I loved using the KiiBOOM Moonshadow V2 once I got used to the soft floaty-ness of its Flick Switches. The keyboard is clearly designed to emphasize its creamy acoustics, so consider the Moonshadow V2 if you’re looking for a well-built, premium, and thocky prebuilt keyboard!
KiiBOOM’s mechanical keyboards have consistently impressed me in my previous experience. The Phantom keyboards’ acrylic construction and build quality are uniquely designed, the Loop series of keyboards are comprised of hefty premium aluminum, while KiiBOOM’s switches have held up to immense pressure and sound delightful. I’ve recommended KiiBOOM’s keyboards for my friends who’ve wanted colorful and thocky keyboards, and I’ve heard nothing but praise from them from my friends.
I digress. Today, I have the Moonshadow V2 mechanical keyboard to review. Like its LOOP lineup of keyboards, the Moonshadow was designed with durability in mind, emphasizing the essentials while also featuring a uniform aesthetic that’s pleasing on the eyes. It’s 75% layout contains most of all the keys you need along with an aluminum volume knob.
Prior to today, the Moonshadow 81 keyboard was KiiBOOM’s DIY keyboard kit. It lacked switches and keycaps, requiring the user to assemble it in a few easy steps. The original Moonshadow lacked a volume knob and had a slim profile. Now, the V2 model has a volume knob, an additional key (End), comes prebuilt with switches and keycaps, and comes preinstalled with a FR4 plate instead of the PC plate in the original Moonshadow 81.
Shockingly, the Moonshadow V2 has a secondary PC plate that comes with the keyboard for additional customization. In the prebuilt space, it’s typical for users to not have any option at all to select from a plate, let alone swap them out. KiiBOOM’s decision to include the option to swap between a flex-cut FR4 and PC plate is praiseworthy – I hope other prebuilt keyboard manufacturers follow suit in giving consumers the option to choose between plates.
That said, swapping out the slightly louder FR plate for the deeper-sounding PC plate is simple. The Moonshadow V2 features a screwless case, simply requiring the top case to be pulled upward to open the keyboard (once the knob is removed, of course). I tend to prefer FR4 plates only because they tend to sound marbly (whereas PC sounds softer). Luckily, I could easily swap out the plate during my review – the FR4 plate sounds more premium than the PC. Again – including a spare plate is great for folks to try out customizing the innards of their keyboard. I would LOVE for additional prebuilts to allow for a degree of modification beyond hotswappability.
Click here to check out the Moonshadow V2 from KiiBOOM (non-affiliated URL)!
The Moonshadow V2 comes in three colors: silver, black, and pink. The silver and black models have an anodized finish, whereas the pink model has an electrophoretic finish. Regardless, the case is made up of a 6063 aluminum shell. I was sent the silver model, which looks matte in direct light and feels quite sturdy. I love aluminum keyboards because of how durable they feel. Yes, they’re hefty, but it’s great to have a sturdy mechanical keyboard that doesn’t budge once it’s placed in the center of my desk.
KiiBOOM has added multiple types of “sound improving materials” to the inside of the keyboard to make it sound as great as possible. “Sound improving materials” is a term for things like foam, pads, and film to absorb the sound of the switches coming into contact with the plate. Aluminum keyboards require additional internal materials to lower the sound, as aluminum can echo. The PORON sandwich foam, IXPE switch pads, PET acoustic film, bottom foam, and switch socket foam allow the keyboard to produce a delightfully deep, marbly, and thocky sound.
The Moonshadow V2 comes with dye-sub PBT keycaps that can be easily removed. The silver model comes with light grey, dark grey, and turquoise keycaps that are aesthetically pleasing and complement the silver aluminum quite well. The legends are readable and love the overall design of the keycaps in tandem with the aluminum case.
Let’s move onto the switches. The Moonshadow V2 comes installed with KiiBOOM’s Flick Switches. These are linear switches that have been designed to emphasize a creamy sound profile. They’re a good mix of softness and creaminess on the acoustic front while also feeling smooth to use. Their actuation force of ~45gf feels more like 35gf when in use given how soft the switches sound and feel. Their mid-range pre-travel of 2.0mm is excellent for most use-cases, including gaming and office work.
