Das Keyboard 6 Professional (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-6-professional/
Up for review is the Das Keyboard 6 Professional, a full-size mechanical keyboard marketed for versatile use, whether it’s to game or code. The device retails for $200 and comes with the following items:
- Das Keyboard 6 Professional
- 2 screw-on feet
- USB-A to USB-C adapter
Additional specs can be found below:
With its aluminium enclosure, the Das Keyboard 6 Professional looks and feels premium thanks to the nice heft and quality finish it endows the keyboard with. Its all-black design, without any edgy colour accents, packs the minimalist appeal while enabling it to fit in the workspace as well as your gaming setup. Das Keyboard also included crisp, laser etched keycaps which further add to the professional look of the keyboard.
Using the Das Keyboard 6 Professional is a plug-and-play affair. There’s no need for drivers or companion software. Just plug it into your PC and it’s ready to be used. As a full-sized keyboard, all keys are well within access when in use and the Cherry MX (blue or brown) switches deliver satisfying, audible feedback on every single key press.
In addition, N-Key Rollover (NKRO) is activated by default on this keyboard, ensuring that there is no dropped key press. This makes the Das Keyboard 6 Professional a very reliable keyboard whether you are typing a document, writing code, or gaming. NKRO can be particularly decisive in competitive games, so having a keyboard that registers every keystroke can provide an edge, in addition to some peace of mind.
The unique feature of the Das Keyboard 6 Professional is its dedicated media control keys located on the top right corner. Two physical keys enable you to play, pause, or skip tracks at a keypress and the oversized volume knob allows you to adjust the volume. I was instantly fond of this knob as it delivers a satisfying and responsive means to easily and ergonomically control the volume, whether it’s during a gaming session or video call.
Around the same area are some additional keys and features. There’s one for adjusting the backlight and one to toggle sleep mode. And just under these keys are two USB-C ports. These are handy as they expand your connectivity options.
Das Keyboard also includes two screw-on feet. These help elevate the keyboard by a few millimetres. However, it would have been more welcome if the keyboard included stents or feets of different sizes that would allow for elevation angle options based on the user preference.
In fact, customisation options are limited on this keyboard. Even if it is backlit, you can only adjust the intensity but not the colour itself. While I wouldn’t be asking for flashy RGB effects, just being able to adjust the lighting colour would be welcome.
Similarly, Das Keyboard does not include optional keycaps or removal tools to customise or replace the caps. For example, I am personally fond of having differently-coloured WASD keycaps but the Das Keyboard 6 Professional does not offer this option out of the box.
Also relevant to customisation and repair, the connecting cable is fixed to the keyboard. While limiting the customisation options for the backlight and keycaps can appeal as a no-frills aspect, not being able to replace or remove the cable (for storage/carry) is a notable downside.
A minor downside that was apparent to me when first using the Das Keyboard 6 Professional is that some symbols are not backlit and have rather small fonts. This can make them hard to discern in low-lighting conditions until you’ve developed the muscle memory to identify their location without having to look at the keyboard.
Overall, the no-frills approach that the Das Keyboard 6 Professional adopts can be double-edged. It makes for a plug-and-play use with a minimalist appeal, while packing some welcome features such as NKRO and a very satisfying volume knob; but the lack of basic customisation and repair options stick out, especially at the price.
Verdict
- Satisfying oversized volume knob
- Build quality
- N-Key Rollover enabled
- Integrated extra USB-C ports for charging or transfer data
- Fixed cable
- Backlight cannot be customised
