Drunkdeer is already a recognizable name in the competitive scene, and honestly, I’m not surprised. Their keyboards have built a reputation for delivering genuinely strong performance, often paired with standout design – at a price point that makes you go, “wait, how did they pull this off?”
My first hands-on experience with a Drunkdeer board was the X60 Future, and I was kind of blown away by what it managed to offer for the money. So naturally, I was just as hyped to see what its little brother brings to the table: the X60HE. It comes in a more compact, no-nonsense package, but on paper it’s still packing the same aggressive feature set that makes people want one sitting on their desk. Now the real question is: does all that spec-sheet confidence actually translate into real-world use? Let’s find out.
Drunkdeer X60HE is available for purchase over on Drunkdeer website with Amazon link coming soon.
DESIGN
When it comes to layout, the X60HE is basically in the same family as the X60 Future. It’s a 60% board with 64 keys which has its drawbacks, especially in the smaller keys around the arrow cluster. Nevertheless, the whole thing feels even more compact and straight to the point. The biggest visual difference is that the X60HE completely does away with the glass panel that defines the Future model and instead goes for a more no-nonsense approach – but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking personality.
With the limited real estate a 60% layout gives you, Drunkdeer clearly decided to place its bets on two things: the keycap design up top, and the chassis design underneath. From the top, transparency is the name of the game. Just like on the X60 Future, the keycaps here are see-through, and they’re paired with these gorgeous green legends that really play into the futuristic, almost Daft Punk-esque vibe Drunkdeer is going for with this lineup.
Even with the lights turned off, the transparent keycaps are a sight to behold
It’s also worth pointing out that the frosting on the X60HE keycaps isn’t as heavy as it is on the X60 Future, so the transparency effect is even more pronounced. Sure, that means you lose a bit of that “gem-like” RGB diffusion the Future model has – but the RGB here is still straight-up beautiful. If anything, the lighting feels even more intense and in-your-face, so anyone who lives for bright, colorful effects is absolutely going to be happy.
The trade-off is that legend visibility can suffer a little when you crank the brightest RGB presets as those green legends don’t pop as clearly once the backlight is going full blast. Still, in normal use it’s not a real problem, and if it ever bothers you, dialing the brightness down one notch basically fixes it.
The futuristic legends are plainly visible with the lights turned off
Flip it over and the board still brings that same futuristic energy. The underside features the same style of cutouts as the X60 Future, and it’s another reminder that Drunkdeer really cares about details, even at a lower price point. It’s that mix of solid metal and hollow cut-out elements forming this huge “X,” surrounded by sharp, vector-like lines on the sides, and honestly… it’s pretty unique in a market where a lot of boards call it a day with a few basic embossed shapes.
The awesome design on the back is a testament to Drunkdeer’s attention to detail
The downside of having such a dramatic, sculpted underside is that there’s no room for flip-out feet. That said, the board does have a slight built-in incline by default, so typing still feels comfortable even over longer sessions, it’s not like you’re forced into a completely flat, awkward angle.
As for the smaller details, there’s a subtle little Drunkdeer logo on the back to keep things from looking too boxy and sterile, and then you’ve got a single USB-C port placed all the way on the left side where you plug it into your PC.
BUILD AND FEEL
If there is one thing that I absolutely loved about the X60 Future that carries over to the X60HE – it’s the build quality. And honestly, this is exactly where I expected Drunkdeer to make compromises, purely because the price is lower. But nope.
The X60HE is still fully aluminum, and the fact that it drops the acrylic/glass elements from the X60 Future actually makes it feel even more compact, tighter, and at 840g, it just feels better in the hand. The aluminum has a really nice matte finish that feels great to the touch, and it also comes across like the kind of surface that’ll shrug off minor scratches and hold up for a long, long time. The whole thing just feels premium. Properly dense.
At 840g, this thing is super sturdy and well built
And when you’re handling it, there are zero sketchy noises – no creaking, no rattling, nothing loose or hollow-sounding. That’s genuinely impressive at this price point. Bravo, Drunkdeer.
