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Keychron M6 Mouse Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Mar 26, 2024 at 09:48 am
Latest change: Writing modified Sep 09, 2024 at 10:50 am
Keychron M6 Picture
8.8
Work
8.1
Video Games (FPS)
7.8
Video Games (MMO)
8.5
Raw Performance

The Keychron M6 is a wireless mouse designed for everyday use, productivity, and gaming. It has a large number of programmable inputs and an ergonomic-style, right-handed shape with a pronounced top hump and a thumb rest. Notably, this mouse has two scroll wheels: a top scroll wheel (with notched and free-scrolling modes and left- and right-tilt inputs) and a scroll wheel on the side that you can operate with your thumb. You can connect this mouse to multiple devices simultaneously via Bluetooth, but it also includes a USB-A and USB-C receiver for a 2.4 GHz connection, which provides better wireless performance for gaming. You can adjust several sensor performance settings using the physical buttons on the mouse's bottom or using its Windows or macOS-compatible software for more advanced customization.

Our Verdict

8.8 Work

The Keychron M6 is amazing for work. It has impressive build quality and connects wirelessly either with an included 2.4 GHz receiver (both USB-A and USB-C). You can also pair it with up to three devices simultaneously via Bluetooth. There are two dedicated scroll wheels: a side thumb wheel bound by default to horizontal scrolling and a top scroll wheel with L/R tilt inputs, a standard notched scrolling mode, and a free-scrolling mode helpful for quickly navigating through longer pages. Lastly, the configuration software is compatible with Windows and macOS and allows you to reprogram buttons, save custom profiles, and change sensor settings.

Pros
  • Impressive overall build quality.
  • Dedicated side scroll wheel.
  • Top scroll wheel has left/right tilt inputs and both a notched and free-scrolling mode.
  • Ten programmable inputs.
Cons
  • Top scroll wheel feels cheap and rattles slightly if you shake the mouse.
8.1 Video Games (FPS)

The Keychron M6 is great for FPS gaming. It has impressive build quality and great sensor and click latency performance. It provides a responsive-feeling experience for playing at a casual or competitive level. It's also quite lightweight compared to other wireless options with the same feature set. However, it's still heavier than many dedicated FPS mice.

Pros
  • Impressive overall build quality.
  • Very good sensor performance.
  • Great click latency.
Cons
  • Top scroll wheel feels cheap and rattles slightly if you shake the mouse.
  • Slightly heavier than many dedicated FPS mice.
7.8 Video Games (MMO)

The Keychron M6 is very good for MMO gaming. It has impressive build quality and great sensor and click latency performance. Unfortunately, of its ten programmable inputs, only two are side buttons, which can be an issue if you prefer more traditional side button grids with six or twelve inputs.

Pros
  • Impressive overall build quality.
  • Very good sensor performance.
  • Great click latency.
  • Ten programmable inputs.
Cons
  • Of the ten programmable inputs, only two are side buttons.
  • Top scroll wheel feels cheap and rattles slightly if you shake the mouse.
8.5 Raw Performance

The Keychron M6 offers excellent raw performance. It has great sensor and click latency and supports a wireless polling rate of 1000Hz, making it well-suited for playing casual or competitive titles in any genre.

Pros
  • Very good sensor performance.
  • Great click latency.
Cons
  • 8.8 Work
  • 8.1 Video Games (FPS)
  • 7.8 Video Games (MMO)
  • 8.5 Raw Performance
  1. Updated Sep 09, 2024: We've added a link to the newly reviewed Keychron M7 in the Weight section of this review.
  2. Updated Apr 10, 2024: We've fixed an error in the Mouse Wheel section. We initially indicated the Thumb Wheel Type as a Free Wheel but have corrected the result to a Notched Wheel.
  3. Updated Mar 26, 2024: Review published.
  4. Updated Mar 21, 2024: Early access published.
  5. Updated Mar 13, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Feb 23, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Feb 12, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Keychron M6 is available in a black or white color option. At the time of writing, no variants are available. If you come across a variant of this mouse, we encourage you to reach out to us in the comments so we can update our review.

