The NuPhy Air60 HE is a compact (60%) gaming keyboard with Hall effect switches in Nuphy's Air HE series, along with the larger NuPhy Air75 HE. These keyboards have the same low-profile design as NuPhy's Air V2 series boards, but their Hall effect switches allow you to customize actuation and reset distances; they also have more advanced settings like Rapid Trigger, SOCD, or multiple actions mapped to single keys. They support a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz and use a web-based configurator, which allows you to configure all actuation settings and other elements like backlighting and custom profiles.
We tested the smaller NuPhy Air60 HE, but our review also applies to the NuPhy Air75 HE. For more details, see the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The NuPhy Air60 HE is an amazing gaming keyboard. It has outstanding latency performance with support for a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz, producing a highly consistent in-game experience. It also has excellent build quality with pre-lubed switches and stabilizers. Its web-based software also offers customizable actuation and reset points alongside more advanced settings like multiple actions mapped to single keys or Rapid Trigger, which can help enable faster and more consistent follow-up inputs, especially useful for counter-strafing in FPS games. Unfortunately, our unit suffered from minor actuation accuracy issues at its lowest settings. See the Keystrokes section for more details.
Exceptionally low latency.
Supports a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz.
Excellent build quality.
Web-based software offers in-depth adjustable actuation settings.
The keycaps lack proper shine-through legends, so you can't read legends in a darker room.
The NuPhy Air60 HE is alright for office work, but it isn't designed specifically with this use in mind. That said, it has excellent build quality with pre-lubed switches and stabilizers, providing a smooth and quiet typing experience. Its low-profile design is also comfortable for long stretches, even without a wrist rest. The switches are highly stable and have the same total travel distance as standard profile switches, preventing an abrupt bottom-out feel. However, its compact 60% layout may not suit all workflows, as it lacks commonly used keys like the navigation cluster and arrow keys. These functions are accessible via programmable layers, but you'll need to rely more on shortcuts. If that sounds like a hassle, you might prefer the larger NuPhy Air75 HE instead.
Excellent build quality.
Great overall typing quality.
Low-profile design is comfortable to type on without a wrist rest.
Wired-only.
The NuPhy Air60 HE is a wired-only keyboard and isn't suitable for mobile or tablet use.
The NuPhy Air60 HE is good for programming. It offers excellent build and typing quality. Its low-profile design makes it comfortable to use without a wrist rest, and the switches have the same total travel distance as regular profile switches, so you don't have to worry about abruptly bottoming out your keystrokes. That said, the compact 60% layout may not be efficient for all programming workflows, as you're missing many keys found on full-size layouts. You can still access these commands on programmable layers, but if that feels like a hassle, you might prefer the larger NuPhy Air75 HE instead.
Excellent build quality.
Great overall typing quality.
Low-profile design is comfortable to type on without a wrist rest.
The keycaps lack proper shine-through legends, so you can't read legends in a darker room.
Wired-only.
The NuPhy Air60 HE isn't designed specifically for entertainment or home theater PC setups, as it's a wired-only model, requiring you to sit relatively close to your device. However, its compact form factor makes it manageable for couch use. Unfortunately, it lacks dedicated media keys and doesn't have proper shine-through legends, making the keys difficult to read in the dark.
Excellent build quality.
The keycaps lack proper shine-through legends, so you can't read legends in a darker room.
Wired-only.
Lacks dedicated media keys.
The NuPhy Air60 HE delivers outstanding raw performance, making it an excellent choice for competitive gaming. It boasts exceptionally low and consistent single-key and multi-key latency, supports N-key rollover by default, and can register multiple inputs per USB report. With an effective update rate of 8000Hz, it avoids performance bottlenecks and can fully leverage its maximum 8000Hz polling rate.
Exceptionally low latency.
Supports a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz.
Web-based software offers in-depth adjustable actuation settings.
Changelog
- Updated Jan 06, 2026: Our Test Bench 1.4.3 update adds clearer terminology and new measurements to our Keystrokes test group. For more details, see the full changelog.
- Updated Oct 02, 2025: Our 1.4.2 Test Bench Update makes changes to the Hardware Customizability test group. We've created a new Magnetic Switch Compatibility test and renamed our previous PCB Socket test to Mechanical Switch Compatibility. See our full changelog.
