Fully modular.
Research the construction quality.
Brown Gateron switches are lovely to have.
There are no media-specific buttons.
RGB LEDs that are just a little bit dim.
There is an abundance of mechanical keyboards available on the market. Building one, as well as selecting the right one for your requirements, requires quite a bit of careful consideration on both fronts.
The fact that not only the keycaps but also the switches can be changed out on the Glorious keyboard is the primary unique selling proposition (USP) of this product. And because this is done on a per-key basis, you may have a variety of switches spread out throughout the keyboard, and they will all function in concert with one another.
This amount of customization is pretty unique, and it is something that no other rival company has been able to provide up to this point. The fact that the GMMK can be purchased for only $109.99 places it ahead of the majority of its rivals in terms of both the features it offers and the value it delivers.
To cut to the chase, the Glorious keyboard is a must if you want a straightforward mechanical keyboard that is both well-built and responsive to your playing needs. After putting it through its paces for a couple of weeks, we are certain of our assertion that it approaches the ideal of what a mechanical keyboard should be.
Construction and Functionality: Glorious Keyboard
The Glorious Keyboard, sometimes known as the GMMK, is about as straightforward as a keyboard can get. It is a rectangular slab of metal that has been lavishly polished, and on top of that, it has elevated keycaps, which makes it slightly simpler to clean.
The keypad may be purchased in three distinct configurations, including Full-Size, Tenkeyless, and Compact frames, respectively.
They may all be customized with a variety of keycap and switch configurations to produce a board that is exactly suited to the user’s preferences. We were given a full-size keyboard that has keycaps made of ABS and switches made of Gateron Brown.
The Glorious keyboard does not have any kind of logo or branding on top of it; instead, the logo is placed under the keyboard, where it is hidden from view. In addition to the company logo, the rear of the device will have a switch puller connected to it. This will allow you to pull the switch without having to reach for the box each time you want to fiddle with the device, making it more convenient to transport and store.
The keyboard does not have any kind of logo or branding on top of it; instead, the logo is placed under the keyboard, where it is hidden from view. In addition to the company logo, the rear of the device will have a switch puller connected to it. This will allow you to pull the switch without having to reach for the box each time you want to fiddle with the device, making it more convenient to transport and store.
Lighting and Construction
When it comes to RGB, it is true that the GMMK has a decent set of LEDs, but they do not become particularly bright, at least not in comparison to other brands like Razer. The majority of the RGB can be customized directly from the keyboard but if you want more options, you can install the optional Glorious keyboard software from the official website. If you want to customize the majority of the RGB, you can change color, effects, direction, and so on. If you want to customize the RGB, you can change the color, effects, and direction.
The lighting is very visible through the caps, but once again, it is noticeably less vibrant in comparison to other RGB configurations that I have observed. If you want a keyboard to match your other RGB peripherals, the GMMK may not be for you.
The construction of the Glorious gaming keyboard is of the highest possible standard. It does not flex at all, and it does not make any creaking sounds; also, it has a solid and sturdy feel in the hand. The Compact Glorious Keyboard lacks a hardwired USB cable. This is the only criticism we have regarding the design.
There is also no USB passthrough or dedicated media keys, which is something that we are ok with not having – especially at this price bracket – but it might be a deal breaker for other people. We are alright with not having these things.
Glorious Keyboard: Performance
After switching from a Logitech mechanical keyboard with Cherry Blue switches to a GMMK with Gateron Brown switches, it felt as though our typing speed had been increased by an additional 20 percent all of a sudden.
Although the Blue switches offered an exceptionally tactile and audible experience, it was quite difficult to type with them and difficult to build up any form of pace. The brown switches are, in comparison, silkier and quicker, and over the weeks that we used them, they never slowed down.
The ABS caps have a lovely feel while typing on them, and each of the caps is precisely cut and has a consistent appearance all the way around. The keycaps have a stencil-like style, which is a font that is often found on no-brand, cheap keyboards. As a result, the typography is a little hit or miss.
However, Glorious Keyboard manages to make it work in some way, and it does not in any way give the impression of being cheap. Your experience may differ from mine, and you may decide that you like a different type of keycap or that you would rather get the one you like from a different retailer.
The fact that a GMMK keyboard is completely modifiable and accepts a variety of different modules is one of its primary selling points. Therefore, you may use any switches or keycaps that you purchase, even if they are from other websites, with this board.
You may, in point of fact, get a basic board for $59.99 and supply your own hardware to deck it out. This option is also available to you. The keycaps have a stencil-like style, which is a font that is often found on no-brand, cheap keyboards. As a result, the typography is a little hit or miss.
However, Glorious Keyboard manages to make it work in some way, and it does not in any way give the impression of being cheap. Your experience may differ from mine, and you may decide that you like a different type of keycap or that you would rather get the one you like from a different retailer.
The fact that a Glorious keyboard is completely modifiable and accepts a variety of different modules is one of its primary selling points. Therefore, you may use any switches or keycaps that you purchase, even if they are from other websites, with this board.
You may, in point of fact, get a basic board for $59.99 and supply your own hardware to deck it out. This option is also available to you.
Conclusion
Not only was the Glorious keyboard the very first fully modular board that anyone in the history of the world had ever seen, but it also upholds this legacy with an elegant, understated design and superior engineering quality that makes the functionality trade-off appear to be negligible—especially when you consider the leagues of switch customization it provides.
There have been others that have come out since then, such as the Wooting One and Two boards, as well as the massive ErgoDox choices, and shortly newcomer Mountain will ship its Everest board, but the GMMK is a really tough, simple, and extremely inexpensive act to follow.
I’d say it’s a victory for the so-called “Legion,” despite the fact that we have some complaints about the spooky marketing tactic employed by Glorious.
