's 'teon' mode provides a latency advantage without limiting RGB lighting, unlike ECHO's 'raw mode'.

Rapid trigger capability is a key feature of Hall of Fame effect keyboards, allowing for more intuitive and precise control in gaming.

Different Hall of Fame keyboards have varying force profiles and software settings, affecting in-game feel and performance.

ECHO's keyboard has a unique issue where rapid trigger remains active after initial key press, leading to potential unintended behavior.

Endgame Gear's KB 65 H lacks a dedicated actuation point setting, which can cause a 'dead zone' in the middle of a keystroke.

The build quality and design of ECHO's keyboard are praised, but its software and firmware are criticized for being difficult to use and buggy.

Wooding and Keyron are noted for their superior software interfaces, offering more features and reliability compared to other brands.

The lack of a keyboard shortcut for profile switching in some keyboards is identified as a significant inconvenience for users.

Everglide's AE68 is recognized for its build quality and software that allows fixed actuation points, avoiding dead zones.

The Keyron Q1 H and Wooding 60 H are the top two favorites, with the Q1 H offering a 75% layout and additional features like a volume knob.

Calibration issues are noted with the Q1 H, requiring occasional recalibration, unlike the Wooding 60 H which does not need calibration.

Preference for the 75% form factor of the Q1 H is expressed, despite the Wooding 60 H being considered the better keyboard overall.

The video concludes with an anticipation for the upcoming Wooding AT keyboard and its potential impact on the market.

