As a writer and gamer, there's nothing quite like the feel of a great mechanical keyboard. There's just something so satisfying about the "thwok" of each keypress as I take to the battlefield or craft my next story. Surprisingly, though, it can be challenging to find a keyboard that's fantastic at being both a gaming keyboard and a daily-use keyboard -- at least at an affordable price.
You might recognize the name Cherry as the maker of the eponymous switches that have dominated the mechanical keyboard world for nearly 70 years. Not long ago, it started making its own keyboards and recently launched the Cherry MX 3.0S gaming mechanical keyboard. It's a fairly affordable entry point into the world of wireless gaming mechanical keyboards, but I'm not sure if it serves as the best dedicated gaming keyboard.
What I like about the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard
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Cherry was one of the first, and has certainly been the best-known, maker of mechanical keyboard switches for decades. And for good reason -- its switches are clicky, tactile and robust. Many keyboard enthusiasts still prefer them over the myriad of other brands that have popped up over the years.
As a keyboard tester, I've used many other switches, and for a while, I've been using the fantastic OnePlus-branded keyboard. Coming back to the Cherry switches on the MX 3.0S felt oh so sweet. It was like coming home. I forgot what I was missing until I used them again. The MX Red switches on my MX 3.0S sample are linear -- so not quite as clicky as the Brown switches, which are also available -- but still provide quite a bit of tactility. This is perfect for gaming, as you can get more granular feedback with each keypress.
Design
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At first glance, the MX3.0S doesn't stand out too much. Looking at it a bit closer shows off a somewhat unusual design. The bottom aluminum casing sort of wraps around the center of the keyboard from back to front, with the edges folded over to hold it up. You don't really notice unless you hold the keyboard up to look at it, but it's better than just flat sides.
The metal casing gives it a good heft, but the sides, and I assume the single gasket as well, are plastic. I'm assuming a single gasket because you can hear the springs ever so slightly as you type, as well as the hollowness of the board. It's not too distracting, but you can hear it if you're listening. The per-key RGB is nice, and there are several different available patterns. It gets bright enough that you can see all the icons on the keys, even the lower ones, so that's helpful. Even with that level of brightness, battery life on the MX 3.0S is quite impressive. Starting from a full charge, I've been using it exclusively for several weeks now with the LEDs fully on and I still have 30% left in the tank.
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