I returned to SMKX 2026 after visiting SMKX 2025 last year. For a keyboard enthusiast, it’s an event to look forward to, with a little concern about what might tempt me into spending. A year had passed quickly. Beyond the specifications, I wanted to see how the makers’ ideas and users’ enthusiasm met on the floor. After more than two hours exploring, these were my impressions.
The Highs
- Increased International Presence: Last year, several overseas brands were lumped together in a single booth, but this year they had a much more active presence.
- Elevated Collaboration: Collaborations have moved beyond just slapping a logo on; many products now involve artists from the design phase.
- Mainstream Artisan Keycaps: The scale grew significantly compared to last year, solidifying the culture of treating keycaps as works of art.
- Accessibility to Niche Layouts: There were plenty of opportunities to actually type on unique boards, such as ortholinear and 40% layouts.
The Lows
- Notable Absences: Geonworks and SwagKeys, the two pillars of Korea’s custom keyboard scene, were missing.
- Lack of Community Presence: The absence of KeyPfam (the largest local keyboard community) was a missed opportunity to connect experienced users with newcomers.
- Underwhelming Giveaways: The Instagram follow-to-win events were less diverse than last year.
- Raffle Fatigue: Changes to the raffle system led to impossibly long, dizzying lines—I eventually gave up and left without participating.
Impressive Gear Spotted on the Floor
As I made my way through the booths, a few products really grabbed my attention.
The limited Odyssey Kraken TKL, a NEWONE and Sandon Art collaboration, stood out first. Its brass rear weight caught the lighting beautifully. The combination of heft and detailed machining made it feel as much like a sculptural object as a keyboard.
The artisan-keycap area was noticeably fuller than last year. Metallic caps set with jewels stood out in particular, catching the booth lighting with an elaborate sparkle. I spent quite a while looking at them and imagining how a single cap could change the character of a keyboard. One at the upper right or in the Escape position would be enough to make the board feel different. The scale of the display also reinforced the sense that these small objects are being treated as artworks in their own right.
I also visited the Linsoul booth, but it was tucked away next to Epomaker, making it difficult to request a listening session. A bit of a shame, but I look forward to better placement next time.
Dareu was an unexpected highlight. I’d thought of it mainly as a mass-market brand, but the newer boards spoke directly to what custom-keyboard users want.
The Ultra75 is packed with desirable features, including an 8K magnetic switch, a tilting top-mount structure, and magnetic pogo pins.
The GT87 uses carbon fiber. It shares a design language with the Dry Studio Black Diamond 75 RT, but the material feel on both the body and keycaps was remarkably unique and satisfying.
The Dove ortholinear board also drew me in. Having recently bought a 40% keyboard, I’ve been curious about aligned columns. Trying it confirmed that I’d need time to adjust, but the orderly look is appealing.
It was great to hear about the successor to the Holy60 from KBDFans. This new version abandons the one-piece construction for a detachable bottom backplate. The recessed design is quite visually appealing.
The 80Retros GB Numpad was a genuinely dangerous find for my budget. Its design takes inspiration from a console that accepts Famicom cartridges, and that reference made it hard to walk past. I didn’t actually need another numpad, yet I came close to paying for it because of the retro character alone. I could already picture how cheerful it would make the desk look. That is the kind of purchase temptation a specification sheet doesn’t really explain: the object simply appeals to the way I want the setup to feel.
One board came off my wish list: Kinesis. I’d long admired the Kinesis Advantage 2. Trying the Ego Elan, my hands and wrists felt comfortable, but typing made me suspect a flood of errors was waiting. These layouts can feel very different from what you imagine.
I went to the SingaKBD booth to see the Kohaku, then found myself lingering over the Gundam-haku. The interesting choice is its inspiration: Strike Gundam rather than the original First Gundam. I was curious about why the maker had chosen that particular reference. Personally, a Nu Gundam black-and-white color scheme would have appealed to me more, but that preference didn’t stop the version on display from being an intriguing attempt. It gave me something to think about beyond whether I simply liked the finished colors.
Leaving the venue, I barely managed to resist buying a Keypiece Room Seldea artisan keycap, though it was a struggle!
Custom keyboards offer more to explore every year. Some parts of this event disappointed me compared with last time, but the variety of ideas is still what keeps the scene interesting. Spending time with different textures, sounds, and designs was worthwhile. SMKX 2026 felt a little weaker overall, and I hope next year’s show fills those gaps.
