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Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] vs Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.]

Side-by-Side Comparison

    Top
    Main Differences
    Design
      DimensionsBuild QualityErgonomicsHardware CustomizabilityBacklight FeaturesBacklight ClarityCable & ConnectorWireless VersatilityMacro Keys And ProgrammingExtra FeaturesIn The Box
    Typing Experience
      Typing QualityTyping NoiseKeystrokesAdjustable Input GranularitySwitches
    Performance
      Single-Key LatencyMulti-Key LatencyData TransmissionChord Split
    Software and Operating System
      Configuration SoftwareComputer CompatibilityWireless Mobile Compatibility
    Comments

Products

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.]
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.]

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Jul 18, 2025 03:42 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Jul 02, 2025 05:57 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Picture
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Picture
ConnectivityWireless
Size
Compact (75%)
Switch Type
Magnetic
Output Type
Analog
Hot-Swappable Switches
Yes
ConnectivityWireless
Size
Compact (75%)
Switch Type
Magnetic
Output Type
Analog
Hot-Swappable Switches
Yes

Our Verdict

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.]

Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.]

Both the Keychron Q1 HE and the Keychron K2 HE are wireless gaming keyboards with Hall effect switches and virtually identical raw performance. The Q1 HE has a much heavier solid aluminum case and a double-gasket mount design that provides a softer, springier-feeling typing experience. Unfortunately, its stabilizers are somewhat inconsistent and prone to rattling. Comparatively, the K2 HE has an ABS plastic bottom chassis and a thinner aluminum frame. It has a relatively stiffer-feeling tray mount design but much more consistent stabilizers.

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Variants

  • Q1 HE (Carbon Black)
  • Q3 HE (Carbon Black)
  • Q5 HE (Carbon Black)
  • Q6 HE (Carbon Black)
  • Q1 HE (Shell White)
  • Q3 HE (Shell White)
  • Q5 HE (Shell White)
  • Q6 HE (Shell White)
  • K2 HE (Black (Special Edition ISO))
  • K2 HE (Black (Special Edition))
  • K8 HE (Black (Special Edition))
  • K4 HE (Black (Special Edition))
  • K10 HE (Black (Special Edition))
  • K6 HE (Black (Special Edition))
  • K2 HE (Black (Standard Edition))
  • K8 HE (Black (Standard Edition))
  • K4 HE (Black (Standard Edition))
  • K10 HE (Black (Standard Edition))
  • K6 HE (Black (Standard Edition))
  • K2 HE (White (Special Edition))
  • K8 HE (White (Special Edition))
  • K4 HE (White (Special Edition))
  • K10 HE (White (Special Edition))
  • K6 HE (White (Special Edition))

Review

See Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Review
See Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Review
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Check Price

Carbon Black
Q1 HE
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Black (Special Edition ISO)
K2 HE
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Carbon Black
Q3 HE
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Black (Special Edition)
K2 HE
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Carbon Black
Q5 HE
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Black (Special Edition)
K8 HE
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Carbon Black
Q6 HE
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Black (Special Edition)
K4 HE
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Shell White
Q1 HE
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Black (Special Edition)
K10 HE
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Shell White
Q3 HE
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Black (Special Edition)
K6 HE
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Shell White
Q5 HE
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Black (Standard Edition)
K2 HE
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Shell White
Q6 HE
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Black (Standard Edition)
K8 HE
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Black (Standard Edition)
K4 HE
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Black (Standard Edition)
K10 HE
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Black (Standard Edition)
K6 HE
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White (Special Edition)
K2 HE
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White (Special Edition)
K8 HE
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White (Special Edition)
K4 HE
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White (Special Edition)
K10 HE
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White (Special Edition)
K6 HE
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Main Differences for
Gaming

Threshold 

0.10

Gaming 

8.4
8.5

Backlight Clarity 
 

4.0
8.0

Full Comparison

Design

Dimensions 
 

Top Picture  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Top Picture
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Top Picture

Size 
 

Compact (75%)
Compact (75%)