After using these switches over the past few weeks, I’ve felt quite torn. On one hand, I love how they sound. They’re not too loud in the Moonshadow V2 given the sound dampeners, excellently amplifying the marbled sound profile (when using the FR4 plate). Many folks, myself included, seek creamy sound profiles that are pleasing on the eardrums – these switches fit the bill without a hitch.
Unfortunately, the switches are far too cushy and floaty for my liking. I’m unsure if it’s because of the switch foam or the spring within the switch proper, but using the Flick Switches is comparable to using a mushy silent switch. For reference’s sake, if you’re familiar with Epomaker’s Sea Salt Silents or Outemu’s Silent Lemon, you’re most likely already aware of the mushiness that often comes with using a silent switch. Think of the Flick Switches as a loud and linear version of Outemu’s Silent Lemon V2s.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t look past the Moonshadow V2 for its slightly floaty/mushy switches. Everyone’s tastes are different, and it’s possible that you’ll be just fine with the floaty feeling of the Flick Switches and absolutely love their creaminess. Honestly, if it wasn’t for how floaty they felt when in use, these switches would be my favorite switches thus far, on par with Wuque Studios’ Black Arowanas.
The Moonshadow V2 is compatible with VIA/QMK through the usual sideloading method involving a .json file. I appreciate the steps KiiBOOM, Epomaker, and other manufacturers have taken to lightly open up their keyboards’ configuration, but I would prefer to have full compatibility with VIA without the need for sideloading. For the sake of science, I went ahead and tested the Moonshadow V2 with the KiiBOOM driver, and it wasn’t recognized as a configurable keyboard. If you’re an existing KiiBOOM owner, be prepared to switch over to VIA for configuring this keyboard.
Like other mechanical keyboards of late, the Moonshadow has a beefy 4000mah battery (for wireless use), multiconnectivity (2.4GHz, wireless Bluetooth, and wired), NKRO antighosting, and south-facing RGBs. Nothing too different, but glad to see that these features have become essentials in the prebuilt mechanical keyboard category.
When using the Moonshadow V2, I had no issue reaching over 100wpm with over 97% accuracy in my typing tests. It took a while for me to get used to the Flick Switches’ mushiness, but once that comfort was reached I was loving how the Moonshadow felt when using it for my day-to-day work. In an office space, it’s relatively loud to begin with, but it felt so dang satisfying on the ears. I wouldn’t take this keyboard into a shared office, but it’s definitely fit for most office work.
Gaming, on the other hand, is a mixed bag. Given the switches’ feel, I would caution against using the Moonshadow for any high-intensity gaming. In my testing, the mushiness felt too distracting and led to far too many input errors I would have preferred. There’s no doubt that swapping out the Flick Switches would have made things easier, but that’s an extra step for those wanting a prebuilt keyboard that can be plugged in and played with.
Medium and low-intensity gaming was just fine, though. For light platformers, RPGs, and turn-based titles, each and every input felt satisfying and impactful. When using this keyboard in MOBAs like League of Legends and sims like Stardew Valley, I was able to get by just fine. Consider the Moonshadow V2 as an excellent accompaniment if you’re a casual gamer who occasionally dabbles in competitive (rather than the other way around).
The Moonshadow V2 is shockingly cheaper than the Moonshadow 81 Kit, coming in at $169.99 (compared to the $199.99 kit that lacks switches and keycaps). It’s an excellent deal if you’re wanting to try out modifying a keyboard without needing to build it from scratch. To replace the plate, all I needed to do was pull off the knobs, switches, and top case – easy as pie. Building a keyboard can be daunting for newcomers, and this approach of plate customization is great for new builders to dip their toes in the water to test out how to make adjustments to their keyboard’s internals.
I loved using the KiiBOOM Moonshadow V2 once I got used to the soft floaty-ness of its Flick Switches. The keyboard is clearly designed to emphasize its creamy acoustics, so consider the Moonshadow V2 if you’re looking for a well-built, premium, and thocky prebuilt keyboard!
