REALFORCE GX1 Keyboard Review

The REALFORCE GX1 has a TKL or TenKeyLess (80%) form factor, which means it lacks a numpad and takes up less space than a typical full-size (100%) model.

The REALFORCE GX1 has good build quality. The bottom chassis is made of plastic with a metal top plate that feels very sturdy and exhibits only minimal deck flex.

The keycaps are doubleshot ABS plastic with shine-through legends. They feel fairly high quality compared to some ABS sets. However, ABS plastic is typically more prone to developing a shiny, worn finish over a long period.

There's also a bit of key wobble, particularly on larger stabilized keys. That said, it isn't very noticeable while typing normally. Unfortunately, the Enter key and Spacebar rattle somewhat.

There are a series of rubber feet on the underside that do a good job of keeping the board in place while typing. The pair of flip-out feet also have rubber ends and feel quite stable when extended.

This keyboard has a standard high-profile design, and a set of flip-out feet on the underside provides an additional incline angle.

The keycaps aren't too tall and closely resemble a standard OEM profile, so you don't need to angle your wrists too steeply to reach all keys. However, as is the case with all higher-profile keyboards, using a wrist rest will yield the most comfortable typing experience. This keyboard doesn't include a wrist rest in the box, and the manufacturer doesn't sell wrist rests on their website.

The REALFORCE GX1 has somewhat limited hardware customizability. Its Topre switches are proprietary and soldered to the PCB. That said, the switches use standard Cherry MX-style stems if you're interested in using different keycaps. Just keep in mind that the LEDs are north-facing, which can create interference with some Cherry profile sets.

If you're interested in more customizability information, a user on the KeebTalk forums has posted a comprehensive teardown here.

This keyboard provides great backlight clarity thanks to north-facing LEDs and clearly legible shine-through legends with few visible obstructions. However, note that the white-only setting has a noticeable blue tint.

The REALFORCE GX1 comes with a basic rubber power cable. It retains some kinks from its packaging. There's a channel on the underside of the keyboard that lets you route the cable straight out the back or to the left or right.

This is a wired-only keyboard that doesn't connect wirelessly.

You can record macros using the configuration software or with hotkey combinations directly on the keyboard itself.

This keyboard supports a range of hotkey commands out of the box for recording macros and changing RGB effects and brightness. You can also cycle between actuation point profiles that you can individually customize using the configuration software. For reference, there is a list of hotkeys in the user manual. Or, you can reference a digital version (Japanese only) from the REALFORCE website here.

Additionally, there are labeled, pre-programmed hotkeys for mute, volume up, and volume down. You can program additional Play, Pause, Forward, and Back media keys in the software.

• User documentation

This keyboard offers an excellent typing experience. The Topre switches are fairly lightweight and have a satisfying tactile bump to overcome with a gentle but not particularly mushy bottoming out.

The doubleshot ABS keycaps feel pleasant on your fingertips, the keys have standard spacing, and typing is extremely quiet.

There's a bit of key wobble, particularly on larger keys. However, it isn't very noticeable while typing normally. The stabilizers are lubed from the factory but we experienced a bit of rattle on the Spacebar and Enter keys.

Note that we tested the XIUD11 variant with heavier 45g switches, advertised to be better suited for accuracy, and fewer accidental inputs.

You can also buy a XIUD11 variant with more lightweight feeling 30g switches, advertised to be better-suited raw performance and long button presses. Apart from their weight difference, we expect this lighter switch variant to offer a similarly excellent typing experience.

The typing noise is very quiet and unlikely to disrupt those around you, even in very noise-sensitive environments.

We bought and tested this keyboard with 45g Topre switches. You can also buy this keyboard with more lightweight 30g Topre switches, but we expect both variants to produce the same typing noise.

These switches are moderate-weight tactile options that have a smooth and gradual build to a satisfying tactile point before bottoming out softly but without the mushy feeling of a rubber dome switch.

Note that we purchased this keyboard with 45g switches, but you can also buy this keyboard with a more lightweight 30g switch weight. See the Differences Between Variants section above for more details.

The REALFORCE GX1 allows you to adjust the actuation point of your individual switches by 0.1 mm increments between 0.1 mm and 3.0 mm.

We conducted the keystroke measurements with the default actuation setting of 2.2 mm. We conducted supplementary measurements with various actuation points. The accuracy of each setting is fairly good overall and typically within 0.2 mm of the expected distance with the exception of the lowest setting.

This keyboard also supports additional software adjustment features that let you further modify keystroke behavior. These features are detailed below.

Dynamic Mode: Typically called 'Rapid Trigger' on other analog keyboards, this setting allows you to adjust the reset point of switches in increments of 0.1 mm, minimizing release travel and letting you register faster follow-up inputs.

Kill Switch: Typically called Snap Tap, SOCD (simultaneous opposite cardinal direction), or Null Binds, this feature disables simultaneous input of the A and D keys by prioritizing the last key pushed. This can help you perform more accurate counter-strafes in games like CS2 or Overwatch 2.

The REALFORCE GX1 has impressive single-key latency, making it suitable for playing casual or competitive games. However, as can be seen in the graph above, this performance is inconsistent compared to many other dedicated gaming keyboards, which typically have a much lower standard deviation.

To be clear, you're very unlikely to notice any difference in latency while playing, but it can still impact your performance ceiling when playing at a top competitive level.

We tested with the actuation point set to its lowest (most sensitive) setting of 0.1 mm and with the lowest (most sensitive) Dynamic Mode settings of -0.1 mm Distance to Off and 0.1 mm Distance to On.

The REALFORCE GX1 has impressive multi-key latency performance overall, making it suitable for playing casual or competitive titles that require multiple simultaneous inputs. However, this performance is significantly more inconsistent compared to most other dedicated gaming keyboards. It's unlikely that you'll notice any latency variation in-game, but it can affect your performance if you play at a very high competitive level.

We conducted multi-key latency testing with the lowest (most sensitive) actuation point setting of 0.1 mm and with the lowest (most sensitive) Dynamic Mode settings of -0.1 mm Distance to Off and 0.1 mm Distance to On.

This keyboard's polling rate of 1000Hz isn't bottlenecked by other latency components, and it supports full N-Key rollover out of the box.

This keyboard delivers satisfactory chord performance but isn't particularly well-suited for playing games that require multiple simultaneous inputs, like rhythm titles.

This keyboard uses RealForce Connect software. It's fairly straightforward and intuitive. It allows you to adjust a range of expected settings, such as RGB lighting effects, key assignments, profiles, and custom macros.

Under the APC heading, you can adjust the actuation point of individual switches. You can also adjust Dynamic press and release distances (Distance to On and Distance to Off). For more information about these settings, see the Keystrokes section.

There isn't a compatible software option for macOS or Linux, which prevents you from being able to adjust actuation point settings or other customization options using those operating systems.