When I describe the top-tier of something, I use the phrase “S+ tier.” The Keychron Q6 HE QMK Wireless Custom Keyboard is undoubtedly the S+ tier of the Hall Effect mechanical (magnetic) keyboard space. With its premium construction, full-size layout, and excellent software support, the Q6 is a must have if you’re looking for a magnetic keyboard and worthy of its premium pricetag.
It’s a new year, meaning there’s a new set of keyboards that will assuredly be announced at every tech conference. Hopefully, this year we see some innovation in the 90%+ space – too many mechanical keyboards are restricted to the 75% layout for no good reason. Well, there are several reasons why 75%s dominate the market, but that conversation is for another time.
If you’ve been following along the announcements out of CES2025 this past January, you probably have seen Keychron announcing a handful of new Hall Effect (magnetic!) keyboards, ranging from the Q6 HE to the K2 HE to their sub-brand Lemokey P1 HE. They’re not new to the magnetic keyboard space, but these new models expand Keychron’s offerings with new sizes, materials, and so much more.
Today, I’m reviewing the Keychron Q6 HE – Keychron’s first full-sized, full-metal wireless Hall Effect keyboard. Finally… Finally… a full-sized Hall Effect keyboard has entered the arena of magnetic keyboards. I could not be more thrilled than I am now.
Keychron is a notable name in the mechanical keyboard space. The brand comes highly recommended from many users on Reddit and other mechanical keyboard owners. Its premium keyboard builds, straightforward designs, and uniformity are all praiseworthy qualities from a prebuild keyboard manufacturer. Seeing as its products are reliable, it makes sense for users to recommend the brand to others who have not yet tread over to the mechanical keyboard space.
Like its siblings, the Q6 HE QMK keyboard has a mouthful of a name, making it slightly difficult to recognize on name along. The Q-line of Keychron keyboards are known for their premium aluminum construction. The HE moniker describes the keyboard’s Hall Effect technology – that is, use of magnetized switches. Hall Effect is used to describe the premium magnetized technology in consumer electronics. In mechanical keyboards, Hall Effect switches are those that boast a vastly different set of strengths.
Most mechanical keyboards use mechanical switches (either linear or tactile) with set actuation points – meaning that each switch has a permanent and predetermined point where the keyboard recognizes an input upon being pressed. Hall Effect switches, on the other hand, are unique in that their actuation points are freely customizable between 0.1mm and 4.0mm. In gaming controllers, Hall Effect technology is used in joysticks as an alternative to mechanical inputs that fail to the point of causing stick drift.
Oh, Hall Effect switches are far more durable than mechanical switches. Mechanical switches often last anywhere between 25-50million presses, whereas magnetic switches last around 100million presses before needing to be replaced. In terms of durability, magnetic switches are an amazing innovation that adds longevity without compromising on build quality. They have some other features, too – I’ll discuss them later in this review.
The point of all of this is: Hall Effect keyboards tend to be on the premium end of the spectrum. Prebuilt magnetic keyboards can range from $130 to nearly $300 (such as the case of Wooting’s 80HE). They’re far more expensive than other prebuilts that exist in the $100-$150 price range, and they are often restricted to the 65%-75% layout.
Keychron’s Q6 HE QMK is a rare beaut of a prebuild Hall Effect keyboard. For just over $200, you get a full-sized keyboard with a knob, fully aluminum construction, and Gateron Hall Effect switches. Like the rest of the Q HE line of Keychron keyboards, the Q6 is the highest-end keyboard and worthy of its premium pricetag.
The Q6 HE is made of an entirely aluminum body, an aluminum plate, and PBT keycaps. It’s a true full-sized keyboard – not a 96% keyboard masquerading as a full-sized keyboard. It also features a textured aluminum knob above the backspace button. It’s a massive hunk of aluminum that feels premium thanks to its matte Carbon Black exterior. It also comes in a Shell White color; I was sent the Carbon Black model to review.
The Q6 is easily the heaviest keyboard I have on hand – far heavier than the Chilkey ND75 (also aluminum) or any of the metal Wuque Studio/Meletrix keyboards I have built. It’s a long keyboard (thanks to the full size number pad on the right) but also manages to feature a thin form factor. Compared to the Epomaker RT100 (another full-sized keyboard I have on hand), the Q6 HE is slightly lower to the ground while still featuring an ergonomic typing angle.
Even more, the keyboard does not budge – at all. I have pressed each and every one of the Q6 HE’s buttons, and the internals do not have any form of give or flex. This means that typing on the Q6 HE is stable beyond all get out
On construction alone, the Q6 HE blows the Wooting 80HE (its closest competitor) out of the water. The Plastic Wooting 80HE (which goes for $199.99) pales in comparison to the stability, uniformity, and aesthetic of the Keychron Q6 HE. Even the Zinc Alloy model of the Wooting 80HE is a step down – yes, it’s made of a similar metal construction, but it is far more expensive and lacks the full 100% layout of the Q6 HE.
It bears repeating, the Keychron Q6 HE is a thoughtfully designed premium keyboard that not only feels worthy of the premium pricetag, but a joy to have on my desk. It’s an excellent complement for someone who wants a professional-looking keyboard that elevates a workspace with modernity.
