The Lemokey L5 HE 8K is a mechanical keyboard aimed at gamers that uses magnetic switches. This results in a keyboard that is brightly colored, but highly customizable for typists.
One of the more recent breakthroughs in the mechanical keyboard industry is in switch technology. With the introduction of magnetic switches, this has opened up a whole new world of customizations for end users.
We have covered a few keyboards using such switches in the past, but the Lemokey L5 HE 8K is the first to pass our desks that firmly takes aim at gaming. That is because Lemokey is effectively the gaming arm of Keychron, the well-known keyboard producer.
While not necessarily the same target market as the typical Mac user, that link to Keychron means it still offers a lot to potential purchasers.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K review – Physical Design
Made from CNC-machined aluminum, the Lemokey has many of the same hallmarks of a decent Keychron keyboard. It has solid metal top and base sections, as well as feeling like it has high build quality.
It’s a 75% keyboard with a tenkeyless layout, meaning that it doesn’t have the numpad to the side, but still retains the function row and all of the essential keys.
Measuring 12.9 inches wide and 5.9 inches deep, it has a fairly decent size for the number of keys it uses.
That also includes the dial located to the top right of the keyboard. This can be used in various ways, with the most typical being for system volume control and muting.
The knob of the Lemokey L5 HE 8K
It’s also quite thick at 1.78 inches at the back, including keycaps, down to 1.06 inches with the front keycaps, and 0.75 inches at the front edge. This is quite high for a keyboard, but not out of the ordinary for a mechanical one.
There is no option to raise or lower the keyboard’s angle or height, with the feet in the base consisting of two thin rubber strips along the front and back. It’s likely that you’ll need a wrist rest for long-term usage of this keyboard.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K from the side shows its not-adjustable height
You’re also not likely to move it around your desk much, as at just over four pounds in weight, it’s not going to easily slide around while you type. This is decidedly a keyboard for use at a desk and not as part of a portable setup.
An interesting part of the physical design of the keyboard also lends itself to the RGB gaming aesthetic. The rear-most section appears as if it’s a triangular wedge of the body, surrounded by a plastic loop.
That loop contains LEDs, which result in a rainbow-colored stripe that goes across the back, down the sides, and right under the keyboard.
The RGB loop of the Lemokey L5 HE 8K
At the back of the keyboard is a USB-C port, used to connect to your host Mac or PC. Due to the styling of the wedge being a bit offset inward in the design, the port is slightly hidden from view from above, and also slightly angled upwards too.
This is a bit unusual, but not really a problem in everyday use.
This keyboard is only connecting to your Mac via USB-C. There are no wireless or Bluetooth options here, but it’s not really an issue unless you really despise the presence of cables.
Next to the USB-C port is a switch with three positions. This is used to control its polling speed, which can reach up to 8,000Hz and can turn the RGB strip red.
The USB-C port and the polling speed switch on the Lemokey L5 HE 8K
There’s little real need for this when using it for typical typing tasks, but it’s certainly something that can benefit gamers. This may come into play more on Mac if Apple’s plans to increase the gaming capabilities of macOS come to fruition in the future.
Just as you would find with the construction of other mechanical keyboards, Lemokey has made it possible for users to tinker around with its insides.
It uses a gasket-mounted PCB, with layers of sound-absorbing foam, EPDM foam, EVA, and PET film in the bottom of the case.
Tools, foam, and bits supplied with the Lemokey L5 HE 8K
If the user wants a change in how it feels to type, they can open the enclosure up and switch between the gasket mount to a top-mount configuration. This is somewhat encouraged by including more foam, rubber elements, and a pair of screwdrivers in the box.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K review – Switches
Under the pretty nice double-shot PBT Cherry profile keycaps are the Hall Effect magnetic switches. Rather than relying on electrical contacts to be made when pressed to a specific level, these switches instead use magnets.
The Hall Effect refers to detecting the movement of the magnets, which happens when the switches go up and down.
The result is a switch that can be controlled a lot more than the typical switch. It’s one that can detect exactly how far you have pressed it.
