I haven’t been a huge fan of smaller keyboards, mainly because I’m a traditionalist and have always loved the use of a keypad. But occasionally, I run across a smaller keyboard that feels good, types well, and can be forgiven for its lack of keypad-ness. This reviewed keyboard is such a case.
The HE80 from keyboard maker Epomaker is a 75% keyboard that brings comfortable typing, accurate key punches, and was built for the gaming world to love and appreciate. The keyboard contains the ability to put together some nice macros, change colors as one sees fit, and comes packed with a competitive gaming-ready 8K polling rate that would make any Valorant player happy as hell.
The only downer so far? Software accessibility. We’ll get into that soon. But for now, let’s jump into the full review of the HE80 keyboard.
Check out the Epomaker HE80 at Mechlands store, Amazon, and AliExpress! (Unaffiliated URLs)
Designed for gamers
The HE80 keyboard was designed with competitive gamers in mind. It’s a no-nonsense keyboard that has 8K polling / 32k scan rate for faster and more accurate keystrokes, while toting a Hall Effect Switch that makes response so much quicker. Those elements truly show the colors of this keyboard and what it was made to do – gaming.
Anyway, the keyboard’s accuracy and response have been a Godsend, as it feels comfortable to game and type on. For example, on the gaming side, I used this for the game s.p.l.i.t., which is a keyboard-led adventure through what I can only describe as command-line logic. Having a keyboard that hits the right keys and sends a quick response made the game much more fun. I had good flashbacks to my old AT&T 8086 keyboard and the command lines I had to use to get Battletech to run. It was pleasant, nostalgic, and the HE80 truly made the experience better.
Now, for more complicated experiences, such as Delta Force, a first-person shooter title, the keyboard still did an amazing job. The accurate push-to-react time for the keyboard strokes made using it quite fun and easy. In addition, the keyboard was comfortable after multiple hours of gameplay. The latter of which is important for me, as I’m an old man who has arthritis everywhere.
As for the size of the keyboard, a 75% size versus bigger, regular keyboards isn’t noticeable. I thought maybe the arrow keys would give me some trouble, as I typically have to stop and reposition my hands, even for the slightest millimeter adjustment, but they are placed perfectly where they need to be. There have been a few keyboard reviews in the past when I complained about the positioning of the arrow keys. You’ll get no complaints from me about how that is set on the HE80. It’s perfectly placed and accessible. Long story short, the comfort and feel of this 75% keyboard is perfect. Nothing feels out of place or cramped, which is rare for me with smaller pieces of hardware like this.
Overall, the comfort and design of the HE80 are perfect, making it ideal for gaming. I know a few Esports folks who would probably adore having this keyboard during their competition. Those peeps are sensitive when it comes to keyboard choices.
On the software side of the HE80, I have some reservations. While I appreciate the ability to avoid downloading another piece of software to work with another keyboard, I would prefer that method more than accessing it via a browser.
Call me a stickler, but having to access the software to add macros or just change the RGB color scheme/flow is not ideal. I want more from this side of the HE80 and would prefer to have software that does that without the need for me to go to the manufacturer’s site. It’s probably a control issue for me, but I’m sure several gaming enthusiasts would probably prefer my route as well.
Now, having that out of the way, the software in the browser does everything you want it to do with the HE80. You can adjust the lights, create different profiles, and you can even adjust the reaction time of the keys. The browser-based software adjustments are fine with their functionality, but again, I would prefer to have the software on my computer. If they could make that an option, then this keyboard would be perfect.
On that note, let’s wrap this review.
Conclusion
The HE80 from Epomaker is a wonderful keyboard option for gamers who like comfort, fast-button reaction time, and easily changeable key response. The RGB backdrop and the Hall Effect Magnetic switches are just the icing on top of an already solid cake. I do recommend this keyboard, but I also recommend a downloadable software option for it.