Transcripts

all of these keyboards are Hall of f

effect keyboards or rapid trigger

keyboards or wooden clones whatever you

want to call them fact is these are like

super hyrid know in the gaming keyboard

space lots of pro players use them

people swear these will make you better

in game some even say it's like cheating

compared to a normal keyboard and yeah

there's definitely some truth to that

we're going to do a bunch of more

objective tests with all of these

keyboards in a minute but I can already

tell you after spending some time with

these keyboards I really don't know if I

can ever go back to a normal mechanical

keyboard these really are that good of

course there are a few things I don't

like about some of the keyboards I've

tested we'll get to that but yeah a good

hall effect keyboard with the right

settings just feels so much more

responsive in game than every mechanical

keyboard I've tested so far so it's

clear to me that I need a hall of f

keyboard for gaming question though is

which one I mean wooding made Hall of f

keyboards popular so the 60 H would be

the obvious choice and I have one right

here in this super nice Alum case which

is Wu's new aluminum case but yeah

wooding are not the only ones anymore

who make keyboards like this there's

actually a lot of competition right now

and finally even some well-known brands

from the mechanical keyboard space are

jumping onto the Hall of effect hype

train here we have the brand new q1 H by

Kyron everglide also brought out a new

Hall of f keyboard and Echo even have a

few ones but this one probably is the

most high and H keyboard that even has 8

khz polling that is 8 times the polling

rate of the woing 60 H and I have high

expectations for these keyboards because

I've tested a few mechanical keyboards

from these Brands before and yeah they

definitely know how to make keyboards

and then there is also the KB 65 H by

endgame gear and yeah endgame gear makes

some really nice gaming M so I was

excited to check out that keyboard to

all of these have luminum cases all of

them support rapid trigger so this is

going to be interesting now the lack or

latency is actually the first thing I

want to tackle safe to say Brands love

to claim the gaming peripherals are the

fastest on the market so I actually

built a solonoid r just for the purpose

of measuring the real latency of these

keyboards I took some inspiration from

Battle nonsense shout out to him it's

important to note that we're measuring

the entire enter and latency here

meaning the time it takes between the

first contact with the key cap up until

the action shows up on screen so this is

not just the latency of the keyboard and

in includes the PC and monitor latency

so what do the numbers look like well

echo's keyboard comes out on top which

is not really a surprise when you

consider it's the only one with an 8 khz

polling rate technically the everglide

ae68 is also advertised with 8 khz

polling but according to my testing it's

actually 1 khz more about that in a

minute now echos scrap performance here

also comes with a caveat it only can

achieve this with its so-called raw mode

turned on without it it's actually the

slowest of the bunch now you might might

think not a big deal just turn on Raw

mode then but this mode only applies to

Four Keys Max you can freely choose

these four keys and four Keys obviously

are enough to cover W ASD so you can get

the fastest latency for all your

movement keys but you out of luck if you

want to use this let's say for your

weapon slots Crouch or maybe your build

BS in fortnite while also having the

movement Keys covered not a big fan of

that limitation wooding also has a

special mode which they call teon but

this applies to all keys and even

without this mode the latency is just

half a millisecond higher and voting

only slightly limit the RGB in their

special mode while EOS raw mode turns

off the RGB entirely so much prefer

voting's implementation but before

getting too hooked up on Tiny

submillisecond latency differences all

these keyboards are actually pretty

close when it comes to latency we're

talking about a Less Than 3 millisecond

difference between the fastest and the

slowest keyboard on the chart so

realistically latency is not really

concern with either of these keyboards

and know all this marketing speech about

instant reaction times 0.1 mm accuration

points and all that can make you think

that these hall effect keyboards are all

about reducing the latency of your key

presses but that's really not the case

what really makes these Hall of f effect

keyboards special is not the click

latency but the ability to release and

re-trigger keys across the whole

keystroke range AKA rapid trigger that's

just completely different from how a

mechanical keyboard works on this Hall

of effect keyboard whenever I just just

lift my finger slightly the character

stops moving push it back in ever so

slightly and the character moves again

that's just super intuitive a mechanical

keyboard just can't do this of course

you can still have great movement with a

mechanical keyboard but this rapid

trigger mechanic makes a lot of things

so much easier like counter straing for

instance after switching to hall effect

my timing has become much more precise

on a mechanical keyboard I'm much less

consistent and I have this improvement

with all five of the H keyboards that I

have here of course there are slight

differences in how these all feel in

game the switches that these keyboards

come with all have slightly different

Force profiles and the software and how

you can set things up is a bit different

too with the same settings the woing the

keyron and the everglide ACT pretty

similar in game and feel kind of similar

too endgame gears and Echo keyboard

though can act pretty different from the

others depending on the actuation

