I just tested my favorite hybrid gaming keyboard of the year - and I can't put it down

I discuss some of the best gaming keyboards Money can make a living, and it’s all too common that attaching the adjective “gaming” to a keyboard is an excuse to jack up the price while adding very little to its actual performance characteristics. I love RGB lighting as much as the next person, but come on!

I’m the kind of person who gets a little too annoyed with myself when I can’t hold a round in ”Counter Strike 2”, or when the perfect colony gets stolen from me in ”Stellaris”, and I really hate it to blame my equipment. However, often my keyboard does far too little to offer me any benefit.

This is why Hall Effect keyboards are my favorite to review – they are truly groundbreaking, and I just tested the best I’ve ever used, the Keychron Q1 HE. The strange thing is that it’s not even a real gaming keyboard, but a productivity board with elite gaming features added. It’s a hybrid that puts gaming boards to shame, and I can’t put it down.

Magnetic attraction

Some of my favorite keyboards to review are those with Hall Effect switches. This is a technology that uses a magnet instead of a physical mechanism to register the pressure on a key, creating a plethora of possibilities for customization. For gamers, this means that sensitivities not possible on a traditional switch are now available, as well as some exciting new features such as Rapid Trigger, Snap Tapping and multiple control points.

Corsair K70 Max sitting on a desk

The Corsair K70 Max has magnetic Hall Effect switches. (Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

This technology is not cheap. Expect to spend upwards of $150 for most Hall Effect keyboards, with the most expensive being around $200. Take the Corsair K70Max for example. A great keyboard, but one that’s just too expensive for most people to consider – if I’m paying over $200 for a computer accessory, it has to be good.

So when I came across the Q1 HE for just over $200, but with an all-metal case and Hall Effect switches? I just had to try it, price aside.

Enter Keychron

The Keychron Q1 HE magnetic keyboard in white and green

(Image credit: Future)

I’m glad I tried it because this could be my dream keyboard come true.

Starting with the looks, the model I tested has a beautiful white aluminum casing with green-accented keycaps. It’s something to see. When I first put my fingers to the keys, it was like seeing an old friend again. Despite having a different type of switch than the mechanical switches in my favorite sounding keyboards, the Q1 HE’s noise dampening and cabinet acoustics provide a clear, slightly tappy sound that I’ve fallen in love with and have seen on others. Keychron boards like excellent Keychron Q3 Max ($214) and Keychron Q1 Pro ($234).

TK Close-up of buttons/visible switch

It wasn’t just the sound that was good; I also managed to get one of my fastest typing speeds on the Q1 HE. After adjusting the controls, I was also able to get my accuracy above average. It was fantastic to get work done, which I wouldn’t normally expect from a gaming keyboard: as much as I like the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini ($239) in competitive games, the typing experience was certainly lacking and I only managed a pitiful 78 words per minute there, compared to 90 WPM on the Q1 HE.

The best of both worlds

The Keychron Q1 HE magnetic keyboard in white and green

(Image credit: Future)

After throwing myself into a game and then checking out the extensive customization options available to me, I realized that the Q1 HE is a truly special keyboard. Not only is it one of the best productivity keyboards I’ve used, but its gaming features are on par or even better than what I’ve seen on leading Hall Effect keyboards like the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini and Corsair K70 Max.

The possibilities are astonishing. Take, for example, the setting of the four control points. While I’ve experimented with dual control points before, like on the Apex Pro, the Q1 HE lets you link four actions to the same key. This has a wealth of possibilities, but you can go ahead and walk, sprint, crouch and lie on the exact same key if you wish. Name another keyboard that allows you to do that (other than the Keychron K2 HE).

A screenshot showing the Keychron Q1 HE being customized in the Keychron Launcher web app.

(Image credit: Keychron/Tom’s Guide)

The Q1 HE also offers last key prioritization and a quick trigger. The first means that when two buttons are pressed, the keyboard gives priority to the most recent key input. This means that movements in games are more responsive, especially if you quickly input multiple fast attacks in succession.

Button mashers, be happy. Rapid Trigger is a great feature that allows a key to be pressed again after it has been released, even if it hasn’t been fully ‘reset’ yet. In practice, this allows you to enter keys in quicker succession, whether you’re spamming your ultimate abilities in League of Legends, or waiting for your cooldown in World of Warcraft. It works great alongside the last major priorities – these are both absolutely great gaming features, which feel like borderline cheating if you abuse them especially in FPS games.

The best choice for you?

Remember when I said Hall Effect isn’t cheap? Well, that’s not strictly speaking true. It’s true that at $239 it’s only about $10-20 more than your typical metal keyboard from Keychron, and that’s about the going rate for other metal Hall Effect keyboards – the GMMK 3 HEfor example, retails for $239.

However, not all elite Hall Effect keyboards cost that much. The main reason you might want to skip the Q1 HE is the fact that Keychron offers another 75% Hall Effect keyboard for just $130, a stunning deal considering the competition. This is of course the Keychron K2 HEcurrently our best gaming keyboard.

The Keychron K2 HE keyboard in black and wood effect

The Keychron K2 HE includes the same Hall Effect switches and technology as the Q1 HE, but for $130. It doesn’t have an all-metal casing, but it does come in a beautiful Rosewood edition for $140. (Image credit: Future)

But for me, the Q1 HE’s metallic charm won my heart, even though it costs an extra $110. It’s safe to say that the Keychron Q1 HE will remain at my desk for the foreseeable future.