Product: HyperX Alloy Origins 60
Type: Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Price: $179.00 RRP
Availability: Out Now
Link: hyperxgaming.com/us/keyboards/alloy-origins-60-mechanical-gaming-keyboard

Last year HyperX released one of the great keyboard collaborations with the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini. The 60% form-factor mini keyboard saw the well-known peripheral maker team up with the respected Taiwanese outfit, a company known for its mini keyboards. The result lived up to our expectations and then some, thanks to its fantastic build quality, the all-timer ‘spacebar feel’, and a look that was cute and fun.

And really there’s that element found across the entire mechanical keyboard sub-genre we’ve come to know of at the 60% form-factor. It’s like a mechanical keyboard, but smaller. The new HyperX Alloy Origins 60 builds on the Ducky collab in a few key areas, it retains the same great feel thanks to the inclusion of HyperX’s own impressive mechanical switches, but also ups the build quality with a full aluminium body and some great new usability touches.

Look and Feel

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The 60% form-factor isn’t merely for those looking to have a mechanical keyboard to take on-the-go, the size and style has its fans -- and here HyperX is creating a version that is meant to stay put and not budge. The aluminium body is one of the first things you notice, namely due to the additional weight and desk stability it provides. At ~780grams the overall weight is on par with most TKL or full-sized mechanical keyboards.

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The new HyperX Alloy Origins 60 builds on the Ducky collab in a few key areas, it retains the same great feel thanks to the inclusion of HyperX’s own impressive mechanical switches, but also ups the build quality with a full aluminium body and some great new usability touches.

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Secondly the all black finish removes the red accents of the previous limited edition run, and even though the per-key RGB action of the Ducky collab is still here -- it’s all dialled down to a more minimal sheen. In fact the all-black is so sleek we’re a little surprised that HyperX didn’t alter its usual red and white packaging to suit.

For those that need a refresher, the 60%-keyboard goes one step further than the popular TKL design. The number pad is gone, but so are the arrow keys and dedicated buttons for ‘Print Screen’, ‘Break’, ‘Home’, and other things from the MS DOS era. The new usability touches are all about what’s missing, and putting them in different zones that make sense.

When holding the Function (FN) key found on the lower right corner of the HyperX Alloy Origins 60 you get instant and relatively easy access to arrow keys, audio controls, RGB and brightness settings, and even the ability to ‘Page Up’ or ‘Page Down’ -- if the mood should strike.

Specs

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The HyperX Red mechanical switch, which is a Linear offering that forgoes the click for a more precise game-friendly feel is something we’ve grown to really admire, and seeing its inclusion here (as it was in the Ducky collab) makes sense.

In fact, a lot of what we wrote about back then still applies. The shorter actuation and travel leads to greater responsiveness and with the smaller form-factor nothing is lost in the translation. Add in the double-shot PBT keycaps, the ability to adjust the height, and even replace a few of the keycaps with some stylish replacements provided, it’s great stuff all round.

Switch Type: HyperX Red

LED Color: RGB

Cable: Wired (USB-C)

Dimensions: 296 x 105.5 x 36.9 mm

Product Weight: 781.5g

Perhaps the biggest change comes with the inclusion of full HyperX NGenuity software support - which allows for customisation in what feels like the best version of the app to date. That said it’s still inexplicably a Windows 10 Store app, and as such a little bloated in its memory usage. That said, the HyperX Alloy Origins 60 is versatile and compatible with both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles.

Type Cast

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At the end of the day the 60% form-factor is something you need to use to figure out if it's something you’re willing to use in the long-run. Playing games like DOOM Eternal, Apex Legends, and other reflex-heavy titles, the HyperX Red switches and the overall quality of the HyperX Alloy Origins 60 shines through.

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The HyperX Red mechanical switch, which is a Linear offering that foregoes the click for a more precise game-friendly feel is something we’ve grown to really admire, and seeing its inclusion here makes sense.

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Is it as easy to use as a full-sized mechanical? Of course not. Doubly so if you’re used to the spacious comfort that comes from man-spreading your fingers across much larger keyboard real-estate. But there’s no denying that using a 60% form-factor keyboard can be as premium as anything else. As a primarily desktop gamer, perhaps if you’re used to the laptop scene then what you get here might just be the best of both worlds. That is compact, but still responsive.