In my earlier review of the Keychron K5 QMK, I commented on the subpar quality of the K5’s keycaps. They felt fine to use, but there was some flimsiness that made the keyboard feel underwhelming. The Q6 HE seems to use a far different set of keycaps – they feel heavier and have a thicker profile. Of course, this can be explained by the Q6 being a full-sized keyboard instead of low-profile, but the fact remains that the Q6’s OSA keycaps are far superior than the K5’s low-profile keycaps. The keycaps are hot-swappable, so if you have a preference for a specific set of keycaps, they can be easily installed on the Q6 HE.
As mentioned earlier, the Q6 HE uses Hall Effect (magnetic) switches. Some mechanical keyboard users claim that HE keycaps are best fit for gaming – I agree with this assessment. I don’t think they make you a better gamer, but the features and durability of the switches make them the most compelling feature of the keyboard. Personally, I appreciate the adjustable actuation point to be the biggest selling point: Imagine being able to decide which keys you want to be more sensitive than others. Heck, imagine making ALL of the keys more sensitive for a set period of time. That’s the biggest draw of Hall Effect switches, folks. They’re customizable and can stand the test of time/heavy use.
The Q6 HE comes with the Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula Hall Effect Switches. These switches seem to be made for Keychron’s HE keyboards. They have a 40gf operating force – it’s slightly more sensitive than my personal preference of 45gf, but for a linear switch it’s a good sweet spot. Remember, Hall Effect switches are catered to those who are using their keyboards with higher intensity, so it makes sense for a switch to operate in a sensitive fashion.
The Nebula switches feel exceptionally smooth. Given the keyboard’s full-metal construction, I was half-expecting the switches to have an echo and/or loud clackiness that often comes with aluminum cases. Thanks to the sound absorbing foam, latex pad, and the PET film, much of the sounds of the switches are absorbed. The resultant sound profile is one of a soft clackiness, which is a nice change of pace from prior magnetic switches.
I’m a smidgen disappointed that the Q6 lacks support for third-party magnetic switches. In fact, that’s my only real complaint about this keyboard. While the keycaps are hot-swappable, the switches technically are not given that the Q6 is only compatible with the Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Switches (the “Nebulas” on Keychron website). As someone who has tested several Hall Effect keyboards in the past (most recently and notably – Wooting’s 80HE along with its L60 V2 switches that sound pretty hollow). I remain convinced that the Gateron Jade Magnetic Switches are the best sounding magnetic switches on the market, and denying consumers the opportunity to customize their magnetic keyboard feels like a miss.
In every other way, though, the Q6 HE is fantastic. The Nebula switches in particular are the sturdiest magnetic switches I have tested. There’s virtually no wobble, their operating force of 40gf make them the perfect medium for those who are trying to figure out and get accustomed to an adjustable and/or highly variable actuation point, and there’s no doubt that the switches’ smoothness will keep players’ hands from becoming too fatigued from heavy use. Heck, I’ve used this keyboard as a daily driver for almost three weeks and have not encountered any fatigue or strain on my phalanges. I’ve never used the word “phalanges” in a review before – there you go.
If you’re wanting to replace the Nebula switches, you can only swap out the Nebula switches with the other Gateron Double Rail Megnatic switches from Keychron: Nebula, Dawn, and Aurora. At time of writing, the Dawn and Aurora switches do not yet come pre-installed on a keyboard. I’m interested to see how the slightly stronger (~50gf) Aurora switches feel on a HE Keychron keyboard.
To customize the switches’ actuation points and keyboard proper, I was to use the Keychron Launcher. This is the same web-based launcher that I used to customize the Keychron K5. It’s a fairly straightforward launcher. When the Q6 is connected, it gave me a great set of descriptions and instructions as to how to activate the Rapid Trigger and Multiple Command functions that come with the magnetic switches. It’s in no way as customizable as Wooting’s Wootility launcher, but it is easy enough to understand and better than most other keyboard drivers I have used prior.
Like other Hall Effect keyboards, the Q6 HE allws the user to access Dynamic Rapid Trigger and Multiple Actions in a Single Keystroke (also known as Mod Tap). Rapid Trigger is a function that can activate multiple presses if you’re pressing the same key down – it tracks the travel distance of your pressing down to execute a chain of actions rather than a single action. Multiple Actions in a Single Keystroke can make it so a single keypress can be different from long-pressing a key.
Look, I won’t argue that these features are useless, but they have niche appeal and function for those who play specific types of games. Most notably – first-person shooters and other higher-intensity titles benefit from these features the most.
Even if you’re like me and you don’t find the most value in Rapid Trigger or Multiple Actions, the Q6 HE is a top-tier fullsize gaming keyboard. Its construction, switch durability, and general functionality are assuredly worthy of a gamer’s regimen of rapid keypresses that surpasses the average typist. In my own experience, it felt great to use when playing Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Counter-Strike 2.
Compared to other Hall Effect keyboards, though, Keychron sets the bar impressively high with the Q6 HE. It is built to last, feels great to use, and looks refined for any professional’s workspace. It’s my favorite Hall Effect keyboard to date because of how well it utilizes a premium construction with the premium Hall-Effect features that are often gated behind steep prices and unfriendly user-interfaces.
When I describe the top-tier of something, I use the phrase “S+ tier.” The Keychron Q6 HE QMK Wireless Custom Keyboard is undoubtedly the S+ tier of the Hall Effect mechanical (magnetic) keyboard space. With its premium construction, full-size layout, and excellent software support, the Q6 is a must have if you’re looking for a magnetic keyboard and worthy of its premium pricetag.
