I’ve tested dozens of gaming keyboards and this Keychron deck is the only one I’m using from now on

In my time as a reviews writer, I’ve tested just under 80 keyboards, and few have left a lasting impression like the Keychron Q12 HE has. If you want a powerful keyboard for gaming and productivity, this is the one to get (as long as money is no object).

Featuring highly responsive and customizable Gateron Double-Rail Hall Effect switches, the Q12 HE is great for FPS and RPG titles. Aiding its superb gaming performance is a range of magnetic gaming features, such as Rapid Trigger, Snap Tap and quad-actuation. Its southpaw design also makes it excellent for work. There are a couple of noteworthy flaws, though, which are worth considering before you hit ‘add to cart.’

To find out if this is the best gaming keyboard for you, read my full Keychron Q12 HE review.

Keychron Q12 HE review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 96% layout gaming keyboard with a southpaw design and Gateron Double-Rail Hall Effect switches
• Who is it for? Casual/semi-competitive gamers who also type a lot
• How much does it cost? The Keychron Q12 HE is available for $249 / £225
• What do we like? The wide range of gaming features, wonderful typing experience, premium construction, and web-based software
• What don’t we like? It’s heavy, large and expensive, and polling is limited to 1,000Hz only

Keychron Q12 HE review: Specs

Keychron Q12 HE review: The ups

From its durable case and outstanding typing experience, to its customizable, responsive magnetic switches and excellent gaming performance, the Keychron Q12 HE is an all-rounder.

Premium construction

I’ve tested many, many keyboards in my time as a reviews writer at Tom’s Guide. I’ve tested the good, the bad, the ugly. I’ve tested keyboards that are so plasticky that they wouldn’t even last a few months of daily use, and some that could probably survive the apocalypse. Keychron’s Q-series decks belong to the latter.

The Keychron Q12 HE’s case is made of full CNC-machined aluminum — just like its siblings, such as the Keychron Q3 HE ($239) and the Keychron Q14 Max ($209). It’s the Hall Effect version of the Keychron Q12 Max ($199), and it has been machined and sandblasted before being boxed up. This also contributes to the Q12 HE’s hefty physique as the board weighs 4.85lbs.

In addition to the case being extremely durable, the Q12 HE’s internals are well-built and stuffed too. The double-gasket design with silicone pads between the top and bottom aluminum cases, as well as acoustic foams and PET films all dampen the impact from keystrokes. Acoustic resonance between the metals is also reduced, and unnecessary metallic pings are negated. All of this ensures you get a pleasant-sounding typing experience.

Highly customizable magnetic switches

Keychron’s keyboards are yet to let me down when it comes to gaming, and the Keychron Q12 HE is no different. The pre-built model comes fitted with Gateron Double-Rail Nebula switches, but the keyboard is also compatible with Gateron Dawn (30g) and Aurora (50g) Double-Rail Hall Effect switches (both linear) which you’ll need to buy separately, as you can’t choose them at checkout, unfortunately.

The Nebula switches are beautiful to game on. They require a modest 40g of force to activate, with adjustable actuation all the way down to 0.1mm and up to 3.8mm. Each key’s sensitivity can be adjusted accordingly via web-based software (more on that soon), depending on the game you’re playing or the work you’re doing.

To test the keyboard, I played Cyberpunk 2077 and Counter-Strike 2. Being able to adjust the sensitivity of the keys I wanted — such as the WASD movement keys — down to 0.1mm helped me stay competitive, as the keys became ultra-sensitive and responsive. I didn’t need to press them all the way down for them to activate.

Being able to adjust the switch’s sensitivity also meant that I could execute commands in quick succession. For instance, in Counter-Strike 2, I was able to quickly swap between weapons with a light touch, crouch, throw a grenade, come out of hiding and rain fire upon my enemies.

Similar to many other Keychron keyboards, the Q12 HE features quad-actuation points. This means that you can assign up to four actions to a single key, and it will be executed depending on how deeply you press it — so two actions on the downstroke and two on the way back up. This comes in clutch in FPS titles, so in Cyberpunk 2077, short-pressing the W key made my character walk while long-pressing it made my character run or sprint. This freed up one of my fingers for other keys.

Rapid Trigger and Snap Tap

The Keychron Q12 HE packs other useful, powerful features for gaming too. You get a 1,000Hz polling rate over a wired connection, and I didn’t notice any latency issues or input lag during testing. Competitive gamers will want either 4,000Hz or 8,000Hz polling, though, and I’ll get to that later in the review.

Alongside this, there’s also Rapid Trigger which ensures that all inputs are recognized, even when you press different keys in quick succession by enabling near-instantaneous switch reset when lifting. This means that in games like Counter-Strike 2, you can counter-strafe quickly and take a quick peek around corners.

Last Key Prioritization (A.K.A ‘Snap Tap’) is available too, togglable through Keychron Launcher. Last Key Prioritization is a type of Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Direction (SOCD) resolution, and it determines how the keyboard resolves two keys with opposing outcomes that actuate at the same time and conflict. This feature prioritizes the last key pressed so, for instance, you can draw to a complete stop from a sideways strafe by pressing the opposite direction key (A and D or vice versa). Though useful in certain single-player games, like Valorant, note that utilizing Snap Tap can get you booted out of matches in Counter-Strike 2 and Valve’s official servers.

