The Keychron V1 is a wired-only, compact (75%) mechanical keyboard in Keychron's wider V Series. This series takes some elements from Keychron's premium Q lineup, like the OSA profile PBT keycaps, south-facing LEDs, and high degree of customization. However, it wraps these features up in a more affordable package.
Our Verdict
Although they aren't designed for this use, the Keychron V Series are decent keyboards for gaming. They have a solid build quality and full RGB backlighting, and their hot-swappable PCBs mean you can easily change out the stock switches for any gaming switch you want. Plus, all keys are macro-programmable using the VIA companion software, which is available on all major operating systems. Unfortunately, the ergonomics are only alright as they're high-profile keyboards that lack a wrist rest. Also, their latency is best-suited for casual rather than competitive gaming.
- Excellent build quality.
- Full RGB backlighting.
- Easily customizable; hot-swappable PCB.
- No included wrist rest for better ergonomic support.
- Latency isn't low enough for competitive gaming.
The Keychron V Series are very good keyboards for office use. They feel very well-built, and the sound-dampening foam inside the boards keeps the typing noises to a minimum, making them a good choice for open office environments. Thanks to the toggle on the top left, these keyboards and their software are fully compatible with all major operating systems. Unfortunately, the ergonomics are only alright as they're high-profile keyboards that don't include a wrist rest.
- Excellent build quality.
- Sound dampeners keep typing noises to a minimum.
- No included wrist rest for better ergonomic support.
Since the Keychron V Series are wired-only keyboards, they aren't recommended for use with mobile devices. However, they connect with a USB-C to USB-C cable, so you can technically use them with any mobile device that has a USB-C port, but this will drain the device's battery fairly quickly.
The Keychron V Series are great keyboards to use for programming. They feel well-built and excellent to type on. Plus, all the keys are macro-programmable using the companion software, which is available on all major operating systems, including Linux. These keyboards also have full RGB backlighting to illuminate the keys in the dark. Unfortunately, the ergonomics aren't the greatest, as the keyboards have a high profile and lack a wrist rest. Also, since they're wired-only, you can't connect them to multiple devices at once.
- Excellent build quality.
- Full RGB backlighting.
- Easily customizable; hot-swappable PCB.
- Wired-only.
- No included wrist rest for better ergonomic support.
The Keychron V Series are poor keyboards to use in an entertainment or home theatre setup. They're wired-only, meaning you'll have to run the connection cable from the keyboard to the device. They also lack a trackpad or any additional feature for on-screen navigation. However, as a plus, they have full RGB backlighting and a very good build quality.
- Excellent build quality.
- Wired-only.
- No trackpad for on-screen navigation.
- No included wrist rest for better ergonomic support.
- Excellent build quality.
- No included wrist rest for better ergonomic support.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 07, 2024: We've added a link to the newly-reviewed [nolink:Keychron V5 Max] in theWireless Versatility section of this review.
- Updated Nov 29, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3.1, which adds a new estimated PCB latency test to the Single-Key Latency section and a new Analog test to the Switches section of this review. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Oct 16, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3, which overhauls how key input is evaluated. We've added new tests for Single Key Latency, Multi Key Latency, Data Transmission, and Chord Split. We've also introduced a new Raw Performance usage and adjusted how the Gaming and Office usage scores are calculated. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Jun 12, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update introduces new Backlight Features and Backlight Clarity test boxes. We've also added a new Switches test box, added additional test comparisons to our Hardware Customizability test box that we introduced with our last Test Bench. For an in-depth look at our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Keychron V Series keyboards come in a variety of sizes and configurations. There are two main colorways: Frosted Black, which is a translucent plastic, and Carbon Black, which is opaque plastic. There are also versions with a Knob available, and ISO layouts available. They all use Keychron K Pro switches with the standard switch options of linear Red, clicky Blue, and tactile Brown. We bought and tested the pre-assembled, compact (75%) V1 without a knob, with the tactile Keychron K Pro Brown switches installed, and you see our unit's label here.
| Name | Size | Assembly Options | Frame Colorway Options | Knob Version Available | ISO Layout Available | Switches | Switch Options |
| V1 | Compact (75%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | Frosted Black, Carbon Black | Yes | Yes | Keychron K Pro | Red, Blue, Brown |
| V2 | Compact (65%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | Frosted Black, Carbon Black | Yes | No | Keychron K Pro | Red, Blue, Brown |
| V3 | TenKeyLess (80%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | Frosted Black, Carbon Black | Yes | No | Keychron K Pro | Red, Blue, Brown |
| V4 | Compact (60%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | Frosted Black, Carbon Black | Yes | No | Keychron K Pro | Red, Blue, Brown |
| V5 | Full-Size (96%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | Frosted Black, Carbon Black | Yes | No | Keychron K Pro | Red, Blue, Brown |
| V6 | Full-Size (100%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | Frosted Black, Carbon Black | Yes | No | Keychron K Pro | Red, Blue, Brown |
| V7 | Compact (70%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | Frosted Black, Carbon Black | Yes | No | Keychron K Pro | Red, Blue, Brown |
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The Keychron V Series is a lineup of keyboards designed to be a more affordable version of the highly-customizable Keychron Q Series. To save on costs, the V Series uses a tray-mounted design rather than a gasket mount, and they have a plastic case rather than an aluminum case. These changes have a fairly minimal impact on the typing experience overall, as typing feels slightly stiffer, and the sounds are a little more resonant. As a difference, the V Series includes incline settings, a feature lacking on the Q Series keyboards. This lineup uses Keychron-branded switches, which feel very similar to the Gateron switches found in other Keychron keyboards. As far as hot-swappable options go, this keyboard enters the market dominated by other Keychron offerings and comes in as a solid choice for new hobbyists looking to get into the customization scene without spending a ton of money.
If you're interested in more options, check out the best mechanical keyboards and the best keyboards for typing. Or, if you're interested in other Keychron models, check out the best Keychron keyboards.
The Keychron V5 and the Keychron V5 Max are both mechanical keyboards with compact 96% layouts. Both keyboards are also part of respective V Series and V Max series of keyboards with various other size variants. The standout difference between the V Series and V Max series is that the V Series boards are comparatively more basic wired-only models. On the other hand, the V Max boards have a more premium gasket-mounted design, layers of acoustic foam inside the case, and wireless connectivity with a 2.4 GHz wireless receiver or Bluetooth.
The Keychron V Series and the Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] are similar, customizable mechanical keyboards manufactured by Keychron. They're very similar in terms of performance and features, but the K Pro Series has the option for an aluminum frame, whereas the V Series only has plastic frames. Otherwise, the major difference between the two is that the K Pro Series are wireless and use Bluetooth to connect while the V Series boards are wired-only.
The Keychron Q Series, which includes the Keychron Q1, is the upgraded version of the Keychron V Series. The Q Series features a better build quality on account of their gasket-mounted design and solid aluminum case. The V Series has a tray mount design and a plastic case. However, the V Series boards have incline feet to adjust the angle during use whereas the Q Series boards have a fixed incline. Otherwise, the two lineups perform similarly and have a similar range of customization.
The GLORIOUS GMMK PRO and the Keychron V Series are customizable, mechanical keyboards. These are intended for a hobbyist crowd looking to fully customize their typing experience, so you can purchase each keyboard as a barebones version without keycaps and switches installed. However, you'll have to buy all components of the GLORIOUS separately and put everything together yourself, while Keychron offers pre-assembled versions that already have the switches and keycaps installed. If you're looking to game, the GLORIOUS is a better option as its latency is much lower than the Keychrons'.
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