Height 
 

1.8" (4.6 cm)
1.6" (4.0 cm)

Width  

12.9" (32.7 cm)
12.5" (31.7 cm)

Depth 
 

5.7" (14.5 cm)
5.0" (12.7 cm)

Depth With Wrist Rest 
 

N/A
N/A

Weight 
 

3.84 lbs (1.740 kg)
2.10 lbs (0.952 kg)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.5
8.0

Build Quality Close Up  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Build Quality Close Up
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Build Quality Close Up

Keycap Material  

PBT
PBT
Show Text 

Ergonomics 
 

6.0
6.0

Side Picture  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Side Picture
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Side Picture

Curved/Angled 
 

No
No

Split Keyboard 
 

No
No

Key Alignment 
 

Staggered
Staggered

Minimum Incline 
 

5.2°
5°

Medium Incline 
 

N/A
9.3°

Maximum Incline 
 

N/A
12.3°

Home Row Height 
 

35.3 mm (1.4")
31.2 mm (1.2")
Show Text 

Hardware Customizability 
 

9.1
7.6

Customizability Overview  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Customizability Overview
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Customizability Overview

Replaceable Cherry Stabilizers 
 

Yes
Yes

Stabilizer Fixation 
 

Screw-in
Screw-in

Spacebar Stabilizer Size 
 

6.25u
6.25u

Size Of Right Mod Keys 
 

1u
1u

Hot-Swappable Switches 
 

Yes
Yes

Switch Stem Shape 
 

Cherry MX Style
Cherry MX Style

Switch PCB Socket 
 

Non-Cherry Pinout
Non-Customizable Design

North-Facing Cherry MX Interference 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Backlight Features 
 

10
10

Backlighting Picture  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Backlighting Picture
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Backlighting Picture

Brightness Max  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Brightness Max
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Brightness Max

Backlighting  

Yes
Yes

Brightness Min  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Brightness Min
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Brightness Min

RGB 
 

Yes
Yes

Per-Key Backlighting 
 

Yes
Yes

Effects 
 

Yes
Yes

Software Controllable 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Backlight Clarity 
 

4.0
8.0

White Shot  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] White Shot
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] White Shot
Show Text 

Cable & Connector  

Connectivity  

Wireless
Wireless

Detachable 
 

Yes (Wired Mode and Charge)
Yes (Wired Mode and Charge)

Length  

5.8 ft (1.8 m)
5.9 ft (1.8 m)

Connector (Keyboard side) 
 

USB type-C
USB type-C
Show Text 

Wireless Versatility 
 

10
10

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Multi-Device Pairing 
 

3
3

Proprietary Receiver 
 

Yes
Yes

Battery Type 
 

Rechargeable
Rechargeable
Show Text 

Macro Keys And Programming 
 

4.0
4.0

Dedicated Macro Keys Count  

0
0

Onboard Macro Programming 
 

No
No

Macro Programming With Software 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

Extra Features  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Extra Features
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Extra Features

Media Keys 
 

Non-Dedicated
Non-Dedicated

Trackpad / Trackball  

No
No

Scroll Wheel 
 

No
No

Control Knob 
 

Yes
No

USB Passthrough 
 

No
No

Numpad  

No
No

Windows Key Lock 
 

No
Yes

Lock Indicator  

Caps Lock
Caps Lock
Show Text 

In The Box  

Bundle Picture  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Bundle Picture
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Bundle Picture
Show Text 
Typing Experience

Typing Quality 
 

8.5
8.5

Key Spacing 
 

19.0 mm (0.748")
19.0 mm (0.748")
Show Text 

Typing Noise 
 

9.3
9.3

Typing Sample  

Average Loudness 
 

42.6 dBA
43.3 dBA

High Pitch Clicks 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Keystrokes 
 

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Operating Force 
 

49 gf
41 gf

Actuation Force 
 

49 gf
41 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

2.2 mm
0.5 mm

Total Travel 
 

3.9 mm
3.9 mm
Show Text 

Adjustable Input Granularity 
 

8.3
7.8

Input Linearity Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Analog Output Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Top Deadzone 
 