We bought and tested the white color option. You can see our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Mice

The Keychron M6 bridges the gap between productivity and gaming mice while keeping a more subdued aesthetic without RGB lighting or other gamer design cues. Its shape and feature set resemble popular productivity mice like the Logitech MX Master 3S and more gaming-focused models like the Logitech G502 X LIGHTSPEED or Razer Basilisk V3 Pro. While it doesn't feel as premium as these other mice, it's significantly less expensive. This mouse is a standout option if you prefer a budget-oriented wireless mouse with an ergonomic shape, rich productivity features, and competitive sensor performance suitable for playing games in all genres.

For more recommendations, see our picks for the best mice, the best wireless mice, and the best ergonomic mice.

Keychron M7

The Keychron M6 and the Keychron M7 are wireless mice designed for productivity and gaming. The M6 is more productivity-oriented and has some helpful work features, like a secondary thumb scroll wheel and a main scroll wheel with a free-scrolling mode. It's also a different, more sculpted shape with a higher hump in the middle, whereas the M7 has a smaller middle hump that's more rounded. The M7, on the other hand, is lighter and better suited for making fast movements, like in an FPS. They both use the same sensor and deliver similar performance results suitable for everyday use and gaming.

Logitech MX Master 3S

The Logitech MX Master 3S and Keychron M6 are wireless mice with similar ergonomic-style shapes. The Logitech is designed for work use. It has noticeably better build quality and build materials. It also has a gesture button on the thumb rest, which the Keychron lacks. Additionally, its scroll wheel can automatically switch between notched and free-scrolling modes, while you need to toggle between scrolling modes on the Keychron with a button. That said, the Keychron is noticeably lighter and has much better sensor and click latency performance, making it a much better choice for mixed productivity and gaming.

Logitech MX Master 3

The Logitech MX Master 3 and Keychron M6 are wireless mice with similar ergonomic-style shapes. The Logitech is purely designed for productivity use. It has noticeably better build quality and materials. It also has a gesture button on the thumb, and its scroll wheel can automatically switch between notched and free-scrolling modes, while you need to toggle between scrolling modes on the Keychron with a button. That said, the Keychron is significantly lighter and has much better sensor and click latency performance, making it a much better choice for a hybrid mix of productivity and gaming.

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro

The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and the Keychron M6 are wireless mice with similar right-handed, ergonomic-style shapes. The Razer is designed primarily for gaming. It has better build quality, better raw gaming performance, and RGB lighting, which the Keychron lacks. It also has more programmable inputs. Comparatively, the Keychron is designed for hybrid productivity and gaming use. It's noticeably lighter, has added Bluetooth connectivity, and has a secondary thumb wheel, which the Razer doesn't. It also has a compatible macOS software option, while the Razer doesn't.

Keychron M3

The Keychron M3 and the Keychron M6 are wireless mice. The M3 is designed primarily for gaming. It has a symmetrical shape, textured plastic sides, and RGB lighting. The M6 is designed for both productivity and gaming. It has an ergonomic-style right-handed shape with a thumb rest but is less accommodating to some hand sizes and grip types. It has two dedicated scroll wheels, one on the side and one on top. The top scroll wheel has L/R tilt inputs and notched and free-scrolling modes.

Logitech G502 X PLUS

The Logitech G502 X PLUS and the Keychron M6 are wireless mice with a similar right-handed, ergonomic-style shape. The Logitech is designed primarily for gaming. It has better overall build quality and better click latency and sensor performance. It also has RGB lighting and more programmable inputs. On the other hand, the Keychron is designed for a mix of productivity and gaming. It's lighter and has added Bluetooth connectivity.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type
Standard
Coating
Matte
Lighting Color No Lighting

This mouse has a subdued style and a matte plastic body with a right-handed, ergonomic-style shape. We bought and tested the white color model, but there's a black color option as well.

There isn't any RGB lighting, but a small LED indicator on the left in front of the thumb wheel shows wireless pairing and battery status. Additional status lights on the bottom of the mouse show your selected CPI setting and polling rate.

