I think the use of the 'wireless' keyword in some of the advertisements for this keyboard was a genuine translation error. The wires are indeed detachable, and the keyboard can be connected to any proper USB-C, hence "wireless". Either way a bit of a bummer but the USB and keyboard being separate makes cable management just a bit more easier to manage, which is a bonus. Also makes cleaning easier too! The keyboard has 3 different editable layers that you can program macros and key remappings on. This is really convenient if you do a lot of productivity work on your keyboard. This is easy with the GK61 because it’s a hot-swappable board. You won’t have to desolder anything, just pull off the switch on top of each stabilizer and manipulate the wires out. The GK61 is a 60% compact mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable optical switches, pre-lubed stabilizers, different RGB effects, and has different programmable layers for all of your needs. The GK61 mechanical keyboard has a wide range of features, the main one being its hot-swap capabilities. Skyloong has worked with Gateron to develop their own range of switches for the GK61. Optical Red Switch Specifications:

Aluminum switch puller– A switch puller allows you to conveniently pull out the switches currently in the keyboard, so that you can swap it out with new ones. The HK Gaming GK61 is a fan favorite when it comes to recommending a good budget mechanical keyboard. But keep in mind that this specific keyboard has optical switches. The stabilizers of the GK61 are plate-mounted, Cherry-style stabilizers. They are pre-lubed from the factory. This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items. To return faulty items see our Returning Faulty Items policy.

Optical Black Switch Specifications:

The HK Gaming GK61 is a great starter board for anyone who wants to improve their gaming performance or just dive a bit deeper into the mechanical keyboard world with their first mechanical keyboard. years later and I'm happy to write this review about a product that's still serving me well despite probably tens of thousands of hours spent on it. I am not planning to replace this keyboard anytime soon and if I ever want to replace it or it ever breaks down, I'll look for another keyboard from HK. Optical keyboards tend to sound quite hollow, but the GK61 sounds quite full. Adding some foam within the case would help reduce this hollow sound even further.

You might be thinking, but I’m not ready to sacrifice the arrow keys. Do not fear, because this keyboard makes it easy for you to access them, even on another layer. The legends (the symbols and letters on each keycap) are stenographic, meaning that closed letters and symbols are separated. This is seen in letters such as O, P, B, and D. If you do want an optical keyboard, but you’re not sure about sacrificing those arrow keys yet, perhaps look at the Epomaker SK64 (which is just as small as the GK61). We did a full review of the SK61 mechanical keyboard here. Overall nothing fancy especially at this price point but it's reliable and functional, and when it comes to PC peripherals that go through thousands and thousands of hours of use this is what matters the most. The add-ons are quite convenient for you, but I would’ve liked to see additional keycaps for Mac as the keyboard is Mac and Windows compatible after all.The aluminum top plate, where the switches are mounted to, is white and can be scratched quite easily when replacing your switches. However, the RGB reflects off of it and looks very nice in dim lighting. For the price, these keycaps are not bad. However, over time, they will exhibit shine and feel more smooth to type on. However, the lube appears to be overdone and messily applied. There are visible and larger globs of lube inserted between the stem and the stabilizer housing as well as on the stabilizer wire.

The switches available in the GK61 are Gateron Optical switches. They offer a wide variety of options: The RGB lighting is cool. All the colours under the rainbow, except for white. The white colour looks more like a light blue. Odd, but definitely not a deal-breaker. The biggest selling point personally is how the keyboard has its own onboard memory so you don't need to keep the software up just for the RGB to work properly. Anyone that has ever owned any PC peripheral(with RGB) from the likes of Logitech, Corsair, and even Razer would know this plight. Lastly, it has no wrist rest. This is the one thing that I missed from the k70. I'm definitely a wrist-rest user. The K70 has an included plastic detachable wrist rest. Although nothing special, it allows me to be a bit "lazy" when playing games on an extended session as I can rest my fingers on the wasd keys and that's all. Without the wrist rest, I certainly felt the strain of holding my hands up on the wasd keys. What I 100% missed is the "detachable" aspect of the K70's wrist rest. If you move your keyboard, the wrist-rest moves with it. Unless you glue your wrist rest to your GK71, every adjustment of the keyboard will require a follow up adjustment to the accompany wrist rest which gets very frustrating.This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items.

Fortunately, the GK61 has a standard 60% layout with a common bottom row, which makes it extremely easy to replace the keycaps to a nicer PBT-plastic set that is more oil-resistant and has more professional legends. For a budget mechanical keyboard, the GK61 offers many switch options and can be modified for a more premium feel if you want to upgrade in the future. One thing that is very cool is that the tops of each keycap are textured, and the side walls are glossy.

Optical Yellow Switch Specifications:

Plastic keycap puller– A keycap puller allows you to change up the keycaps with little effort on your part. However, we recommend you use a wire keycap puller such as this one instead to decrease chances of scratching your keycaps. GATERON OPTICAL SWITCHES – Extremely fast response time make these the best choice for getting an advantage in gaming. Hot-Swappable with other Optical switches. No solder or desolder necessary. Extremely durable switches rated for 100 million keystrokes. The FN key is all the way in the far right with the arrow keys right next to it. This makes it possibly to use the arrows with just one hand, by holding the FN key with your pinky finger and manipulating those other keys around it to navigate. Let’s dig into what makes this keyboard a great option for your setup if you’re looking to find a compact keyboard with fast-performing switches.