The mechanical keyboard passion is all about customization and experimentation — and for that motive, firms are consistently testing new mounting designs that feel and look nice. The identical may be stated about Lego, that are little plastic constructing blocks that may make an thought come to life.
The Melgeek Pixel combines each of those worlds: it is a gasket-mount tenkeyless (TKL) mechanical keyboard constructed nearly solely of Lego-style items (aside from the PCB, switches, and all that — after all). The Pixel is a wi-fi keyboard that includes each low-latency 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and is available in three base colours — “Palette” (white base with purple, blue, and yellow keycaps), “Christian” (pale pink base with pink and grey keycaps), or “Canvas” (white base with white keycaps and colourful legends).
The Pixel is out there now on Kickstarter for the Tremendous Early Chook Value of $199, an Early Chook value of $219 and a Kickstarter Particular value of $239. The official MSRP is listed at $269. Equipment, together with additional cables, keycaps, switches, and packs of Lego bricks are additionally obtainable for between $10 – $30.
This may sound like nice information for each mechanical keyboard fans and Lego fans. Sadly, the Pixel is horrible for typing — you’re higher off spending that $200+ on a keyboard or Legos, not a gimmicky mashup.
Melgeek Pixel Specs
| Switches | Kailh Field Purple (With yellow higher housing) |
| Lighting | None |
| Onboard Storage | None |
| Media Keys | With FN |
| Connectivity | USB Kind-C to Kind-A |
| Cable | 4-feet, rubber |
| Further Ports | 0 |
| Keycaps | Lego-style |
| Software program | KB Instruments |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 444.5 X 165.1 x 25.4mm |
| Weight | 2.64 kilos |
Design of the Melgeek Pixel
The Melgeek Pixel is a tenkeyless (TKL) gasket-mount mechanical keyboard not like any keyboard in the marketplace, as its exterior consists of Lego-style items. It is available in three colours — white with purple, yellow, and blue keycaps; pink with pink and grey keycaps; and white with white keycaps (with colourful legends). Our assessment mannequin was the latter, known as “Canvas.”
As a result of the Pixel is impressed by the favored toy firm, it gives a big canvas so that you can construct no matter Lego design you need. Sadly, this additionally makes it one of the vital uncomfortable keyboards I’ve typed on — and no, it’s not as a result of the keycaps are fabricated from Lego-style items (they’re not bricks, anyway). I’ll focus on my gripes with the Pixel’s typing expertise a little bit later, although; the board has many different cool options to debate.
Initially, I assumed this could be a daily gasket-mount keyboard with a Lego case, however I used to be fallacious. Excluding the principle mechanical elements, such because the hot-swap PCB (which helps 5-pin switches and has an odd gasket-mount design), every part on this keyboard actually is impressed by Lego.
The change plate is fabricated from the identical kind of plastic Legos are fabricated from — and so is the ability change, in addition to the keycaps and the case. Even the two.4GHz wi-fi dongle and the keyboard’s USB-C to USB-A cable sport Lego-inspired designs.
This plank wouldn’t be a Lego-inspired keyboard with out some items to construct with, proper? Melgeek included round six colours (65 flat items per shade) with the board, however the colours didn’t actually match the advertising photographs. For instance, lots of the images present yellow bricks, and yellow just isn’t offered — Melgeek offered blue, white, purple, orange, inexperienced and purple. On high of this, no minifigures have been included, which was a bummer.
Once I took the keycaps off to examine the switches, I used to be greeted with Kailh Field switches that includes a yellow higher housing and a purple stem to match the Lego emblem. Kudos to Melgeek for having custom-colored Kailh Field switches made for this board. Once you buy the Pixel, you may select both these {custom} Kailh Pixel L switches or {custom} Kailh Pixel T switches. You can even purchase Kailh Field White v2 switches, Gateron Professional Yellow switches or Gateron Professional Silver switches as add-ons.