- Updated Aug 26, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.4.1. This update removes the Key Release test and a video element from the Multi-Key Latency section, resulting in minor score changes. See our full 1.4.1 changelog for details.
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Updated Jun 23, 2025:
We’ve corrected a typo in the Keystrokes, Single-Key Latency, and Multi-Key Latency sections. The Rapid Trigger test setting was incorrectly listed as 0.1 mm, but the test was actually conducted at 0.01 mm. We've updated the text to reflect the correct value. This correction doesn't affect any scores.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
NuPhy's Air HE keyboards are available in two sizes and come with a choice between Gateron Low-Profile Magnetic Jade and Gateron Low-Profile Magnetic Jade Pro switches. We bought and tested the smaller Nuphy Air60 HE with Low-Profile Magnetic Jade Pro switches. See our unit's label.
The NuPhy Air60 HE and the NuPhy Air75 HE are essentially the same keyboard; the only difference between them is their size; our test results apply to both models.
| Name | Size | Switch Options |
|---|---|---|
| NuPhy Air60 HE | Compact (60%) | Gateron Low-Profile Magnetic Jade / Gateron Low-Profile Magnetic Jade Pro |
| NuPhy Air75 HE | Compact (75%) | Gateron Low-Profile Magnetic Jade / Gateron Low-Profile Magnetic Jade Pro |
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The NuPhy Air60 HE and its larger counterpart, the NuPhy Air75 HE, are among the first low-profile gaming keyboards that support adjustable actuation settings. The typing feel on these keyboards with their low-profile Gateron magnetic switches feel very similar to the standard profile Gateron magnetic switches, as they have the same total travel distance, so there isn't an increased risk of abruptly bottoming out your keys. Furthermore, their compact design makes them a lot easier to move around compared to the much bulkier NuPhy Field 75HE or other popular Hall effect options like the Wooting 60HE, the Wooting 80HE, the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini, or the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3.
Overall, this is an extremely high-performance gaming keyboard that nearly matches the performance of more expensive enthusiast models like the Wooting 80HE. It's a great option to consider if you appreciate the low-profile form factor, either for how it looks or for the ergonomic benefit of having a flatter keyboard that doesn't require you to angle your wrists sharply upwards to reach the keys.
For more recommendations, see our picks for the best keyboards, the best gaming keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
Both the Wooting 60HE and the NuPhy Air60 HE are compact analog gaming keyboards. The biggest difference is that the NuPhy has a low-profile design and slightly better raw performance with a higher polling rate of 8000Hz. The Wooting, on the other hand, has a taller standard profile. Both keyboards have robust web-based software with extensive analog customization, but the Wooting supports more features, including analog joystick control and an offline client.
The Wooting 80HE and the NuPhy Air60 HE are both extremely high-performance analog gaming keyboards. The Wooting has a standard profile with a larger layout, including dedicated arrow keys, a navigation cluster, and a function row. It also feels slightly more premium and has broader compatibility with aftermarket HE switches. In contrast, the NuPhy has a low-profile design and a compact 60% layout, freeing up more desk space for mouse movements. Both keyboards have web-based software that offers extensive analog customization, but the Wooting stands out with additional features like analog joystick control as well as an offline version of the software.
The NuPhy Air60 V2 and the NuPhy Air60 HE are both low-profile keyboards. The Air60 V2 is a wireless model that's generally more versatile for a range of uses including productivity and gaming. On the other hand, the Air60 HE is a wired-only model that's much more focused on gaming. It has specialized analog switches that allow you to customize actuation and reset distance, and it has significantly better raw performance with a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz.
The biggest difference between the NuPhy Field75 HE and NuPhy Air60 HE is that the Field75 HE has a taller standard profile while the Air 60HE has a much thinner low profile. Also, note that the Field75 HE has a smaller 60% counterpart while the Air60 HE has a larger 75% counterpart in their respective lineups. Otherwise, they perform virtually the same, but the Field series keyboards feature additional hardware such as a decorative handle, a physical scroll wheel, and dedicated macro buttons.
Test Results
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