Design
Shape
Length 4.8" (123 mm)
Width 3.0" (75 mm)
Height 2.0" (51 mm)
Grip Width
56 mm
Ambidextrous
No
Left-Handed Friendly
No
Finger Rest
Thumb
5.3
Design
Portability
Box Volume
28.62 in³ (469 cm³)
Receiver Storing
No

This mouse is quite bulky and not particularly portable. The thumb rest and pronounced top hump protrude quite a bit, making it a poor fit in small pouches or pockets. It also lacks compartments for storing its wireless receivers and adapter accessories, making them easier to lose if you take them on the go.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The Keychron M6 has impressive build quality. It feels very solid in hand, and there are no flexing or creaking sounds if you squeeze the mouse.

The top scroll wheel is made of somewhat cheap-feeling plastic. A slight rattling sound also emanates from the top scroll wheel housing. This is a fairly common issue on wheels that can toggle between notched and free-scrolling modes and doesn't affect usability.

7.6
Design
Weight
Lowest Weight
78.2 g
Default Weight
78.2 g
Weight Distribution
Centered
Extra Weights
No

The Keychron M6 is relatively easy to move quickly and accurately and feels well-balanced. It's lightweight compared to most productivity mice with a similar feature set but notably heavier than many dedicated FPS gaming mice. If you're looking for an even lighter option with similar features, check out the Keychron M7.

Design
Hand Size Recommendation
Palm Grip Hand Recommendation
Claw Grip Hand Recommendation
Fingertip Grip Hand Recommendation

This mouse has a right-handed, ergonomic-style shape. The shape is similar to that of the Logitech MX Master series of mice, but it's a bit more narrow and not quite as long. The Keychron M6's design features a particularly prominent, centered hump, which encourages hand positions placed further back on the mouse. However, this aspect makes reaching the left- and right-click buttons difficult if you have smaller hands.

It's also a bit narrow relative to its size, making it less suitable if you have extra large-sized hands and prefer using a Palm or Claw grip.

10
Design
Wireless Versatility
Maximum Of Paired Devices
4
Bluetooth
Yes
Receiver
Yes
Battery Type
Rechargeable
Use When Charging
Yes
On/Off Activation
Auto Off And On/Off Switch
Receiver Extender
Yes
Battery Indicator Yes

Keychron advertises this mouse has a battery life of up to 80 hours. We expect this estimate to be based on a 2.4GHz connection with a polling rate of 1000Hz.

Often, manufacturers will indicate separate maximum battery life for Bluetooth, which consumes less power than a 2.4GHz USB receiver. However, Keychron doesn't list a separate value for Bluetooth battery life on its product page.

You can connect this mouse to a maximum of three devices simultaneously via Bluetooth, plus one paired with a 2.4 GHz receiver (either USB-A or USB-C). There's a small LED light on the side of the mouse near the thumb scroll wheel that indicates battery status.

If you have this mouse and want to share your experience with its battery life, feel free to reach out to us in the comments.

9.0
Design
Cable
Connectivity Wireless
Cable Length
6.1 ft (1.9 m)
Cable Type
Paracord-like
Permanent Kink
Yes
Port Type: Mouse End
USB-C
Port Type: PC End
USB-C

The Keychron M6 wireless mouse comes with a paracord-like charging cable. It's quite flexible but retains some kinks from its packaging. Both ends of the cable are USB-C, but a USB-C to USB-A adapter is included in the box.

9.0
Design
Mouse Feet
Gliding Experience
Very Good
Material
Virgin Grade PTFE
Extra Included
No

This mouse's feet glide smoothly on mousepads and directly on desks. There are minor scratching sounds when you use it directly on a desk, but this doesn't impact gliding performance.

Design
In The Box

  • 2.4 GHz USB-A receiver
  • 2.4 GHz USB-C receiver
  • Receiver extender
  • USB-A to USB-C adapter
  • USB-C to USB-C charging cable
  • User documentation

Control
Control
Main Button
Switch Type
Mechanical
Switch Model
Huano 80M Micro Switch
6.9
Control
Additional Buttons
Total Number Of Buttons
8
Number Of Side Buttons
2
Number Of Programmable Inputs
10
Profile Switching Button
No
Gesture Support
No

You can program all buttons on the Keychron M6 mouse, except for the two buttons on the underside, which allow you to cycle between CPI and polling rate settings.

