The Epomaker Magcore 65 Lite is an analogue keyboard that combines the feel of Hall effect with a mechanical device in a sound-dampened gasket-mount structure. The keyboard boasts several gaming features, with 0.125ms latency in cable mode, promising the player a competitive edge in fast-paced FPS, MOBA or rhythm games. It also comes with an 8k polling rate and a 2.4Ghz mode that ditches the USB cable while maintaining responsive performance. The keyboard is compatible with Mac devices, Windows systems, as well as Android devices in Bluetooth mode. In that mode the keyboard boasts around 66 hours non-stop typing on a single charge, with a 4000mah rechargeable battery. From a design standpoint, the keyboard has 66 thick PBT keycaps and is accented by 3 transparent blue PC keycaps. There are also RGB features with a customisable backlight. There is also a volume knob for added convenience with the device being used. The keyboard currently retails online for around £49.99.
Starting with performance, the Magcore 65 Lite performs like a premium device. The keystrokes are smooth and weighty, without being too loud. Playing games on the keyboard felt great, with that polling rate and latency delivering seamlessly even when testing in some of most intense games of Valorant. For general use in work and other productivity tasks the device is equally pleasing. The only downside is that the layout of the keyboard and the compactness messes with many of the keys users might expect. Not having a Numpad or dedicated function keys is already a compromise and having to scramble around to find specific keys is not ideal when in the middle of a crunch task.
Where the Magcore 65 shines is in the look. The see-through accented keys on the escape, backspace and enter keys – combined with a high quality RGB backlight that avoids being too flashy – all combines to give a high-quality premium aesthetic to the device. The RGB backlight is customisable in a lot of ways in terms of pattern, speed and brightness, but it never feels too overpowering or gimmicky. It’s an incredibly solid piece of kit, too, with the black version looking very sleek on a desk, and comes with chunky kickstands to angle the keyboard for easier typing.
