What really impressed me, however, is the Base 65’s RGB lighting – between the clear case, white silicone damping, transparent switches and keycaps, and reflective aluminum plate, the RGB absolutely shines, making this keyboard a glowing centerpiece on any desk. Sadly, the RGB is a little tricky to program, and most factory presets have incredibly limited customization.
Pay for appearances
HighGround’s pop culture collaborations are the only saving grace. You can get a keyboard made in collaboration with minecraftAnd there have been connections to games and anime series before, including Naruto, Pokemon, attack on Titan, GundamAnd yu-gi-oh. However, this usually comes with a compromise: do you want a high-quality keyboard or a keyboard designed after your favorite media franchise? This keyboard is attractive, colorful, and a statement piece. But aside from the visuals, there’s nothing new about the Base 65 keyboard, or anything that justifies the price.
I also want to note the “all sales are final” line in most of the company’s product descriptions. Combine this with the emphasis on massive brand tie-ins and “limited” drops, and I’m reminded of the collaboration-based hypebeast sneaker culture of the 2010s; a marketing strategy that emphasizes exclusivity and forces people to pounce on “rare” (i.e., artificially rare) products and believe they’re more valuable/higher quality than they are in reality. I know this is a lot of advertising rhetoric that goes beyond the quality of the final product, but I think it’s important to consider Why keyboards are as they are, and Why They sell well despite some problems. (As a side note, several keyboard collaborations from HighGround are currently being made Scalped on StockX,
I was also a little frustrated reviewing this keyboard, because when HighGround had a release coming up, every single page on its website would redirect to a password-protected countdown. This meant that the keyboard’s documentation, drivers, and even basic product information were unavailable the entire time I was waiting for the limited release (in this case,). minecraft Keyboard Collection).
Ultimately, it’s hard for me to recommend HiGround’s keyboard unless you In fact Want a branded keyboard for a certain media franchise and are willing to sacrifice on build quality and typing experience.