The Cherry Xtrfy MX 8.2 PRO TMR is a wireless magnetic TKL keyboard that addresses almost every reason I used to hesitate buying Cherry products. Having used mechanical keyboards for years and stepping into custom keyboards a few seasons back, my standards for prebuilt keyboards changed significantly. While the Cherry brand still holds a special status, missing features like switch hot-swapping and reliance on ABS keycaps were always disappointing.
This time, however, Cherry packed in hot-swappable sockets, PBT keycaps, and impressive wireless battery life. If you are looking for a single keyboard that seamlessly handles both gaming and work, this one deserves your attention.
Premium Aluminum Carrying Case Included
Right out of the box, the first thing that catches your eye is the aluminum carrying case. It immediately projects a premium feel and leaves a great first impression.
Inside the case, you’ll find the keyboard, a USB-A to C cable, a keycap and switch puller, a user manual, and the wireless receiver. Rather than a tiny USB dongle, the receiver connects via a cable to sit on your desk. While it adds one extra item to your desk space, it seems designed to ensure stable 8,000Hz wireless polling.
Clean Viki Style with Silver and White
It uses a standard 87-key TKL layout measuring 350 × 120 × 40 mm. With white keycaps set against a silver aluminum frame, the overall look is bright and neat.
Personally, I prefer the floating-key (viki) style where switches sit exposed above the top frame. While many modern designs bury the keycaps inside a high-profile housing, seeing the switches and keycaps exposed feels like a welcome return.
Aluminum Top Plate with a Plastic Bottom Housing
The top frame is aluminum, while the bottom case is plastic. While a full metal body would have been nice, using plastic on the bottom likely helps with wireless signal strength. At 960g, it stays firmly anchored to the desk without sliding, and twisting the sides yields no flex. Under the hood, it packs a 5-layer sound-dampening structure.
Cherry MK Crystal Magnetic Switches Powered by TMR
The switches are Cherry MK Crystal magnetic switches. They feature a linear feel with a light 38g actuation force, 2mm pre-travel, and 3.5mm total travel. Utilizing TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) sensors, the keyboard detects magnetic position and allows you to adjust actuation points in precise 0.01mm increments.
What makes this keyboard particularly exciting is hot-swapping. Except for the navigation cluster and arrow keys, you can swap out the magnetic switches for standard MX mechanical switches. This means you can mix magnetic and traditional mechanical switches on a single board. Having experienced the fun of customizing switches on custom builds, seeing Cherry break down this barrier is a massive plus.
PBT Double-Shot Shine-Through Keycaps
The keycaps are PBT double-shot with shine-through support. RGB backlighting shines through the primary legends, while secondary legends and special functions are printed. The surface has a subtle micro-texture that feels slightly grippy under your fingertips. I prefer this textured feel over slick keycaps because it stops your fingers from slipping.
Given my past frustration with Cherry’s standard ABS keycaps, moving to stock PBT is a welcome change. Not needing to buy an aftermarket keycap set right away adds real value to the out-of-the-box package.
Smooth Linear Typing Feel and Crisp Sound
Thanks to the light 38g spring weight, the keypresses are silky smooth even with a light touch. Typing long documents caused minimal finger fatigue. That said, the classic feel of Cherry’s old plateless, soldered builds is gone. While understandable given the shift to hot-swappable sockets, purists who loved older Cherry keyboards might miss that distinct feedback.
The typing sound is light and snappy rather than deep and heavy. While not completely silent, it avoids unpleasant hollow ping. The 5-layer dampening foam keeps the acoustics clean and tidy. Personally, I would rate the switch feel slightly higher than the sound. Keep in mind that sound varies depending on recording gear and desk surfaces, so use the video only as a rough reference.
Customization via MagCrate Software
Using MagCrate software, you can configure per-key actuation points, Rapid Trigger, Dynamic Key Strokes (DKS), Mod Tap, SnapKey, macros, and RGB lighting, then save them directly on the keyboard. While many brands are switching to web drivers, Cherry uses a standalone installer program, likely due to the depth of these configurations.
I set up DKS for FPS games so a light press lets me walk and a deep press lets me sprint. It reduces finger movement since you don’t need to reach for a second key. Rapid Trigger resets input the moment you lift your finger slightly, making side-to-side strafing feel noticeably faster and more responsive.
These features are becoming common on magnetic keyboards, so the real test is how effectively you can apply them in real games rather than just reading a spec sheet.
Tri-Mode Connection with High Polling Rates
The keyboard supports three connection modes: USB wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth. In both wired and 2.4GHz modes, it supports up to an 8,000Hz polling rate. To back this up, it packs a generous 8,000mAh battery.
Daily Driving: Work and Gaming
I used this as my primary keyboard, writing documents during the day and gaming at night. The light key feel made typing reports comfortable. However, extended gaming revealed a slight design quirk that didn’t show up during regular typing.
Charging Just Once a Week
I was initially concerned that a wireless magnetic keyboard would drain the battery rapidly, but real-world use proved otherwise. Even with RGB lighting turned on and heavy daily usage, charging it once a week was plenty. The RGB lighting looks great as it diffuses cleanly underneath the keycaps.
The low-power design of the TMR sensors combined with the massive 8,000mAh battery really pays off. Naturally, the official 300-hour battery rating applies to Bluetooth mode with RGB turned off. If you run 2.4GHz wireless with RGB lighting on, expect shorter intervals between charges.
Tight Spacing Between the F-Row and Number Keys
One slight annoyance was the narrow gap between the F-row and the number row. When reaching for number keys to activate skills in games, I occasionally hit the F-keys instead. It wasn’t noticeable during typing, but it became irritating during fast-paced games. Setting a deeper actuation point for those two rows might fix it, though I haven’t tested that workaround yet.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Hot-swappable PCB and stock PBT keycaps—great news for custom keyboard enthusiasts
- Battery lasts about a week even with RGB on, and up to 300 hours with lighting off
- Ability to mix mechanical switches with Rapid Trigger functionality
Cons:
- Accidental F-row presses when aiming for the number row
- Loses the classic plateless soldered typing feel of vintage Cherry keyboards
Cherry Erases Its Weaknesses in Its First Wireless Magnetic Keyboard
Using the MX 8.2 PRO TMR made me realize how much Cherry has evolved. My old complaints about fixed switches and cheap ABS keycaps are addressed, and wireless battery life exceeded expectations. Plus, TMR-powered Rapid Trigger works exceptionally well. While the F-row spacing was a minor inconvenience, this keyboard left me with far more features I want to keep using than things I want to change. Next, I plan to swap out part of the main typing cluster with traditional mechanical switches to see how close I can get back to that classic Cherry typing feel.
