“ Let ’s move onto the computer peripheral . ” It ’s a sentence I always fear hearing during a CES booth tour , especially among mainstream brand like MSI . I get laid I ’m in for a stack of keyboards that do n’t come close to thebest play keyboards , and they usually amount at an ungodly cost . But MSI leave me gobsmacked atCES 2025with its young $ 80 mechanical keyboard .

It ’s called the Forge GK600 TKL Wireless , and it puts just about every play keyboard I ’ve seen to shame . Not only is it throng with premium invention element usually reserved for expensive keyboards like theROG AzothandGMMK 3 — it also comes in at that harebrained $ 80 Leontyne Price . Even as I ’m writing this article , I ’m still shocked at the price . The Forge GK600 has no line being as inexpensive as it is .

But I ’m for certain happy it ’s that cheap . The Forge GK600 has basically everything go for it . It ’s a mechanical keyboard build with a hot - swappable publish circuit card ( PCB ) , so you ’re gratis to add up your own switches if you desire . The blood line switches are really solid — I ’ll get to those soon — but a hot - swappable mechanical keyboard for $ 80 is unheard of , especially from a brand as large as MSI .

Still , the Forge GK700 TKL decease further . It ’s wireless , as the name implies , with documentation for both a 2.4GHz link and Bluetooth . It also substantiate up to three Bluetooth link and comes packed with a 4,000mAh battery .

For me , the literal difference of opinion is the gasket riding horse and healthy dampening . A gasket mount istheway to get the unspoilt speech sound out of most keyboard and swop compounding , and it ’s something you ’ll usually only find on a keyboard well north of $ 100 . MSI is offering it here for $ 80 , along with so much else , from the wireless support to the red-hot - swappable PCB .

I ’d be very well-chosen with the keyboard out of the corner , though . MSI is using KTT HiFi linear switching on the keyboard , which fathom excellent . There ’s always elbow room for enthusiast to throw in something like Gateron Oil king , but out of the corner , and even on the CES show floor , the Forge GK600 sounds wonderful . It has minimal ping and a passably deep thock , regardless of the price . The fact that the keyboard is so inexpensive is just the cherry tree on top .

Now , there is a caveat to all of this . The Forge GK600 is completely made of plastic . Honestly , though , I ’m totally fine with that . I hump a big , loggerheaded aluminum keyboard that feels like a mantle on my desk — something like theMeletrix Boog75 — but at $ 80 , I do n’t expect that variety of premium treatment . MSI is using plastic , but it blast just about every other aspect of this keyboard , and it feels great to typecast on as a result .

MSI project to extend this keyboard in two colour option , both of which are fairly attractive , present-day designs for a premium mechanical keyboard . In addition to the keyboard itself , you also get a small condition screen door on the keyboard . It ’s not customizable , but it picture you ifCaps Lockor other function are enable and shows a small image of MSI ’s mascot , Lucky .

I ’m not sure when this keyboard will be broadly usable — for a company as large as MSI , keyboards certainly do n’t take priority — but I ’m looking onward to give it a close look once it ’s usable . Considering the price , I have a operose time image I ’ll leave disappointed .