Posted in: Keyboards

HK GAMING GK61 Review: Is This Keyboard Worth it?

Last Updated on November 16, 2022

The 60% mechanical keyboard market is already very busy at the moment. Various kinds of products from various manufacturers have enlivened the 60% mechanical keyboard market. Are you confused which mechanical keyboard can give you confidence to choose it? Or are you looking for a 60% mechanical keyboard at the most affordable price? which one will you choose?

HK GAMING GK61 Mechanical Keyboard should be a very decent choice for you to consider. HK GAMING GK61 has a 60% layout size with double shot ABS keycaps which are of fairly good quality. This is the most affordable 60% mechanical keyboard available today. Is HK Gaming GK61 worth it for you?

Let’s get started!

Unboxing GK61

Unboxing GK61
Unboxing GK61

In the box of purchasing the GK61 mechanical keyboard, you get several tools to help you use this compact mechanical keyboard. Here are some of the accessories that you get in the GK61 purchase package:

  • GK61 60% Mechanical Keyboard: For sure you will get a GK61 mechanical RGB keyboard unit in the box.
  • Switch puller: You get a switch puller made of aluminum which is pretty good.
  • Keycap puller: You also get a keycap puller, but unfortunately it’s made of plastic. We prefer the keycaps puller which is made of aluminum, because it is safer and will not scratch the keycaps when pulling it.
  • Braided USB Type C: You also get a very good USB Type C cable, the GK61 cable is detachable which will make this mechanical keyboard very good to support your mobility.
  • User Guide Manual: This is an important book that you must read so that you can operate the GK61 properly and correctly.

GK61 Design And Build Quality

GK61 Design And Build Quality
GK61 Design And Build Quality

GK61 has a compact design like the other 60% mechanical keyboard with black and white writing on the surface of the keycaps which is an ideal color combination. There are no dedicated multimedia keys or other additional keys, it’s just the 61 ABS keys on the GK61. For design, the GK61 already has a pretty interesting design.

The build quality of the GK61 is quite good, the overall body is made of a fairly thick plastic material so that the GK61 has a body that is quite sturdy and solid, this is also because of its compact size so you will not find flexible parts even though the GK61 does not have a frame made of aluminum.

The GK61 weighs about 545 grams which I think is a similar weight to the Anne Pro 2 which weighs 582 grams.

GK61 has a black body with a glossy color on the bottom, and the rest are matte black which in my opinion is better all matte black than glossy black.

On the front on the left you get a USB Type C port that can be used to connect the GK61 with your computer. At the bottom, you get 4 rubber feet which are quite good at providing a frip on the surface of a wooden table, glass, or other table material so that the GK61 does not shift slowly when you use it typing or playing games.

Unfortunately, you don’t have legs that you can use to adjust certain heights and angles. But overall this is quite fitting to use even though it does not have the option to adjust the angle and height of the keyboard.

In my opinion, the GK61 has a pretty good design with solid and sturdy build quality. The proper placement of the USB Type C port, rubber feet that provide excellent grip are enough for everyday use for playing games or typing.

If you want a little upgrade by having dedicated Arrow Keys, you can choose the GK64 option which has dedicated Arrow Keys. You can find the GK64 on Amazon which is a very affordable mechanical keyboard with Hot Swappable Switch feature.

GK61 Keycaps With Built-in Microphone

GK61 Keycaps With Built-in Microphone
GK61 Keycaps With Built-in Microphone

The GK61 has 61 keys with double shot keycaps made of ABS plastic with an OEM profile that has a slightly glossy finish. This makes the keycaps on the GK61 look shiny when under pressure from lights or sunlight.

We think the kyecaps set on the GK61 are quite thick because they are ABS keycaps with two layers of plastic that the light from the RGB lights can still pass through. Since these are quite thick ABS keycaps, you will feel that the RGB on the GK61 is a bit dull and faded.

The really interesting thing behind the GK61 keycaps is, you have a microphone underneath the spacebar keys. This is a very interesting feature, because when using it to play games while streaming, the microphone on the GK61 will be useful for recording your voice. It’s so cool!

For the typing experience using the ABS double shot keycaps from the GK61, it feels quite precise and accurate even though it is a little slippery. But in my opinion this is good enough for a 60% mechanical keyboard at an affordable price. The addition of a microphone behind the space bar button is a very interesting thing!

Stabilizer on GK61 not bad at all

Stabilizer on GK61 not bad at all
Stabilizer on GK61 not bad at all

The stabilizer on the GK61 is not bad at all, this is only because the stabilizer on this mechanical keyboard has not been properly lubricated. If you add lubricant to the GK61 Stabilizer then you will get smoother and quieter typing.

GK61 has a stabilizer that uses the Cherry style Stabilizer which is the stabilizer style most used by mechanical keyboards today.

To lubricate the GK61 you don’t need to be confused, this is a mechanical keyboard that has a hot swappable switch feature, you can easily remove the switch when you want to lubricate the stabilizer. We recommend that you lubricate the stabilizer on the GK61 using a small brush or toothpick, this will be easier for those of you who don’t want to be bothered.

