Keychron’s new mechanical keyboards offer ultralong battery life at wireless 8K polling rates

6 days ago 13

Antonio G. Di Benedetto

is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021.

Keychron is announcing new Q Ultra and V Ultra mechanical keyboards at CES 2026. They’re Keychron’s first ZMK mechanical keyboards, an open-source firmware that’s more battery efficient than the popular QMK. Keychron claims its ZMK boards can last up to 660 hours in 2.4G wireless mode with a high-speed 8,000Hz polling rate — matching wired performance. ZMK is mostly used by advanced enthusiasts flashing their own custom keyboards. Keychron has produced ZMK keyboards before, but its Ultra series are its first mechanicals.

The first ZMK Keychron mechanical keyboards, launching January 6th on Keychron’s site, will be the Q1 Ultra (75 percent, $229.99), Q3 Ultra (tenkeyless, $229.99), and Q6 Ultra (full-size, $239.99). Cheaper V-series Keychron keyboards are launching later in January: the V5 Ultra (96 percent, $119.99), V3 Ultra (tenkeyless, $114.99), and V1 Ultra (75 percent, $114.99). V-series keyboards feature plastic cases instead of the fancier-feeling aluminum cases of the Q-series and are one of our top recommendations for average users.

1/6The 75-percent layout Q1 Ultra in white. Image: Keychron

The Ultras each use Keychron’s new Silk POM switches, gasket-mount internal structures (double-gasket on the Q Ultras) for a soft typing feel, and internal foam to shape the typing sounds. Keychron is also teasing some upcoming special-edition keyboards made with unique materials: the Q1 HE 8K Marble Version, K2 HE Resin, and K2 HE Concrete.