It looks like a spoof product solely intended for shitposting (pardon my fluent French) purposes during April Fool’s, but it isn’t. Keychron‘s newly unveiled C100 8K macro pad is indeed real, and like most faux products that appear exclusively on 1 April, it looks absolutely ridiculous.
In a way, the C100 8K is essentially the company’s answer for those who complain of not having sufficient macro keys on their products. But instead of taking a rational route to resolve the issue, Keychron instead opted for the nuclear option to put an end to it once and for all.
I hope you have a photographic memory and plenty of use cases, because the new macro pad literally has a hundred keys at your disposal. All laid out nicely in a 10 x 10 layout that would make a maximalist question their lifestyle, along with a hundred blank keys that would make a cryptic serial killer blush. Oh, and just for Gamers™, it also comes with RGB lighting support so that it won’t look out of place in your l337 arsenal of gaming peripherals.
A Blank Canvas For Your Macros
Despite its frankly absurd appearance, the C100 8K is actually a fairly serious piece of hardware. Every single one of its 100 keys ships unassigned, allowing users to turn them into whatever shortcuts, macros or commands they want through Keychron’s QMK-based Launcher.
There is one small catch, however. The four corner keys are reserved for controlling the macro pad’s lighting effects and therefore cannot be customised. That still leaves a frankly excessive 96 programmable keys, which should be more than enough for most workflows, or whatever it is you need all of them for.
The C100 8K uses Keychron’s pre-lubed Apex switches, which feature a POM stem and nylon base, while the included transparent ASA keycaps are designed to let the RGB lighting shine through. The switches are also hot-swappable, so users can replace them with other compatible switches if the default tactile ones aren’t to their liking.
Yes, It Has An 8K Polling Rate
As its name suggests, the C100 8K also supports an 8000Hz polling rate. In theory, this allows the macro pad to communicate with a connected PC at a higher frequency, although whether you actually need an 8K polling rate on a device primarily designed to trigger macros is another question entirely.
Still, Keychron is clearly positioning it as something that can be used for both productivity and gaming. The company specifically highlights use cases ranging from everyday shortcuts and complex macros to gaming, while other potential applications include video and photo editing, programming, and even simulation games.
In fact, sim racing and flight simulation might be among the more sensible uses for this thing. With enough customisation, and potentially a 3D printer, the 10 x 10 grid could be turned into a makeshift control panel with custom keycaps representing everything from buttons on a race car to switches in an aircraft cockpit.
No Wireless, Because Apparently That’s Asking Too Much
The C100 8K supports Windows, macOS and Linux, but there is one rather conspicuous omission: wireless connectivity. It is strictly a wired affair over USB Type-C, which is perhaps for the best given that you’re already committing a sizeable chunk of your desk to a 100-key macro pad.
The device itself measures 196.65 x 196.65mm and has a plastic body, with adjustable feet allowing for 0-, 2- or 5-degree typing angles. It also comes with a Type-C cable, a Type-A to Type-C adapter, and a keycap and switch puller in the box.
As for the RGB lighting, Keychron says there are more than 22 lighting effects available, including a static white option. Per-key RGB control is also supported, while its Mix RGB feature allows the pad to be split into two custom lighting zones.
How Much Does This Madness Cost?
The Keychron C100 8K is currently listed at a humble US$64.99 (~RM265) on the company’s US website. For a fully assembled 100-key mechanical macro pad, assuming you can actually find a reason to use all those keys, that’s honestly not a terrible price. Trust us, there are worse options.
Unfortunately for Malaysian keyboard enthusiasts (who have somehow decided that 96 programmable macro keys are precisely what their lives have been missing), there is currently no word on whether the C100 8K will be officially sold in Malaysia.
(Source: Keychron [official website])
