The short version
- What it is: a compact, wired, Hall-effect (magnetic-switch) keyboard with a full aluminum shell and plate, plus forged carbon fibre inserts.
- Reviewer's verdict: one of the nicest keyboards he has typed on, with a premium feel that he says approaches far pricier custom boards.
- Price quoted in the review: $169, which he calls reasonable for the build quality.
- Trade-offs: no function-key row or numpad, and a weight that makes it less portable.
Build quality: where the review is most enthusiastic
The review gives the board about 300 x 126 mm of footprint and roughly 1.2 kg (nearly three pounds) of mass. Iqunix's own listing agrees, giving dimensions of 300.9 x 126 x 18.6 mm and a weight of 1206 g.
Judd reports no visible flex under load. He also says the board doesn't rebound even a fraction of a millimetre when a key is pressed. He attributes the typing feel to that rigid base, plus pre-lubricated switches and stabilisers and several layers of sound dampening. He describes the sound as a deep, mechanical report.
These are his subjective impressions, not lab measurements. Still, the reasoning is sound and common among enthusiasts: a stiff case leaves less room for hollow resonance and wobble. A heavy board also tends to stay put on the desk, which is a plausible benefit for FPS play.
Iqunix says it uses a tray-mount structure, plate-mount stabilizers and an anodized aluminum case with forged carbon fibre. A separate hands-on review notes the case is compatible with universal 60% tray-mount cases such as the Tofu60 (not the Tofu60 2.0), Holy60 and GH60. That is a useful detail for modders.
Layout: 60%, not 65%
The Digital Foundry review calls the EV63 a "65 percent" board. Other sources disagree. Iqunix's product page lists the layout as 60% ANSI with 64 keys, and the IBTimes hands-on review gives the same figure. HLPlanet, meanwhile, calls it a rare and slightly unusual 63% layout, and explains that it fits dedicated arrow keys by shortening the left Shift to 2u and the right Shift to 1u.
The labels differ, but the practical point is the same. There is no function-key row and no numpad. The reviewer says this is the bare minimum for gaming and document editing. He prefers 75% layouts with an F-row for a wider range of game genres. If you rely on function keys for spreadsheets, debugging or shortcuts, expect to use layers or remapping.
Gaming features
The review lists the usual magnetic-switch toolkit:
- Analogue input
- Rapid Trigger
- Adjustable actuation points
- SOCD handling
- Mod Tap
The reviewer says he won't explain these in depth because readers will either already know them or not care. In short, adjustable actuation and Rapid Trigger let you decide how far a key must travel to register and reset. That is why such boards are popular with Valorant and CS2 players.
On the manufacturer side, Iqunix lists 0.01 mm Rapid Trigger sensitivity, a wired-only design, N-key rollover and Windows and macOS compatibility. Adjustable actuation is listed as 0.01 to 3.1 mm on one switch version and 0.01 to 3.5 mm on the other. Switch options are Magnetic X Pro and Magnetic X Ultra. Amazon's listing for the Ultra version gives a 36±10gf initial force, 48±10gf bottom-out force and 3.5±0.2mm of travel.
These are vendor claims, not tested results. Whether they translate into better play depends on the game and the player.
Polling rate: 8000 Hz is optional
The EV63 supports 8000 Hz polling. The listing adds a 16,000 Hz scanning rate and a rated latency of 0.125 ms. Treat the latency figure as a manufacturer rating, not an end-to-end, in-game measurement.
Judd offers practical advice. Most people will be fine at 1000 Hz or 2000 Hz, since higher rates raise system demands. Only high-level competitors might see a small advantage from the top modes. HLPlanet lists the adjustable steps as 1K, 2K, 4K and 8K.
On a Windows PC, that advice matters. Higher polling rates generate more USB interrupts and more CPU work, so it is sensible to start low and raise the rate only if you can feel or measure a benefit. That last point is general industry knowledge, not something the review tested.
Software: browser-based and mostly good
The Iqunix web app needs no download. Judd says it handles:
- Firmware updates
- Key rebinding
- Macro recording
- RGB adjustment
- Performance toggles
He found the English translation excellent, but says the app doesn't always explain what each feature does, and he'd like more tooltips. He also likes that it points users to the /r/ev63 subreddit for support.
A browser-based tool means no driver suite to install or background service to run. That is welcome on locked-down or work PCs. The downside is that you need a compatible browser and a good connection when flashing firmware.
Price and availability
The review quotes $169, and Iqunix's own Italian-language page showed $169.00 USD on the product page when it was captured. Those same pages showed the item as sold out. A separate Iqunix listing showed a $209 price, also sold out. So treat $169 as the review's quoted price, not a guaranteed checkout price. It likely varies by colorway and switch option. The models are Violet, Dark Knight and Silver Knight. There is also a Ghost in the Shell edition.
Warranty terms also differ between pages. One shows one year and another shows three years for the magnetic-switch series. Check the terms at checkout.
How it compares
Judd positions the EV63 as an option for people who want a magnetic-switch gaming keyboard like those from Wooting, Razer or SteelSeries, but also want a better typing feel. He says few boards do both well, and that stepping outside mainstream brands is worthwhile.
That is a reviewer's judgment, not a controlled head-to-head test. Nothing in the review shows the EV63 beating those brands in measured latency or reliability. Mainstream brands may also offer wider retail availability, support networks and software ecosystems.
Who should consider it
A good fit if you:
- Want a compact, wired magnetic-switch board for FPS games
- Care about typing feel and build quality
- Like modding and hot-swappable switches
- Are happy configuring everything in a browser
Think twice if you:
- Need an F-row, numpad or wireless connectivity (Iqunix lists the board as wired only)
- Carry your keyboard around often, since the reviewer concedes metal boards are less convenient to carry
- Want a guaranteed retail price and stock
Bottom line
Judd's central argument is that metal keyboards offer a feeling of quality that plastic boards struggle to match, and the EV63 is his proof. His enthusiasm is genuine, but note the caveats: the layout is 60%, not 65%, performance numbers are the vendor's own, and the price depends on variant and stock. If compact, heavy, magnetic and wired sounds like your desk, it is worth a look.