Introduction
Here at ProSettings.net, we get a lot of requests to review products. When IQUNIX initially contacted us, we were hesitant. After all, there’s a sea of analog keyboards on the market right now and it’s quite simply not possible to review all of them. But when we looked at the specs and the fact that this board is being used by a couple of pro players, our interest was piqued. In theory, this seems like a dream keyboard. Sturdy case, handy form factor, attention to the typing sound and feel, … To top it all off, the analog switches come with all of today’s modern features, including Mod Tap and SOCD. So naturally, we sent a unit over to our reviewer. Read our full IQUNIX EV63 review to find out what he thought of it.
At A Glance
IQUNIX EV63 HE
Used by 4 players ()
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Rossy
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inspire
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CHICHOO
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nobody
To put it simply, this is one of the best all-round gaming keyboards on the market right now. It feels and sounds great, it has a sturdy aluminum case, it has pretty much all the features you’d want from an analog keyboard, and it scores top marks in terms of responsiveness and consistency when gaming.
Pros
- Great typing experience
- Great build quality
- Top-of-the-line gaming performances
- 63% layout is compact, but keeps the arrow keys
Cons
- RGB looks a little ‘dull’
- No ability to save lighting settings to specific profiles
- Design won’t be for everyone
Specs
| Form Factor | 65% |
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| Switches | Magnetic X Pro, Magnetic X Ultra |
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| PCB | Hotswappable |
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| RGB | Yes |
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| Height | 4.1cm |
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| Width | 30cm |
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| Length | 12.6cm |
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| Weight | 1260g |
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First Impressions
Keyboard
The IQUNIX EV63 is available in three different finishes. There’s the rather classic-looking Violet, with grey/black/violet keycaps. And then there are also two versions with transparent keycaps: the smokey Dark Knight version and the Silver Knight version, which comes with frosted keycaps. IQUNIX also gives you two switch options: Magnetic X Pro and Magnetic X Ultra. For my review, I got all versions but I focused mostly on the Magnetic X Pro switch, as that’s the default.
What’s immediately noticeable about all three versions is how hefty and sturdy they feel. The case is entirely made out of aluminum, which gives the board a very premium feel right out of the gate. In terms of looks, the ‘Knight’ versions are obviously the showstoppers. With their transparent keycaps, they’ll definitely catch the eye of anyone who walks by.
In terms of (case) design, the EV63 isn’t exactly super subtle either. I’ll elaborate on this further down in the review, but the case has quite some ‘edgy’ elements to it.
RGB
If you go for the transparent keycaps, you’re obviously going to get a spectacle, but it’s perhaps not as good as it can be. The RGB lighting itself can get quite bright, but I’m not entirely sold on the overall colors. Even with the brightness set to the highest level, certain colors can appear a little desaturated to me. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs here, but I’ve seen better on this front.
Furthermore, the lighting customization options aren’t as expansive as they are on some other boards. There’s a ton of premade effects to choose from, and you can configure each individual key, but you can’t layer different effects or create very intricate lighting profiles.
These days, I mostly use my keyboards with the RGB off (or on a neutral color at low brightness) so for me this isn’t really an issue, but it might be something to take note of.
Packaging
Inside the box of the IQUNIX EV63, you will find:
- User documentation
- IQUNIX stickers
- USB-C-to-USB-A cable
- Quickstart guide
- Switch/keycap puller combo tool
- A brush
I love the inclusion of the brush, and the keycap/switch puller tool is high quality as well, but I would’ve loved to see an extra switch or two. You never know if there’s a switch failure down the road, and having some spares can mean the difference between a 2-minute fix or having to go back and forth with customer support.
Features and Build Quality
Materials and Design
As I mentioned earlier, the IQUNIX EV63 is made of aluminum. The entire case feels extremely solid, thick, and durable, making this one of the most premium-feeling gaming keyboards I’ve ever tried.
In terms of design, it’s not completely my cup of tea. On the sides, there are some quite aggressive cutouts and design elements that kind of remind me of a race car, and on the front there’s a carbon fiber element (on the Violet and Dark Knight editions). I wouldn’t say that these design elements are ostentatious or ruin my experience with the board, but I personally prefer a more subdued style.
Something that really annoys me on one of my units is that the carbon fiber element is slightly loose. When typing, I tend to rest my thumb on the front of a keyboard, and every time I place it down, I can feel the carbon fiber plate shifting a little bit. It’s not a major issue, but it’s something that wouldn’t happen at all if the front section was just solid aluminum.
Moving on to things that I do like, then, and that’s the form factor. I love compact keyboards, but I also love arrow keys, so a 65% layout is without a doubt my favorite. Sadly, not many manufacturers produce layouts like this, so it’s cool to see a brand going for this best-of-both-worlds layout. Technically, it’s a 63% board, but it functions exactly the same as a 65% would. I love this.
To close this section off, I’ll say that I can quite easily look past my slight dislike for the design style, since this board has such an amazing layout and is built extremely well.