Typing and Gaming Expertise on the Melgeek Pixel
The Pixel has an uncommon gasket-mount design: it sits on high of rubber domes that appear to be skinny membrane switches. It’s robust to clarify, however a gasket-mount keyboard is supposed to supply flexibility with every keystroke and a softer typing really feel than a typical tray-mount. Whereas the bottom-out was actually softer, typing on this board was, frankly, terrible.
This board is designed to appear to be a Lego set, and the keycaps characteristic clear plastic tops over Lego-style bricks to protect that visible. (The plastic tops are detachable, permitting you to customise the keyboard’s design even additional.) The keycaps are flat and broad, and whereas the tops are barely concave they’re simply too flat general to be comfy. Moreover, typing on this tremendous flat design resulted in tons of typos, as there was nearly zero house between keycaps.
The uncomfortable, flat keycaps have been the principle contributor to the Pixel’s brutal typing expertise, however the flat, broad case didn’t assist. Most keyboards in the marketplace are not less than considerably angled, which is what I’m used to — the Pixel, nevertheless, is a flat rectangle with no wrist help. I felt like I used to be hovering my wrists over the keyboard like a piano participant (and I’m a horrible piano participant).
So the typing expertise on the Pixel is best off forgotten. That stated, Melgeek tuned this board in order that it sounds a lot better than most mainstream mechanical keyboards. The sound of the board is deeper than common, thanks partially to the Lego-plastic development.
I’ve reviewed fairly a number of keyboards now, and the one different keyboard I actually struggled to kind on was the ErgoDox 76 — which is smart, as a result of it’s a cut up ortho linear board. The Pixel could also be impressed by Lego, however it’s nonetheless a keyboard and must be considerably comfy to kind on, particularly at its value.
Gaming on the Pixel was additionally tough. Once I play first-person shooters, I solely actually use W, A, S and D, and this has by no means been a difficulty with any keyboard I’ve gamed with, till now. I attempted taking part in Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare (to organize for Fashionable Warfare 2), and even after 45 minutes of taking part in I couldn’t get used to the Pixel’s flat, shut keycaps. As a substitute of transferring ahead with the W key, I saved unintentionally hitting Q and inflicting unintentional stun grenade throws. I don’t usually get annoyed whereas gaming, however this board was pushing me.
Software program for the Melgeek Pixel
The Melgeek Pixel sports activities probably the most exterior customization out of any keyboard I’ve used, due to its Lego body. Nevertheless, the interior customization…doesn’t work. Melgeek’s KBTools software program didn’t acknowledge the Pixel, and clicking on tabs brought about the software program to crash. It is a TKL board, so the entire keys you want — minus the quantity pad — are current, however it could nonetheless be good to have some stage of configuration.
Relating to exterior customization, Melgeek has an internet site that will help you convey the Pixel to life.
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I not solely lacked the creative abilities to recreate this Pokemon design made by Bobasaur — I additionally lacked the yellow bricks. I’m not very creative, so I handed the board over to my good friend, John, who took full benefit of the Pixel’s canvas.
Backside Line
The Melgeek Pixel isn’t adequate as a keyboard, neither is it adequate as a Lego-style set, particularly for the worth. The Tremendous Early Chook particular on Kickstarter is $199 — I do know Legos aren’t low-cost, however that’s absurd. Melgeek ought to’ve taken extra inspiration from Lego and supplied this board in a package.
It’s onerous to suggest the Melgeek Pixel, as a result of it’s one-part novelty and one-part keyboard. I’m certain Lego fans will love this board as a collector’s piece, regardless that it doesn’t include the bricks it’s essential to recreate a lot of the designs we’ve seen floating across the web. (I assume an actual Lego fanatic could have their very own bricks and minifigures, so perhaps that’s not a difficulty.) However when you’re on the lookout for a keyboard and never a Lego set, the Pixel simply isn’t value it.
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