A beast for productivity, too

I don’t know about you, but if I buy a gaming keyboard, there’s a 99% chance I’ll be using it for work too. My job is to write approximately 10,000 words a week, so I need a keyboard that enables me to type quickly and accurately. It’s a good thing, then, that the Keychron Q12 HE is up to the challenge.

Alongside being a powerhouse for gaming, the Q12 HE is a beast for productivity too. Firstly, its southpaw design means the numpad is located on the left-hand side. This means that there’s more room for me to move my mouse on the right-hand side, and using the numpad with my left hand feels more natural to me. I don’t need to take my hand off my mouse either to use it, contributing to my productivity.

As for typing, the Q12 HE’s Gateron Double-Rail Nebula switches (which are linear by nature) require 40g of force to activate. These are the same switches you’ll find in other Q-series boards, such as the Keychron Q5 HE ($249). Thanks to adjustable actuation, you can tailor the typing experience to your needs — whether you’re a feather-light typist or someone who smashes the keys all the way down.

I adjusted each key’s actuation using Keychron Launcher and then took a few typing tests at 10fastfingers.com. I’m happy with the results. Being able to type quickly and without having to press the keys meant that my hands didn’t feel very fatigued after a whole day of typing.

Web-based companion software

As I mentioned above, the Keychron Q12 HE can be extensively customized via the web-based Keychron Launcher. There’s no need to download any proprietary software or bloatware — all you need is an internet connection. Via Keychron Launcher, you can adjust each key’s sensitivity, assign quad-actuation points, enable Rapid Trigger and Snap Tap, customize the RGB lighting, and update/flash the keyboard’s firmware.

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There are three customizable profiles too, which can be saved to the Q12 HE’s internal memory and swapped via key combinations (Fn + P + Z/X/C). This way, you can set specific actuation points for work and gaming.

Keychron Q12 HE review: The downs

If you want a portable keyboard and a higher polling rate in a deck that doesn’t break the bank, you may want to reconsider buying the Keychron Q12 HE.

Heavy and large

If you’re short on space, you might want to consider other alternatives to the Keychron Q12 HE. This 96% layout keyboard measures 16.11 x 5.71 x 1.25 inches which means it isn’t for you if desk space is at a premium. The Q12 HE also weighs a whopping 4.85lbs, which is a lot. This is because the keyboard is made of full CNC-machined aluminum which, sure, makes it sturdy and durable, but also means it isn’t exactly portable.

This is more of a pre-purchase condition rather than a massive drawback. Let’s be honest: not many people are going to be traveling with a nearly full-sized keyboard or using one on the train. If you want a portable keyboard, I’d recommend the NuPhy Air60 HE ($139), which is smaller, lighter, and still packs powerful magnetic gaming features.

1,000Hz polling only

As is the nature of magnetic keyboards, the Keychron Q12 HE is primarily a gaming deck, thanks to its responsive Hall Effect switches. But if you want peak gaming performance, you might want to consider other options as the Q12 HE’s polling rate is limited to 1,000Hz. For most gamers, this shouldn’t be a problem — I didn’t experience any input lag in my testing.

But if you’re a competitive gamer, 1,000Hz might not be enough for you. These days, you can choose from a plethora of keyboards boasting 4,000Hz or even 8,000Hz polling. The Lemokey L5 HE ($220), the NuPhy Field75 HE ($169) and the Wooting 80HE ($199) all offer 8,000Hz polling with the option to adjust down to 4,000Hz too, and these give you more of a competitive advantage over the Q12 HE.

The only downside is that none of these keyboards sport a 96% layout like the Q12 HE does. It’s a trade-off worth making, though, if you want best-in-class gaming performance.

Expensive

There’s no sugarcoating this. Similar to its Q-series stablemates — whose exterior is almost made entirely of full CNC-machined aluminum — the Keychron Q12 HE doesn’t come cheap, retailing for $249 / £225. That’s a lot of money. Sure, you get magnetic switches that are downright fantastic, but you miss out on 4,000Hz and 8,000Hz polling.

The aforementioned keyboards — the Lemokey L5 HE, the NuPhy Air60 HE, and the Wooting 80HE — are cheaper, feature Hall Effect switches that are just as good if not better, and pack faster polling rates. If 1,000Hz polling is more than plenty for you, the Keychron K4 HE ($134) is $100 cheaper than the Q12 HE. It’s a keyboard I’ve been using as my daily driver for just under a year, so I can vouch for its gaming and productivity prowess.

Keychron Q12 HE review: Verdict

As magnetic keyboards go, few are better than the Keychron Q12 HE. Its 96% layout and southpaw design make it great for productivity — especially if you type for a living or use the numpad a lot. At the end of the day, though, the Q12 HE is a gaming keyboard, and an excellent one at that. Featuring highly responsive Gateron Double-Rail Hall Effect switches, each switch’s sensitivity can be customized, giving you a competitive edge, especially in FPS titles.

The Q12 HE is built like a tank too, with a full CNC-machined aluminum case. But this contributes to the keyboard being very heavy, and its nearly full-sized layout means it takes up a lot of space on your desk. Also, if you’re a competitive gamer who needs 4,000Hz or 8,000Hz polling, you may want to consider other options from the likes of NuPhy and Wooting.

If 1,000Hz polling isn’t an issue for you and you don’t mind the price tag, then the Q12 HE could be your next keyboard. Thanks to how lovely it is to type and (casually) game on, I know it’ll be part of my setup for a long time.