Keycaps
The keycaps on the Violet version are double-shot PBT, as is the norm in today’s keyboard market. The keycaps feel very nice, though I personally prefer a slight bit more texturing than what’s on offer here. Aside from that, they’re really good. They’re thick and consistent, and the printing is precise and error-free. I also like the neutral font that they’ve used.
On the transparent boards, the keycaps are made of a different material. The PC keycaps also feel quality, though. People who are a bit afraid to try transparent keycaps will be happy to know that the legends are printed on the front of the caps, by the way. This makes the board easy to use for people who can’t type blindly while keeping the cool legend-less top view.
Customization
IQUNIX has listened to what the market wants, and as such, their boards can be configured via a web-based configuration tool. IQUNIX’s website works without issues, but it’s not the prettiest or flashiest tool of its kind.
Still, performance trumps design, and that’s where the EV63 does very well. Aside from the regular features like Rapid Trigger, the EV63 also has SOCD, Mod Tap (whereby tapping a key registers input A, and holding a key registers input B), and pretty much everything else you’d want out of a modern gaming keyboard. You can even bind up to 4 actions to a single key.
In addition to all of this, there’s also a section with pro player presets. This is a cool idea in theory, but it’s a little undercooked right now. There are no photos or names for the players, for example, just a description of their achievements.
Amusingly, there’s also a crosshair section. This has a list of pro (VALORANT) crosshairs that you can copy and use in your game. It has absolutely nothing to do with your keyboard, though, so it’s a puzzling addition if you ask me.
Aside from all of this, you can also create macros and rebind keys. The board has storage for three on-board profiles.
Speaking of on-board profiles: I couldn’t seem to find a way to save custom lighting profiles to the different performance profiles. I like to set some type of RGB backlight for when I’m on a gaming mode so that I can recognize what specific mode I’m on, but here it seems like it’s a global lighting profile. That’s a bit of a bummer to me.
Switches
The base version of the IQUNIX EV63 uses the brand’s own Magnetic X Pro switches. To me, these feel great. They don’t feel excessively light, and they’re smooth all the way to the bottom. Stem wobble is also minimal, so I don’t have any complaints.
What’s noticeable is how extremely sensitive these switches can get. You can tweak the actuation point to 0.01mm, which is quite crazy. IQUNIX also says that these switches have a reinforced magnetic core, which leads to a stronger signal and increased consistency when bottoming out. I can’t verify those claims since the margins are so crazily small that it’s impossible for me to perceive or test, but I can say that these switches look and feel great, both in-game and outside of it.
Typing and Gaming Experience
Gaming Experience
There are tons of really solid analog gaming keyboards on the market, but most tend to fall short in certain performance sections when compared to the top dogs. That’s not really the case with the IQUNIX EV63.
In terms of latency, responsiveness, features, and customizability, this keyboard is absolutely up there with the best of the best. I did not notice any inconsistencies when gaming at all, and I managed to configure everything to perform exactly as I wanted it to.
One thing you can’t do (so far) is use your keyboard as a controller, like you can with Wooting, for example, but I use a dedicated controller for racing games and the likes, so for me that’s not an issue.
Typing Experience
The standard for the performance of analog keyboards is so high these days that companies have to set their products apart from the pack in other ways. These days, there seems to be a battle for the best typing feel/sound, and it’s a battle that I greatly enjoy.
The IQUNIX EV63, as far as I’m concerned, can hang with the best on the market. The stabilizers feel and sound great on all keys, the switches themselves also feel and sound great, and there’s no case ping or any other unwanted noises when typing.
Usually when I’m testing gaming keyboards, I can’t wait to get back to my regular board for productivity, but that wasn’t the case here. The layout combined with the fantastic typing experience makes this a board that I’d happily keep on my desk. I also really like the sound profile they’ve gone for here.
One thing I should mention is that the typing experience is quite stiff. If you don’t like that, then the IQUNIX EV63 might not be the board for you.
Sound Test
Alternatives
The IQUNIX EV63 is a 63% gaming keyboard in a world where most gaming keyboards are 60% or TKL. Because of this, I can’t think of many alternatives that I have hands-on experience with. The NZXT Function Elite MiniTKL comes close with its compact form factor, but it’s still quite a bit larger and doesn’t perform as well as the EV63. There is also the Lamzu Atlanis Pro, but that one has rubber keycaps, which I am not a fan of.
Conclusion
For me, the IQUNIX EV63 is a bolt from the blue. When I got this in for review, I expected it to be a decent board that made some compromises here and there, but this board taught me to keep my biases in check next time.
To put it simply, this is one of the best all-round gaming keyboards on the market right now. It feels and sounds great, it has a sturdy aluminum case, it has pretty much all the features you’d want from an analog keyboard, and it scores top marks in terms of responsiveness and consistency when gaming.
It’s not all perfect, though. There are some minor flaws here and there (the RGB looks a bit ‘murky’ to me, and the carbon fiber element on my board is loose) and I personally don’t really love the design, but those don’t really distract from the overall experience.
This one should be near the top of your list if you’re considering a gaming keyboard.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.