0.39 mm
0.39 mm

Bottom Deadzone 
 

0.06 mm
0.26 mm

Detection Ratio 
 

89%
83%

Minimum Step Depth 
 

0.08 mm
0.09 mm
Show Text 

Switches 
 

Wobble Video  

Switch Name 
 

Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula
Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula

Switch Type 
 

Magnetic
Magnetic

Feel 
 

Linear
Linear

Output Type 
 

Analog
Analog
Show Text 
Performance

Single-Key Latency 
 

9.1
9.0

Single-Key Latency Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Best Connection 
 

3.2 ms
3.4 ms

Best Connection Std Dev  

±0.7 ms
±0.6 ms

Wired 
 

3.2 ms
3.4 ms

Receiver 
 

4.3 ms
5.6 ms

Bluetooth 
 

9.3 ms
9.9 ms

PCB (Estimated) 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Multi-Key Latency 
 

8.9
8.9

Latency Video  

Multi-Key Latency Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Connection Evaluated  

Wired
Wired

Key Press 
 

3.3 ms
3.4 ms

Key Release 
 

6.2 ms
6.2 ms
Show Text 

Data Transmission 
 

8.2
8.2

Multi-Key Raw USB  

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] Multi-Key Raw USB
Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.] Multi-Key Raw USB

Connection Evaluated  

Wired
Wired

USB Polling Rate 
 

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Effective Update Rate 
 

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

N-Key Rollover (NKRO) 
 

Yes
Yes

Multiple Keys Per USB Report 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Chord Split 
 

7.5
7.4

Chord Split Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

4 Chord Split Delay 
 

6.4 ms
7.5 ms

8 Chord Split Delay 
 

13.8 ms
9.5 ms
Show Text 
Software and Operating System

Configuration Software 
 

Software Tour  

Software Name  

Keychron Launcher
Keychron Launcher

Software Windows Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

Software macOS Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

Onboard Memory 
 

Yes
Yes

Profiles 
 

3
3
Show Text 

Computer Compatibility 
 

10
10

Windows 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

macOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Linux (Ubuntu 22) 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Media Key Compatibility 
 

Windows, MacOS & Linux
Windows, MacOS & Linux
Show Text 

Wireless Mobile Compatibility 
 

10
10

Android 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

iOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

iPadOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Media Key Compatibility 
 

Android, iPhone & iPad
Android, iPhone & iPad
Show Text 

Check Price

Carbon Black
Q1 HE
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Black (Special Edition ISO)
K2 HE
Searching
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Carbon Black
Q3 HE
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Finding store
Black (Special Edition)
K2 HE
Searching
Finding store
Carbon Black
Q5 HE
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Finding store
Black (Special Edition)
K8 HE
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Finding store
Carbon Black
Q6 HE
Searching
Finding store
Black (Special Edition)
K4 HE
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Finding store
Shell White
Q1 HE
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Finding store
Black (Special Edition)
K10 HE
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Finding store
Shell White
Q3 HE
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Finding store
Black (Special Edition)
K6 HE
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Finding store
Shell White
Q5 HE
Searching
Finding store
Black (Standard Edition)
K2 HE
Searching
Finding store
Shell White
Q6 HE
Searching
Finding store
Black (Standard Edition)
K8 HE
Searching
Finding store
 
Black (Standard Edition)
K4 HE
Searching
Finding store
 
Black (Standard Edition)
K10 HE
Searching
Finding store
 
Black (Standard Edition)
K6 HE
Searching
Finding store
 
White (Special Edition)
K2 HE
Searching
Finding store
 
White (Special Edition)
K8 HE
Searching
Finding store
 
White (Special Edition)
K4 HE
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Finding store
 
White (Special Edition)
K10 HE
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Finding store
 
White (Special Edition)
K6 HE
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Back to Top

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.]

Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.]

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 7 months ago

Keychron Q1 HE [Q5 HE, Q6 HE, etc.] vs Keychron K2 HE [K4 HE, K8 HE, etc.]: Main Discussion

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