NuPhy Air60 HE review

I didn't think there was much room for more 'world's firsts' in the world of gaming keyboards, especially since we've seen some ridiculous innovations in just the last few years. Everything from an 8000 Hz polling rate to Hall effect key switches that have adjustable actuation points and rapid trigger have become the gold standard in recent years.

It seems like boutique brand NuPhy has rendered me speechless with their latest keyboard, the Air60 HE, though. The fact is that this is a low-profile keyboard with Hall effect switches. That's right, a low profile Hall effect keyboard, which is a world's first. On its own, that's impressive, given you get the speed and customisation of Hall effect with the physically shorter switches of a low-profile keyboard.

If NuPhy plays its cards right, this could just be one of the zippiest and best gaming keyboards around.

And play their cards right they have. The Air60 HE doesn't just benefit strictly from its Hall effect switches, but from the fact there is support for rapid trigger to the point you can have an actuation and reset point of 0.01 mm. That's one of the most diabolical settings I've ever seen on a gaming keyboard. Normally you get to go as high as 0.1 mm, so being able to go even taller so you literally have to breathe on the switch for it to actuate is ludicrous.

It translates to some of the zippiest and most responsive experiences in Counter-Strike 2 I have ever come across, especially from a low-profile keyboard. The thing is, I haven't even touched on its other settings that are found in the lightweight but powerful web-based NuPhy.io configurator. And believe me, there's a lot to get through here.

The Air60 HE comes with similar fun, although much-maligned, SOCD tech as the Wooting 80HE and Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL in the form of its 'last key prioritization' mode which allows you to activate one key while holding down the other for especially quick actions. In this instance, it works based on the most recent one pressed; for instance, if mapped to the A and D keys, it can allow for unnaturally quick side-to-side movement.

It can also work based on other conditions too, such as whichever key is pushed down further when you right-click a specific key in software. You can even lock a key's actuation so you don't have to keep the key held. For instance, you could map it to W for seemingly continuous walking.

As well as this, the Air60 HE also has a Mod Tap mode, so you can assign functions to a key based on how it's pressed—ie whether it's pressed down fully or tapped—and even assign up to four functions on one key. In addition, there is also a clever innovation called Hyper Tap, which isn't something I've seen on other Hall effect, rapid trigger keyboards. This triggers a second input when you release a key, as opposed to relying on another being held down, which is seriously clever. It potentially could be a way to get around the thorny issue of SOCD-tech being banned in Counter-Strike 2, although I wasn't feeling brave enough to test it online.

These types of features can make a tangible difference within the likes of CS2, where I chose to test the Air60 HE's gaming chops.The problem you have is that the SOCD tech, and its derivatives, have been banned by Valve for online play, rendering them useless apart from in single-player matches. With this in mind, it still became clear as to the speed on offer, with the SOCD tech providing me with the ability to move side-to-side especially quickly in spite of my less than average skill level. In addition, the Hyper Tap mode provided an intriguing benefit of being able to walk and crouch with one key that become useful if I wanted a better position for sniping enemies from afar.

The inclusion of all this tech is perhaps more for the marketing bumpf and spec sheet than for its actual utility, given the likelihood of it being found out for competitive games. However, it doesn't stop the Air60 HE from serving up some of the easiest-to-use, yet most powerful software around, all contained within a web browser. You can also use it to program macros and fiddle with the RGB lighting to your heart's content.

My sample of the Air60 HE is the slightly more expensive variant, which comes with the Gateron Jade Pro double-rail Hall effect low-profile switches. They're a 40 g linear option with a 3.5 mm total travel, and are full POM and factory-lubricated, so feel especially smooth under finger, and make for some of the snappiest switches I've used in a low-profile gaming keyboard, especially with all that Hall effect goodness. You can also get it with non-Pro switches for a $20 saving, which are 10 g lighter, making them arguably even brisker.

I'm also suitably impressed by the overall fit and finish of the Air60 HE, with its funky grey and purple colourway, complete with weird scientific right-hand keys, and the translucent finish on them. It's certainly a different style to a lot of the more serious gaming keyboards I've encountered in recent years, and looks marvellous. The combination of the aluminium top housing and plastic bottom case also keeps this 'board feeling sturdy, with no flex or creaking to speak of whatsoever. There are also several layers of foam and dampening inside which, combined with the fully lubed switches, make the Air60 HE sound fantastic.

Without knowing this was a fully wired keyboard, you could also be forgiven for thinking the Air60 HE has some form of wireless connectivity, given the selector switch on the rear side. It isn't for selecting between modes of connectivity, but instead for choosing which profile you want the keyboard to be in. M1 is for gaming, M2 is for Windows, and M3 is for Mac use, although they are adjustable in software.

It comes in a small form factor 60 percent layout that has long been favoured by pro gamers, and I can see why, given the sheer amount of desk real estate you reclaim for big, sweeping mouse movements that wouldn't be as easy with a larger keyboard. You are making quite a few sacrifices, though, such as a function row, nav cluster and arrow keys. For gaming, it was completely fine for me, although I did find myself reaching for a slightly larger layout keyboard for office work.

Then there's the perceivable value for money here. The Air60 HE, with the Pro switches inside, retails for $140. That's fantastic value against the Wooting 60HE+ that costs nearly double in its fully custom variant, or $45 more for the pre-built option with a plastic case. You are gaining analogue switch powers, although at the expense of some of the zanier 'tap' effects that the Air60 HE offers, and of course, the inclusion of low profile switches.

NuPhy's choice is competitive against the Keychron K2 HE too, matching its price tag. Here, the difference is 'full height' switches that lack some of the more advanced powers of the Air60 HE, a fully aluminium (or wooden accented) case and wireless connectivity. What the K2 HE lacks in power, it makes up for in convenience.

However, I don't think those two choices offer as much of a compelling package for the price as the Air60 HE, at least from the perspective of sheer power and speed, not least being the world's first Hall effect low-profile keyboard. If that sounds good to you, then this gets a strong recommendation.