If you haven’t heard of Machenike, perhaps it’s time to start paying attention. While this company has been around for almost a decade, it has just recently began pushing into the keyboard space a bit more aggressively. Probably their most well-known product is definitely the KT68 Pro keyboard with an LED screen, which was essentially a more budget friendly version of the ultra-expensive Cyberboard. Well, if the Pro version was still too expensive or you don’t really like LED’s that much, the regular KT68 and its unique design, might just be right up your alley.
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DESIGN
The Machenike KT65 is a wireless, compact, 65% keyboard with an ANSI layout. It’s available in three variants – white, black and green, and in all cases, its unique, eye-catching design is actually the keyboard’s standout feature. This keyboard is actually designed to somewhat emulate the look of a typewriter, and this is most evident in the upper part of the casing, featuring the huge Machenike logo.
It’s undoubtedly a unique design, further enhanced by unconventional colors used in the keyboard’s details and keys. The black variant we reviewed comes with a combination of dark and light blue, purple, and pink colors, which truly looks stunning. While the color combination definitely gives the keyboard a distinct gamer aesthetic, I feel that it can still seamlessly integrate into a variety of setups – especially if you pick the right color variant.
The unique typewriter design
Beyond the colors, the keys are made of dye-sublimated PBT plastic with a relatively smooth texture, ensuring you won’t have to worry about them wearing out or getting greasy over time. Additionally, they feature a somewhat lower Cherry profile with sharper edges and a pleasant indentation in the middle, making the typing experience very comfortable. Moreover, the font used is uniform and minimalistic, and some keys even have futuristic details that perfectly complement the keyboard’s design.
The keys aren’t shine-through, but the north-facing RGB for those who can’t do without it is still sufficiently visible, albeit relatively subtle in its execution. There’s a standard array of effects that are smoothly rendered, and they can be fully customized on the keyboard without the use of software.
The color combination is frankly awesome
The KT68 also has a few more details here that are equally design-oriented and practical. The extended upper side of the chassis on the right features a side-mounted plastic volume knob that doubles as a mute button by default. While the knob isn’t particularly outstanding in terms of durability or how satisfying it is to use compared to other volume knobs, its inclusion is still incredibly convenient and much appreciated.
On the completely opposite and upper side of this keyboard segment, we have the so-called toggle bar, which is essentially just a stylish macro button as it can be customized to serve as just about any button or to execute a certain command. Right next to the toggle bar, there are three LED indicators for CAPS, Bluetooth, and battery level, which is especially handy to have on wireless keyboards. On the back, there’s a connection mode toggle, a USB-C port, and underneath, there are feet with two levels of tilt adjustment.
The control knob and indicators are a nice inclusion
Regarding the switches, the keyboard comes exclusively with Kailh Box Red linear switches with 45g of actuation force and 3.6 mm of total travel distance. These switches are generally a good fit for this keyboard as they are quite fast, relatively smooth, and stable, making them an excellent choice for gaming. While not the best, they are quite solid and consistently reliable for typing. Fortunately, this aspect purely depends on your preferences, as the keyboard is fully hot-swappable, allowing you to replace the switches with any other 3/5 pin mechanical switches.
Probably the weakest aspect of the KT68 is its construction, given that the casing is entirely made of relatively weaker ABS plastic. While this results in it being very portable and lightweight at just 900 grams, it gives the impression of being somewhat hollow. Handling the keyboard and pressing on certain segments even produces creaking sounds, which definitely diminishes the overall impression.
Not the best volume knob but its inclusion is appreciated
All of this naturally impacts the keyboard’s sound profile. Even though the PCB and metal plate have a silicone sound absorption pad, the sound remains relatively hollow. To be clear, the keyboard doesn’t sound too bad in itself, but don’t think you’ll be getting an enthusiast level sound profile here without some heavy modding. Out of the box, this will definitely appeal only to those who prefer a louder, somewhat clicky sound profile.
PERFORMANCE
As I mentioned, the KT68 is a wireless keyboard, connecting to devices via a 2.4 GHz USB dongle or Bluetooth 5.0, which allows pairing with up to 3 devices. There’s no dongle compartment on the keyboard itself despite the extra space above the keys so take care not to lose it when switching devices. Nevertheless, switching between connection modes is straightforward and fast, as you simply need to use keyboard shortcuts to switch between paired devices. Both wireless modes operate reliably, offering a virtually lag-free experience, whether for gaming or typing.
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- These switches feel like a perfect match for this keyboard
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- The battery life for wireless is superb
Clearly, the focus of this keyboard is on wireless usage, so it’s great that it has a battery to support that. The 4000mAh battery here can last between 3–5 days with the RGB turned on, depending on your preferred effects and how much you use the keyboard daily. Fortunately, the keyboard looks quite attractive even without the RGB, so I often used it that way. Doing so, I found the battery could last an impressive 2 weeks before needing a recharge.
The KT68 also comes with proprietary Machenike software, allowing for numerous customizations. Unfortunately, like many manufacturers, Machenike uses a unique software piece for each of its keyboards, so don’t expect it to be highly polished. It generally serves its purpose and is easy to use, with its most useful feature being the creation of profiles and the ability to individually customize the function of every single key and the toggle bar. Of course, you can also create macro key combinations, fine-tune the RGB, or even configure it to light up in sync with the computer’s sound.
CONCLUSION
The Machenike KT68 delivers precisely what it promises – no more, no less. For $120, you get a keyboard that looks fantastic, offers excellent gaming performance, and provides a reliable and long-lasting wireless experience. Essentially, this isn’t a super-premium keyboard for enthusiasts, but it offers more than enough for the majority of the gaming audience or those who simply want a beautiful, functional piece of hardware on their desk.
