Not too long ago, I said there was nowhere to go but up when reviewing one of Gravastar’s earlier products. Not long after that, I praised them again, admitting I honestly couldn’t see how they could top themselves – and yet, here we are, with GravaStar proving me wrong once more. The Mercury V75 HE is part of their new keyboard lineup, carrying forward the brand’s signature space-inspired design while packing in performance upgrades that push it into the realm of a true competition-ready beast. And while there is a higher-end Pro model above it, when you factor in the price and everything it delivers – could this actually be Gravastar’s best keyboard yet?
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DESIGN
Just like the first Mercury keyboard lineup, the new Mercury HE series also comes in three flavors – the super-powered, premium V75 Pro, the more balanced V75, and the somewhat toned-down V75 Lite. Each has its place depending on what you’re looking for, but once again, we think the V75 HE hits that sweet spot as the best bang for your buck.
At its core, the V75 HE shares the same DNA as the original Mercury keyboards. It’s a very compact, gasket-mounted 75% board with 79 keys and a volume control knob tucked into the top-right corner.
The design is really out of this world
Once again, the true standout feature is the Geiger-esque, skeletal frame design. Sure, there are plenty of wild-looking keyboards out there, but almost none that embrace this kind of futuristic aesthetic – and honestly, the design alone might be enough to convince you to buy it. Sure, the casing is made of aluminum, which makes the whole keyboard a bit heavier, but it also radiates durability. There’s no hint of cheap rattling from the keys or components, and the moment you pick it up, it’s immediately clear you’re dealing with a premium piece of kit.
Personally, I would have liked to see the skeletal patterns diverge a little more from the first Mercury lineup to give the HE series a stronger identity of its own, but that role here is picked up nicely by the colorways and keycap design.
Casing is unlike any other keyboard
The V75 HE comes in two colorways – Stealth Black and Mecha Gray. As the name suggests, the Stealth Black takes a more subdued, low-key approach, while the Mecha Gray version we have for review leans fully into that futuristic aesthetic. The mix of white, black, and purple is a fantastic combination, and the two purple stripes running across the chassis almost evoke the styling of a racing car – which, in the context of keyboards, is exactly what the V75 HE feels like. But more on that later.
The keycaps complement the rest of the keyboard’s design beautifully. The font won’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but it fits perfectly into the overall look. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s futuristic. What helps even more is their dual-material construction: the tops are made from durable PBT, while the bottom halves are translucent polycarbonate that lets the RGB lighting shine through.
The best of both worlds, PBT caps with shine-through bodies
Paired with the RGB strip visible along the front and sides of the chassis, the V75 HE turns into a full-on RGB light show and it looks absolutely stunning. Thankfully, the diffusion on both the case and the keycaps is handled really well, so the end result feels surprisingly tasteful. Even in a dark room, the keyboard won’t blind you when you look down at it. Bravo, Gravastar.
Just like the first Mercury lineup, GravaStar’s design team didn’t neglect the underside of the keyboard either. It’s packed with small mecha-inspired details, along with a few taglines—some referencing the company as a whole, others celebrating their roots as a maker of speakers and audio gear.
The bottom isn’t neglected
On the practical side, you get dual-stage feet that help you find your ideal typing angle. Around the back, there are handy switches for toggling between Windows and Mac layouts, as well as a switch to flip between Rapid Trigger and Office modes. It’s a neat touch that lets you quickly adapt the typing experience without diving into the software.
PERFORMANCE
The V75 HE comes equipped with Gateron Jade Pro linear Hall Effect switches that are generally very smooth to press and highly responsive. Here, you can adjust the actuation point anywhere between 0.1 mm and 3.5 mm, meaning performance depends entirely on your personal preference. Whether you’re someone who wants instant responsiveness and just glides across each key, or the type who enjoys the feel of typing and always bottoms out on every press – you’ve got the flexibility to tune the switches anywhere between those two extremes.
The V75 HE also brings all the advanced Hall Effect magic that’s built for gamers who thrive on split-second reactions. Instead of a key being just “on” or “off,” you can actually assign different actions to different depths of a press – up to three if you want to get creative. Push it further and you can even combine press, hold, and release phases across two depths, effectively turning a single key into four unique inputs.
The control island with the charging port is centered
There’s also a feature that lets you set one key press to take priority over another – handy for things like sharp strafing or rapid directional changes. Truly, these are all advanced functions that I don’t see many gamers actually use, but they do reinforce the fact that the V75 HE is a very fast keyboard built for gaming. Combine these features with its responsiveness and the 8000Hz polling rate, this is about as high-end as performance gets, leaving little room to blame your gear if you fall short.
When it comes to the actual typing feel for those of us who don’t spend 90% of the time on WASD, it’s surprisingly solid. The ASA profile keycaps are comfortable, and GravaStar has been generous with the layers of dampening material inside the case, which makes the sound of each keystroke really satisfying. It’s not on the level of a hand-tuned enthusiast board, but it’s definitely better than many other Hall Effect keyboards I’ve used.
Performance is absolutely top-tier among gaming keyboards
That said, keep in mind that with all that foam packed inside, the gasket mount doesn’t really shine the way you might expect. In fact, the typing surface is so rigid it almost feels closer to an integrated steel plate. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, and it doesn’t take away from how comfortable and enjoyable the typing experience actually is – but it’s a far cry from the bouncy gasket feel you might be used to.
Of course, there’s a price to pay for all that power and performance under the hood. Unlike the first Mercury lineup, the entire HE series is wired-only. And while wireless Hall Effect keyboards do exist, they usually cap out at a 1,000Hz polling rate. Features like 8K polling and the rapid-fire functions aimed squarely at eSports are practically impossible to deliver over a wireless connection, which makes the wired nature of the V75 HE less of a drawback and more of a necessary trade-off.
The RGB around the casing looks absolutely stunning
Gravastar’s keyboard software has always been functional, but in the past I’ve been pretty critical of how bare-bones it looked. I’m happy to say that’s now a thing of the past. With the new Mercury lineup, Gravastar not only offers a downloadable app but also a fully browser-based solution that’s both functional and great-looking. The visual style leans into a graffiti-inspired aesthetic reminiscent of the higher-end Mercury Pro models, and it’s a huge step up from what we had before. On top of that, it lets you remap keys, set up macro combinations, tweak RGB effects, and fine-tune all the advanced eSports and performance options mentioned earlier. A massive leap forward in just one generation.
CONCLUSION
At $180, the GravaStar Mercury V75 HE sits right in the middle of the lineup, comfortably between the $240 Pro model and the $110 Lite. And honestly, that’s exactly where it shines the most. The Lite might look flashy with its transparent build, but it lacks the sheer performance muscle of the HE, while the Pro adds some extras that most gamers simply won’t need for the price bump.
The V75 HE, on the other hand, gives you the perfect balance: premium construction, the full suite of Hall Effect performance features, stunning RGB, and that signature Gravastar design – all without crossing into “overkill” territory. It’s not just the sweet spot of the lineup, it’s arguably the best keyboard Gravastar has made so far.