settings you want to run see the other

key keyboards use three parameters to

control how the key presses and key

releases are handled first we have the

actuation point which controls at which

distance the first key press is detected

this is the setting you want to increase

if you fumble a lot or if resting your

fingers on the key caps already triggers

the key and then there are the press and

release sensitivities for Rapid trigger

if we set both to let's say 0.2 mm

releasing The Key by that distance

resists the key press push it down at

least 0.2 mm again and it triggers again

that way you can get these really fast

inputs by default this rapid trigger

feature is only active below the

actuation point and that's typically how

you want to have it set up on echo's

keyboard though rapid trigger is active

across the whole keystroke range even

above the actuation point and that can

cause some strange Behavior like let's

set the actuation point to the deepest

setting and let's keep the rapid trigger

stuff at 0.2 pressing in the key

slightly doesn't do anything now thanks

to the Deep actuation point I need to

bottom out the switch to engage it but

Watch What Happens now I did not

completely let go of the key yet but

when I press it back in ever so slightly

it triggers again that's because

activating the key once engages the

rapid trigger mode which then stays

active until you completely let go of

the key that's pretty weird the wooding

60 H can do this too if you really want

the setting is called continuous rapid

trigger not sure why you would want this

but point is you can enable or disable

this on woodings keyboard but it's

always active on echo's keyboard Either

you turn off rapid trigger entirely or

you get this continuous rapid trigger

and that's a bit of a shame honestly I

have to admit it's kind of hard to

notice this Behavior if you set super

short actuation points but with some

settings combinations this is an issue

End Game Gear also made let's say a bit

of an interesting decision their

keyboard basically doesn't have a

setting for the actual ation point the

press and release sensitivities or

thresholds as they call it are the only

two settings you can configure now first

implication is that this also means that

the rapid trigger feature is always

active just like on echo's keyboard

second thing is you kind of have to use

the Press threshold as a makeshift for

the actuation point meaning if you want

the switches to trigger at 1 mm you got

to set the Press threshold to 1 mm this

works however this Al means that if you

let go of the key slightly to reset it

you need to press it another 1 mm to

trigger it again this can cause this

weird like dead zone in the middle of a

key stroke like see nothing happens here

in that range there's a whole millimeter

of dead space now where the key just

doesn't trigger again that's not

something that's super noticeable if

you're using very short thresholds but

100% this is an issue if you want to run

something like one or 2 mm for the Press

threshold PA with a short release

threshold now apart from that I actually

have a lot of Sympathy for the kb6 5he

after all it's rather affordable for

what it is comes in at about 140 bucks

and comes with an aluminum Cas of

standard and it even sounds pretty nice

out of the

box but yeah it's only really viable

option if you're planning to use like .1

or maybe .5 mm for the extration anyway

way otherwise if you prefer your

keyboard to be less sensitive or if you

just don't know yet the lack of a

dedicated actuation Point setting is a

real deal breaker echo's keyboard though

I don't know it it just makes me mad

like I absolutely love the bir quality

it's this super heavy aluminum case

brass everywhere it's looked like a tank

and the Year of the Dragon design also

looks pretty nice you can clearly see

that Eko knows how to build keyboards

keyboard High whereare that is

everything else about this keyboard just

drives me insane like the software and

firmware are super important for Hall of

effect keyboards there's a lot of stuff

to configure actuation points all that

Ripper trigger stuff and whatnot but EO

software just is a pain to use it's

super cluttered and confusing and on top

of that there are bugs and glitches like

the profiles you can create don't even

work properly whatever actuation or

rapid trigger settings you set just get

applied to all profiles which makes it

impossible to have different profiles

for different games or even a less

aggressive profile for typing which you

really need if you're running similar

settings to mine and then there's the

firm side of things remember the 8 khz

polling this is the only keyboard of the

bunch that has this feature well kind of

let's actually talk about the polling

rates of all of these keyboards I ran

some test with keyboard inspector and

this is what I found out the other

keyboards all run at 1 khz like you

would expect well everglide advertised

their a68 with up to 8 khz but

apparently it's just 1 khz too false

advertising I guess but at least it does

a stable 1 khz what gets real

interesting though is when we take a

look at what echo's keyboard does with

raw mode turned on we get 8 khz just as

advertised that's great but remember the

raw mode only applies to Four Keys Max

and the other keys well

they are only pulling at

120 htz when the raw mode is active

that's just ridiculously no and I

thought maybe without the raw mode the

whole keyboard would at least clock at 1

khz but no it runs at 241 Herz not even

500 HZ really everything besides the

hardware is bad about this keyboard and

that's super unfortunate as the hardware

really is great to be fair though it's

not only Echo that I playing catch up

with woing when it comes to software the

software is actually such a vital part

of these hard effect keyboards there are