When it comes to the internals, you’re basically getting that same aluminum snap-fit style frame with a base-plate mount approach, backed up by a genuinely generous amount of dampening that practically fills the entire chassis. And you can feel what all that does immediately: the board comes across as dense and planted, while the typing surface stays firm and controlled, with basically no give.
Drunkdeer hides its logo in the back
The X60HE also uses Drunkdeer’s proprietary magnetic Qian switches, and paired with that internal stack, they give the board a pretty distinct sound profile. It’s still beautifully thocky and super satisfying, but it’s also a step quieter than the X60 Future. More importantly, there’s no hollow pinginess here as every press feels smooth, stable, and clean. Whether you’re typing, gaming, or just hammering out chats, it’s genuinely enjoyable to use, and that’s a big win for an out-of-the-box experience that doesn’t require you to mod anything to get it feeling and sounding “right.”
PERFORMANCE
At this price point, it gets even more impressive when you realize the X60HE brings almost the same feature set as the more expensive X60 Future – and in a lot of ways, it outclasses plenty of pricier competitors.
Make no mistake: this is a competitive keyboard of the highest order, built for speed and responsiveness first. On paper you’re looking at an 8000Hz polling rate and around 0.2ms of latency, paired with magnetic switches that let you tune actuation basically however you want, from a full 4.0mm travel down to an honestly ridiculous 0.1mm. And it’s not just “set one value and call it a day” either – you can fine-tune in between, dial in rapid trigger sensitivity, and stack different behaviors depending on how deep you press. It’s the kind of control that turns the keyboard into a tool, not just an input device.
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- The RGB is a sight to behold
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- It’s even better up close
Even without going deep into customization, taking it for a spin in Apex Legends, CS2, and Overwatch was a great experience. You genuinely feel the speed. Inputs come through instantly, movement feels cleaner, and quick corrections are easier to pull off. I’m not going to pretend a keyboard magically makes you a god, but yes: that snappy responsiveness does translate into you playing sharper.
And it only gets better once you start digging into the software because Drunkdeer once again does a really solid job here. Everything is handled through their convenient web-based driver, so you don’t have to install anything on your PC. Beyond the standard stuff like macros, key remapping, profile management, and general customization, you also get all the competitive-focused features that actually matter if you’re the kind of person who tweaks settings to squeeze out every last advantage.
The magnetic switches are just the tip of the iceberg that is performance here
Besides the dynamic keystroke mentioned above, the rapid trigger is definitely the star of the show and it brings faster strafing, faster counter-strafing, and faster repeat inputs and everything feeling more immediate and under your control. SOCD does wonders when you use it on the A and D keys, so the board resolves the conflict of pressing them at the same time in a more consistent way, making micro movements and direction changes much cleaner and predictable.
Put it all together and the X60HE stops being just a fast keyboard and starts feeling like a properly tunable competitive instrument – one where every millimeter of travel can be turned into an advantage if you’re willing to set it up.
CONCLUSION
Here’s the thing: the X60 Future genuinely impressed me, and I wasn’t entirely sure how to translate that same sentiment to the X60HE – mostly because this one doubles down on what actually matters. For roughly a hundred bucks, it honestly feels like you got away with something. In the best way possible.
Drunkdeer once again gives off that “black magic was involved” vibe: full aluminum, dense and premium in the hand, seriously fast performance, and a stock sound profile that’s genuinely satisfying instead of the usual “it’s fine… for the price.” And sure, this isn’t a three-mode keyboard trying to be everything to everyone. It’s wired, it’s focused, and it’s unapologetically competitive-first. But the impressive part is how far it stretches beyond that brief: it feels solid, it sounds good, and it doesn’t demand modding to be enjoyable.
That’s what makes the value here so hard to ignore. If you want pure speed and consistency, the X60HE is an easy recommendation. And if you just want a board that feels premium and behaves nicely out of the box, it still holds up shockingly well. At this price, that mix is rare -borderline unfair. Drunkdeer didn’t just show up to compete. They made a very strong case for why this should be on your shortlist.