Overall the stabilizer function on the GK61 works pretty well, with the proviso that you have to lubricate it first. The performance of the stabilizer can be said to be quite good because it is able to reduce the vibration and sound produced when the button is pressed.

Great GK61 Hot Swappable Switch Features

Great GK61 Hot Swappable Switch Features
Great GK61 Hot Swappable Switch Features

The GK61 has a hot swappable switch feature that allows you to replace the keyboard’s mechanical switches without having to solder them. GK61 is available in 2 choices of PCB versions, the first is a regular version that can support the use of MX Style Keyswitch switches that use 3 or 5 pins and the second is a PCB with a Gateron Optical Version version.

For GK61 that supports Gateron Optical Switch, you have several switch options from Gatron Optical switches such as Gateron Optical Switch Black, Blue, Brown, Red, Yellow, Clear, and Silver. You can also buy the GK61 with the Gateron Optical Switch Silent version which will give you a smoother and quieter typing experience.

We feel that the Gateron Optical Switch version of the GK61 is better, because it provides a smoother and more responsive experience, the price of the Gateron iotic switch is also quite affordable if you want to replace it with other color options. For switch colors, Gateron Optical Switch Red is our favorite for this 60% GK61 mechanical keyboard.

Great RGB Light + Software With A Lot of RGB Animations

Great RGB Light + Software With A Lot of RGB Animations
Great RGB Light + Software With A Lot of RGB Animations

The GK61 has a pretty good RGB light feature even though the color is a bit dim because the ABS keycaps on the GK61 have a fairly thick design.

You can change the RGB light effect on the GK61 by using the FN+RGB symbol on the keycaps. There are various types of RGB animations that you can customize to your liking. We really like the GK61 when the background is Blue and Green, or you can choose the RGB animation where when you press a button, an RGB light will appear around the button you press. Quite a lot of RGB options are provided on the GK61.

GK61 FN Functions

You can also do this RGB customization using the GK61 mechanical keyboard support software which you can download for free via this link.

GK61 Software
GK61 Software

Through this software you can customize the buttons according to your needs, you can set RGB according to your wishes. There are two settings options with this software, the first is the Driver Mode setting which has more customization options to change some keyboard layer functions. While the second mode called OnBoard Mode Setting has fewer customization options.

GK61 Easy to modify

GK61 Easy to modify
GK61 Easy to modify

Since the GK61 is a compact mechanical keyboard that supports a hot swappable switch feature, this makes it very easy to modify or disassemble. You can make modifications to the keycaps by buying a keycaps set that you like and installing it here, you can also change the switch anytime you want without having to solder it on the PCB.

Because it is easy to disassemble, we strongly recommend you to add rubber or foam to the case of the GK61, this will provide better mechanical insulation for this keyboard.

Unfortunately, the PCB on the GK61 cannot be compatible with after-market cases sold in the market, this is due to the position of the USB Type port which is on the left.

Overall, the GK61 is a 60% size mechanical keyboard that is very portable and very easy to modify.

Price of GK61 and Variants

GK61 Malibu

GK61 has several color variants that you can choose according to your taste. The GK61 is available in black, white, red, lavender, malibu and prism pink. All variants of the Gk61 mechanical keyboard are priced at the same $79.99. You can buy GK61 through our link as a form of your support for us.

GK61 Pos And Cons

ProsCons
Fast-responding Gateron optical switchesABS keycaps
Great RGB backlightNo kickstand to adjust angle
Easy access to arrow keys on second layer
Detachable USB-C cable
NKRO
Hot Swappable
Great Software Support
GK61 Pos And Cons

Are There Any Alternatives to the GK61 Mechanical Keyboard?

There are several 60% mechanical keyboards that have better features and quality than the GK61. One of them is the EPOMAKER SKYLOONG SK61 which has a slightly cheaper price than the GK61 and has the same hot swappable Optical Switch feature.

Another alternative to the GK61 mechanical keyboard is the Durgod HK Venus, but the price is very much different. Durgod HK Venus is more expensive than GK61 because it has quality double shot PBT keycaps, hot swappable for switch type MX keycswitches which most people prefer compared to optical switches, because they can provide a more natural feedabcak.

Conclusion

GK61 is a 60% mechanical keyboard that has quite interesting features such as RGB light with many effects, supporting software, hot swappable optical switches, and even has a microphone under the spacebar button which is very rarely owned by other brand mechanical keyboards.

GK61 is perfect for those of you who want to have a mechanical keyboard that is very easy to modify, such as changing keycaps, changing switches, adding silencers to the casing are things that are very easy to do with the GK61 mechanical keyboard. In addition to having features and easy to modify, the GK61 is sold at a very affordable price.

If you want a full-featured 60% mechanical keyboard and can use it to record sound, the GK61 is the choice you should consider because this mechanical keyboard is very affordable and very easy to modify.

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