8.3
Control
Click Latency
Expected Connection
6.6 ms
Wired
4.2 ms
Receiver
6.6 ms
Bluetooth
9.2 ms

The Keychron M6 mouse has excellent click latency. It provides a responsive-feeling experience for gaming in any genre and at any competitive level.

We tested this mouse at its maximum polling rate of 1000Hz and with debounce set to its lowest setting in the configuration software.

8.2
Control
CPI
SRAV @ 1600 CPI
0.54%
SRAV @ 800 CPI
-1.87%
SRAV @ 400 CPI
0.00%
SRAV @ Fixed CPI
N/A
Precision Error Between Speeds
1.79%
Precision Error Between CPI
1.80%
Worst Tracking Error
-11.25%
Minimum CPI
100 CPI
Maximum CPI
26,000 CPI
CPI Adjustment Steps
100 CPI

This mouse provides impressive CPI accuracy. It tracks your movements accurately without significant variation. We conducted this test at the mouse's maximum polling rate of 1000Hz.

8.0
Control
Sensor Latency
Delay To Start Of Movement
21.3 ms
Delay At Half Movement
6.3 ms
Delay To End Of Movement
8.9 ms

The Keychron M6 wireless mouse has impressive sensor latency performance. The sensor reacts quickly to the physical movements you make with your mouse, and they closely match the timing of your cursor movements on-screen.

We tested this mouse at its maximum polling rate of 1000Hz and with Motion Sync turned off. Motion Sync is a sensor setting that attempts to improve the synchronization of sensor data with polling events. It can improve how closely your mouse movements are matched on-screen but may add a small degree (typically ~1 ms) of motion latency.

Control
Sensor Specifications
Sensor Technology
Optical (LED)
Sensor Model
Pixart PMW3395
Works On Glass
No
Minimum Lift Off Distance
1.2 mm
Maximum Polling Rate
1000 Hz

This mouse's polling rate options are 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. You can adjust the polling rate and change between CPI settings using buttons on the bottom of the mouse or using the configuration software.

Control
Mouse Wheel
Scroll Wheel Type
Notched Wheel + Free Wheel
Scroll Wheel Steps
24 Steps
Scroll Wheel Tilt
Yes
Thumb Wheel Type
Notched Wheel
Thumb Wheel Steps
12 Steps

The top scroll wheel has a rubberized coating that provides a good grip, but the wheel feels a little cheap overall. Using the lock button directly behind the scroll wheel, you can toggle between standard notched and free-scrolling modes.

In standard mode, the steps are well-defined, and scrolling feels reasonably precise, but it's quite loud. For more details, see the Noise section below.

In free-scrolling mode, scrolling doesn't feel as precise, but the wheel spins freely and quietly without any tactile steps.

There's a secondary scroll wheel on the left side of the mouse. It's somewhat quieter than the top-mounted scroll wheel and, by default, allows you to scroll horizontally in web pages, spreadsheets, etc. The side scroll wheel only has a standard notched operation mode.

Control
Noise
Click Noise
Quiet

This mouse's left- and right-click buttons, as well as the side buttons and side scroll wheel, are quiet and unlikely to bother those around you.

The top scroll wheel is very quiet in free-scrolling mode, but the notched scroll mode is fairly loud and may be disruptive in particularly noise-sensitive environments.

Operating System And Software
Operating System And Software
Configuration Software
Software Name Keychron Engine
Software Windows Compatibility
Yes
Software macOS Compatibility
Yes
On-Board Memory
Yes
CPI (DPI) Adjustment
Yes
Polling Rate Adjustment
Yes
Profile Configuration
Yes
Profile Auto-Switching
No
RGB On/Off
No RGB

This mouse uses Keychron Engine software for configuration. It has a clean, straightforward layout. It allows you to reprogram buttons, create macros, and change CPI and polling rate settings. You can save and swap between multiple profiles and toggle advanced sensor options, including motion sync.

10
Operating System And Software
Mouse Compatibility
Windows Compatibility Fully
macOS Compatibility Fully