It seems that every day, there's a new keyboard company out there looking to stake their claim into the highly competitive market of niche gaming keyboards. You're likely familiar with companies such as Razer or Cooler Master, but there's a chance that many of you haven't heard of Epomaker, a manufacturer that has been apparently selling just about every size and shape of keyboard on Earth. GBAtemp's never-ending keyboard journey continues as we check out what this underdog brand has to offer.

The GK96 keyboard is a product born through hopeful Kickstarter support; at the time of writing, the crowdfunding campaign hasn't gone live, but Epomaker hopes to achieve a $10,000 goal in order to make the keyboard available to the general public. If you go through their Kickstarter, you can grab one for what you could consider a pretty reasonable price--$69 for the base model--given the fact that this is a unique little keyboard with a lot to offer. But does it come through on all its promises? Whether or not the GK96 is worth hopping on the crowdfunding bandwagon is the question we hope to answer today.

Prodding and poking at the keyboard right out of the box was an interesting experience. There were numerous things that stood out at first glance, the most notable were regarding the keycaps. Not only do they have much softer edges than a regular keycap, but the font printed on them is also drastically different. The lettering is large and stocky with a lot of spacing--it brings to mind the kind of font for English letters in Japanese games. Overall, these details make the keyboard seem soft, which is a weird descriptor to apply to a keyboard, but it's highly aesthetically pleasing all the same. They're also PBT keycaps, which means they're high quality, and the lettering won't be susceptible to fading or paint chipping away.  PBT is always a major bonus to any keyboard, and they always lend a premium feel to typing--especially when they come in unique colors or styles, as this keyboard does. 

Epomaker's latest keyboard is, as the name suggests, a 96% model. For those unaware of what exactly that means, the GK96 sports each and every key found in a full-size keyboard, just without the spacing you normally present between the arrow keys and numpad. Instead, they're all merged together in one continuous uniform layout. This results in 96% boards taking up a fraction less space on your desk, gives you more room for your mousepad, and it looks great. There are a few compromises that come from cramming the keys into this form factor, such as a smaller right shift key, or the backspace key requiring a bit more reach, but if you give yourself a week or so, you'll adjust to it pretty quickly. Epomaker also offers a "southpaw" left-handed version of the keyboard that moves the numpad over to the left side of the keyboard rather than the standard right, which is downright interesting. I wasn't able to try that style out, as I'm right-handed, though it is certainly a unique layout, and one that could possibly be useful to those that prefer to use their dominant hand when punching in numbers.

The GK96 may be compact, but it most certainly is not light; the case surrounding the board is incredibly thick, giving it a solid, durable feel, despite the plastic shell. It's also weighty enough that it won't go sliding around your surface area, either. On the topic of build quality, another detail worth pointing out is how nicely constructed the GK96 is. Where some keyboards might have rattling on the edge keys, inconsistencies in the board that lead to squeaking, or other imperfections, the GK96 feels like one of the nicest keyboards I've used, having none of those issues. The stabilizers keep the keys from wobbling at all, and I'm fairly certain that if the next Dead Rising game had keyboards as a weapon, it'd be this exact one, because it sure feels like it could double as a hammer. Epomaker claims you can take it with you easily, and while you could, you will most certainly notice every bit of weight this keyboard adds to your backpack.

One of the things contributing to the keyboard's heft is likely the battery underneath the keyboard, which lets you use it wirelessly. The battery capacity, according to the Kickstarter page, is 4,400 mAh, which is larger than the Keychron K2's, which was already touted as having ridiculously good battery life, and had the largest battery included in a mechanical keyboard prior to this one. I did charge the keyboard up to full upon receiving it, and in the time I've used it for the sake of this review, the GK96 never once ran out of charge, and is still going after a week. 

As mentioned in last week's GMMK review, hot-swappable keyboards are getting more and more common these days. The GK96 follows through with that theory, and indeed features a hot-swappable board, which allows you to remove and replace each of its keyswitches. This is a smart inclusion, and it helps the GK96 stand out--there are a handful of 96% boards out there, but very few, if any, offer hot swap support. 

Given the customization options, though, you might not even want to change your switches. The Epomaker GK96 can come with a wide variety of switches, ranging from the classic Gateron Blue, Red, and Brown, to the rare and intriguing Gateron Pink, Silver, or Yellow. They even have their own variation of mechanical switches in either Epomaker Green or Purple, and if that wasn't enough, you can also opt for optical switches. 

Where many mechanical keyboards are known for the infamous "click clack" noise they create, the GK96 doesn't really have that. Rather, it has a "thock thock thock" sound to it as you type, which like the overall look of the keyboard, is soft and pleasing. It's not as obnoxious as other keyboards might sound, and there's something super satisfying about how smooth the Gateron Yellow switches feel to press, and the way they spring back up. They're tactile, like Browns, yet they glide like Reds; in fact, they're so smooth, I almost question if they were lubed at the factory, before being shipped out. It gives the keyboard a stellar typing feel. 

Right now, during the Kickstarter period, you can get the GK96 for $89.99 as an early bird price, which is great, given all the features you get. Out of all the keyboards that I constantly have cycling through my desk for the sake of reviews, the Epomaker GK96 is going to be one that I keep close, and come back to over and over. The layout is fantastic, the orange, black, and white aesthetic is lovely (and perfect for the Fall season!), and the typing experience of the smooth Gateron Yellows has made this become one of my favorite keyboards. Anyone looking to save desk space while keeping the utility of a full-size keyboard should set their sights on the GK96, and given the outstanding build quality here, those looking to try a new customizable board should give Epomaker a try.