Keychron Q16 HE 8K Review: A Ceramic Disappointment

The internals of this keyboard are unique. Instead of standard Hall effect equipment, the Q16 is one of Keychron’s first keyboards to utilize TMR sensors. These are very similar to standard Hall effect switches, but they have a few key differences. The largest benefits are their improved accuracy and reduced power draw compared to Hall effect sensors, while the downsides are primarily their increased price and a lack of development.

For gaming, these switches are great. They’re fast and responsive, returning quickly after being pressed and having quite a few ways to adjust their performance. The Rapid Triggers setting allows for switches to immediately be pressed again after they’re released (as opposed to waiting for the switch to reset past its original actuation point), and the SOCD (simultaneous opposing cardinal direction) settings allow for opposite movements (typically A and D, for strafing) to override one another when both are pressed at the same time. This means when A is pressed, then D is pressed, the D key will take priority and disable input from the A key. Inputs feel near-instantaneous with 8,000-Hz polling, and the switches’ actuation distance can easily be adjusted in Keychron’s Launcher software. Besides minute differences in performance and accuracy, these switches perform identically to standard Hall effect switches, maintaining all of the features that HE switches are known for.

To fully explain what a tunneling magnetoresistance sensor is, I would need a background in quantum physics, which I do not have. However, I can attempt to explain it in a rudimentary way. Tunneling magnetoresistance is closely related to quantum tunneling, a phenomenon where a subatomic particle passes through a barrier that it should not be able to pass through. This happens because subatomic particles are both particles and waves at the same time. In a TMR sensor, two ferromagnets essentially pass these subatomic wave-particles—in this case, electrons—between an ultrathin barrier. This causes the levels of magnetism in the two magnets to change as they come closer together. A sensor detects this change in magnetism and uses it to determine how far the switch has been pressed. It’s kind of like two magnets are playing tennis, the electrons are a tennis ball, and the TMR sensor is a chair umpire watching it happen.

If this sounds utterly insane to you, or if quantum subatomic particles sound far too high-tech to be in a consumer-grade keyboard, you’re not alone. I find the entire thing deeply strange, and using this keyboard makes me feel vaguely uncomfortable for reasons I can’t properly explain or justify. But I can assure you that there is zero danger in using this keyboard—you won’t accidentally split an atom or give yourself radiation poisoning, no matter how radioactive the light green ceramic keycaps may look. And if I look beyond my Luddite-like distaste for quantum typing, the switches in this keyboard are a marvel of modern engineering that, from an objective perspective, I quite like.

Tasteful or Trend-Chasing?

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Keychron has made keyboards that followed trends before. Look at the K2 HE Special Edition, a keyboard that matches perfectly with the Fractal North PC tower. It’s a great keyboard. The mid-century modern styling elevated the keyboard and made it something truly special. It had purpose, direction, and a reason to exist.