so many things to adjust and fine tune

over time and you want to have different

profiles different actuation points and

stuff for gaming and typing so you're

spending a good amount of time with this

software and wooding and keyron seem to

be the only one that have realized how

important the software is woing have

this slck web interface that's quite

intuitive to use and most importantly it

has all the features you want and when

you change something it actually works

which cannot be taken for granted

unfortunately keyron really are the only

ones that can even compete with woing

here just like woing keyron have a web

interface too so no need to install

something on your PC it hases almost all

the features that wooding have and it's

been just as reliable for me only thing

it maybe lack some Polish here and there

like the way switch between setting the

actuation distances and the rapid

trigger settings can feel a bit clunky

sometimes but that's nitpicking

especially if you look at what all the

others are doing I mean Echo is off the

cards with their software and endgame

gear and everglide only have these very

basic applications and you got to

install these both are kind of stripped

down and there's three not a lot to

configure no Dynamic keystroke and no

mod tab but they kind of get the job

done for the basic stuff both are

missing a very vital feature though and

that's the option to change profiles

with a keyboard shortcut see on the

wooding I can just hit FN plus enter to

toggle between my gaming and typing

profile and on the keyron I have it set

up so that my typing profile is on FN

plus1 my gaming profile is on f plus 2 I

have my profiles for these keyboards

linked down below by the way this quick

profile switching is actually super

convenient and I use it a lot because

typing on a keyboard that has different

actuation points for a lot of keys and

some keys that are configured to be

super sensitive that's really not a

great typing experience on the endgame

gear keyboard though you got to open up

the the app every time you want to

switch profiles and everglides app does

have profiles too but the profiles seem

super bucked right now as they just

won't save different actuation settings

and that's super unfortunate because the

everglide ae68 is actually a great

keyboard and in a lot of ways superior

to the endgame gear KB 65 H without

being a lot more expensive it actually

has better build quality thicker higher

quality key caps and the Machining of

the aluminum case is nicer too not a as

a fan of the color so I hope they're

going to have different colorways in the

future but the surface finish is quite

nice however the sticker on the bottom

of the case somehow fused with the

protective cover on my unit which makes

it look a bit scared but apart from that

the build on this is very nice yeah

what's probably the biggest plus you can

set fixed actuation points in the

software which avoids all this floating

actuation Point Dead Zone issues you can

have with the endgame gear KB 65 H and

it sounds better

so the a68 comes in third place for me

closely followed by the KB 65 H okay

let's talk about my two favorite

keyboards then the keyron q1 H and the

wooding 60 H I have a hard time deciding

between these two as they both have

their pros and cons for one I find it

kind of difficult to adjust to the

missing arrow keys of the 60 H mod tab

is a great workaround I have it set up

so that the bottom Four Keys act as

arrow keys when I short press them but

it's just not the same as real arrow

keys which the q1 H does have as it's a

75% layout and it's actually not that

much wider than the 60 H and it also has

a knob which is quite nice for quick

volume control and it even comes like

this fully built with this nice and

super heavy aluminum case and good

quality key caps and it's 219 us whereas

the 60 H spec like I have it here with

this Alo Cas and all that cost roughly

$50 more and you got to build yourself

however I think the woing actually

sounds the best

[Applause]

the sound of the q1h still comes in

second for me not a big fan of the

stabilizers

though and yeah there are these little

things that kind of give away that Kyron

are still quite new to the hall effect

game and wooding already have a ton of

experience the 60 H really was pluck and

play for me super smooth experience

right out of the box whereas the q1 H

did have some issues with not

registering some inputs like sometimes a

key just quit registering when bottoming

out the switch super annoying and I

think that even got me killed a few

times on vant eventually I was able to

fix this through the calibration

procedure in Kyron software and I got to

give them credit the procedure is very

straightforward and nicely made with the

RGB backlight turning from red to Green

whenever key is successfully calibrated

but woodings keyboard apparently doesn't

even need a calibration procedure at all

as it can just calibrate keys on the Fly

I didn't have a single faulty input with

the 60 H and not a single key press that

didn't register the q1 H though

occasionally needs to be recalibrated

which is a bit annoying that's also true

for everglides and echo's keyboard by

the way only wooding and End Game Gear

don't need any calibration so I'd say

keyron is like maybe 90 95% there it's

close to the basically Flawless

experience I've had with the voting 60 H

I still kind of prefer the 75% form

factor of the q1 H though so I'm

probably going to be switching back and

forth between them

even though the 60 H kind of is the

better keyboard at least until keyron

catches up on the calibration stuff I'm

sure they're going to continue working

on that but the voting at is also on the

horizon so yeah that's going to be

interesting too thanks for watching some

next

[Applause]

video

[Applause]

e

[Applause]

e e