The Hall Effect switches in the Lemokey L5 HE 8K
Since the amount of travel can be monitored, it’s possible to set the switch to accept a key press at a specific distance. You can set each key to count a key press differently, so some require a light press, while others could need a much heavier tap to be accepted.
There’s an adjustable actuation point range of between 0.01 millimeter and 3.35 millimeters, with a sensitivity to the hundredths of a millimeter.
This actuation point is not one that is actually felt by the user like a traditional switch. In practice, the keys are more like linear switches by feel, but you can select where that actuation point is placed.
The switches are also fitted with north-facing LEDs, which is important for those who want maximum light output from their keyboard. There are a total of 22 backlight modes available, with tunable hue, saturation, brightness, and speeds.
As is standard for a mechanical keyboard, you can use the supplied puller to extract and hot-swap the switches for other ones. Just make sure that, to continue to take advantage of the customization options, you use similar magnetic switches.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K review – Features and Software
Like other mechanical keyboards, there is software available to customize how the keyboard acts. In the case of the Lemokey L5 HE 8K, it’s not through the usual Via, but instead a separate online launcher.
The launcher is used to configure the switches and other features.
First, there’s the Hall Effect or HE features, which include configuring and testing the actuation points for every switch on the keyboard. There’s also Rapid Triggering, which registers keystrokes at a faster speed for gaming.
The launcher software to configure the Lemokey L5 HE 8K.
The actuation point also applies for a One Key, Multiple Commands feature, where you can set a key to trigger different things when actuating at different depths and directions. Long presses can also be set up for similar purposes.
Another gaming-specific feature is Snap Action, in that two specific keys can be set to be pressed at the same time, but to only confirm the more deeply pressed key while resetting the other. Similarly, there’s Last Key Priority that does the same with two keys, but triggers the last-pressed of the two while resetting the other.
Gamepad Analog is also available, mapping keys to specific buttons or controls that exist on a game controller. The actuation points also come into play, as you can mimic the gradual movements of an analog joystick, depending on the depth of presses.
The launcher software also offers functions for key remapping, changing the backlighting, macro recording, key testing, and firmware upgrades.
As a custom app, it’s a pretty well-put-together tool for managing the keyboard’s quite unique features. It has a bit of a learning curve to configure things that can be easily overcome, but most people won’t really have a need to change its settings or see the app at all.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K review – Extreme but highly customizable
It’s clear to say that the Lemokey L5 HE 8K would be an ideal keyboard for gamers. The inherent customizable nature of it, as well as gaming-forward features and its RGB lighting, certainly lend itself to that category of user.
But at the same time, it’s a premium keyboard option that also works for people who spend a very long time at their Mac, typing away for a living. With the ability to fine-tune how much you press the buttons, it’s practical for both light typists and people who habitually bottom out switches while typing.
The red Escape key is the rare spot of non-RGB color on the Lemokey L5 HE 8K.
In use, it was comfortable for long periods, as you would expect for any linear-based switch setup. Adjusting the keys for a lighter touch certainly helped reduce the amount of fatigue since you didn’t need to press hard down on the keys to register a response.
It’s not quite a quiet keyboard, as there are others in the office that make less noise than it while in full typing flow. Despite all of the built-in modifications to its construction, this may be remedied by a change of keycaps, if it becomes too much of a noise irritant.
Non-gaming Mac owners may not necessarily consider the Lemokey L5 HE 8K as a keyboard they may want to use. It is, however, worth considering if you’re married to your desktop and want even more control over how you actually type all day.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K review – Pros
- Extreme switch customization options
- Heavy-duty construction
- Top corner knob
Lemokey L5 HE 8K review – Cons
- Very heavy keyboard
- USB-C only connection, no wireless
Rating: 4 out of 5
Where to buy the Lemokey L5 HE 8K
The Lemokey K5 HE 8K is currently offered as part of a Kickstarter campaign, with a price of $199.
The campaign will run until March 27, with an initial funding goal of $10,000. As of February 18, it has raised $110,720.
As a crowdfunded project, there is always the risk that the product will not ship as promised — or at all. Because of this, AppleInsider doesn’t cover the majority of crowdfunding efforts as a rule, unless hardware is available and after an assessment of the team behind the effort.
This story originally appeared on Appleinsider
