[STEAM] The Keychron K2 Ultra 8K is a dense, heavy keyboard in more ways than one

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Keychron doesn't like to make its product lines easy to understand, but its K-Series generally takes aim at the mass market with more affordable price points compared to the flagship Q-range and a larger focus on versatility. That means the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K is positioned as an everyday board with the flexibility to cater to both Windows and Mac users, across wired, 2.4GHz, and Bluetooth connections.

Like many of these chunkier boards, the Ultra wants to impress in its sheer heft, offering a sturdy CNC-machined aluminum casing and layer upon layer of sound and vibration dampening foam. It's no surprise, this deck comes from a long line of incredibly well padded boards with a chunky build, real attention to typing feel, and a deep, textured switch sound.

At $119.99 it's pitching its tent towards the top of the more casual market, while staying firmly underneath the

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I'm used to testing. Here, your cash gets you a 75% mechanical board with the brand's Keychron Apex Banana, Brown, or Red clackers, full wireless connectivity, an 8,000Hz polling rate, hot-swappable sockets, and a 760 hour battery life (with no Bluetooth or RGB).

So, who's the Keychron K2 Ultra up against?

The older

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still remains my go-to for a mechanical typing experience, but comes in a little more expensive, typically sitting at between $190 and $200 these days. The

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offers a more competitive $139.99 MSRP, in a larger 96% form factor. The

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didn't review too well for us, but matches Keychron's $119.99 starting price.

The

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drops some of your build quality while extending out into a full-sized mechanical option for $124.99. The

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is your mechanical-magnetic hybrid upgrade, coming in at a higher $179.99, but offering additional switch adjustment options.

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K Key Specs

Price

$119.99

Type

Mechanical (hot-swappable)

Connection

Wired, 2.4GHz, Bluetooth

Size

75%

Switches

Keychron Apex Banana / Red / Brown

Keycaps

Doubleshot PBT

Media keys

Dual-function

Wrist rest

None

USB passthrough

None

Benefits of the Keychron K2 Ultra

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(Image credit: Future)

Great build quality at this price

The K2 Ultra keeps the heavy-duty build style of the rest of the range, opting out of the V6 Max's cheaper plastic chassis for a metal case, steel switch plate, four layers of EVA, IXPE, EPDM, and **** foam, a silicone buffer pad, and ABS bottom case. That means enough weight to keep the board firmly in place on the desk, a complete lack of echoes and vibrations, and a pleasingly muted sound profile.

While these kinds of sound dampening options are making their way rapidly down to the cheaper seats (previously having been reserved only for more luxurious mechanical keyboards), it's rare to hear a rattle or twang in modern designs. Still, the Keychron K2 Ultra offers up a particularly clean sound profile, with a light, snappy affect to its keystrokes and a deep plunk to a full bottom-out.

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Smooth switches

The version I was sent came with Keychron Apex Banana switches under the hood, the heaviest of the pack - and heavy they certainly are. While that actuation force is a little on the high side for my liking, actual movement is incredibly smooth all the way down the stem, with a nippy bounce back to boot. These are particularly steady in their housings, with a reinforced switch wall structure than maintains that stability and reduces wobble overall.

Combine that with the brand's softer, rounded doubleshot PBT keycaps and you've got a silky typing feel overall - even if I do wish there was just a little more texture on these caps.

Versatile connectivity

As an all-rounder the K2 Ultra caters to both Windows and Mac users in both its wireless connectivity and included caps. Straight out the box, this deck is configured with Apple's legends, but you'll find a spare set for

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as well.

Perhaps more importantly, though, you're getting both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections in here. That's on par with the best wireless gaming keyboards on the market, including the Asus ROG Azoth and Asus ROG Strix Morph 96 in this competition pool, but it's not to be taken for granted.

Sure, wireless connectivity isn't all that necessary (and can add to the final cost), but in a cheaper all-rounder like this it's great to see Bluetooth in that roster. Not all gaming keyboards, or even Keychron models, can connect without the receiver.

ZMK firmware

Ok, this one could be a benefit or a drawback depending on how married you are to more traditional QMK firmware. Keychron allows for custom ZMK firmware to be flashed onto the deck, but the vast majority of users are going to be enjoying the wireless benefits of the system instead. That Bluetooth Low Energy compatibility and focus on power efficiency will go a long way to making sure that juice lasts as long as possible.

Of course, you don't need to flash all your custom keybindings using your own code. The Keychron Launcher web app is still kicking about, allowing for full control over your keys, implementing SOCD controls, and managing RGB lighting.

Drawbacks of the Keychron K2 Ultra

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(Image credit: Future) If you like a heavier typing feel, need the versatility of a wireless connection, and still need the compact form factor of a 75% deck, there's little standing in the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K's way. I'd still point most typists towards either the Asus ROG Strix Morph 96 Wireless or Asus ROG Azoth for a particularly smooth, fast experience. That heavier actuation under the Bananas I've been using makes for a more cumbersome feel during longer sessions, one that's easily bested by the light, bouncy ROG NX clackers. You'll find more gaming-oriented control features in here as well.

Similarly, the Keychron V6 Max still offers an excellent choice for hot-swap fans who don't mind the upgrade to a full-sized numpad-toting deck. While the build quality doesn't quite match up, I did enjoy a noticeably lighter experience from the linear Reds in here.

There's a magnetic elephant in the room for gamers, though. The

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are quickly taking over lobbies, and dropping three figures on a new deck now requires additional consideration paid to these adjustable options. There are magnetic models coming in cheaper than the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K (most recently the

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for $99).

If you've got a slightly higher budget, though, I'd recommend the Logitech G512X instead. Again, you're not getting that chunky Keychron casing (and there's actually a little too much flex in some areas of Logitech's model), but the mechanical / magnetic hybrid structure welcomes newcomers without dropping more useful Hall effect features.

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How I tested the Keychron K2 Ultra

I used the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K as my daily driver for two weeks, running the device across all my work and play. That meant plenty of Doom: The Dark Ages sessions, as well as Planet Coaster 2 and Halo Campaign Evolved. I also completed three typing tests on

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, using an average of all results as my final score. For more information on

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, check out the full

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.

I'm also rounding up plenty more of the

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, or check out the

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and the

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for more setup upgrades.

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