How Do You Reinvent The Keyboard? — DasKeyboard 5QS Review
It’s easy to underestimate how much quality can make the difference in something you use every day. When I agreed to look at the DasKeyboard, I knew it was high end, but now I get it — this isn’t just any old Keyboard. After speaking with him for Unwinnable, I was eager to see how Daniel Guermuer’s team has evolved the keyboard from something we take for granted to a premium item worth two hundred dollars.
The model I’ve been testing for the last several months is the Das Keyboard 5QS for $199.99 USD. It’s the second generation of the Q line of smart-keyboards, alongside the still available 4Q and the X50Q with some slight layout tweaks. It’s billed to last over 100 million clicks per-key, features customizable RGB lighting, and most importantly, integrates with the Q software to unlock additional features via plugin apps.
Before we get into the fancier side of things, I want to make it clear that, purely as a keyboard, especially one to be used while gaming? The 5QS is fantastic. So many bigger, bulkier keyboard models on the market are these cheap clunkers that actually slow your typing inputs, but not the 5QS. I can set a key off with the slightest touch. Adjusting audio with the dial is instant, and wonderfully refined. After years of having to rely on Logitech writing keyboards for proper responsiveness, there’s a hefty contender for those who yearn for the days of 90s keyboards.
And I do mean it’s hefty. You could hurt somebody with this thing. The edges aren’t sharp but they are hard metal, so be sure no little ones or pets might knock this thing over. Far as cleaning, they model comes with a key replacer tool, so you can easily lift and brush through as needed. The USB cable is a nice, sturdy fabric weave — no flimsy plastic cables here. And while the unit comes with an additional pad for your wrists to settle on, it’s completely optional if, like me, your desk doesn’t have that kind of real estate.
Finally, while I know this is a personally thing — longtime fans know I prefer Shift for refined aim and Alt for sprinting, like in the F.E.A.R. series. This can be tricky as some layout designs seem determined to either divorce the Alt and Windows home keys, or shift them over so far that your thumb doesn’t naturally rest there. I’m pleased to report that this isn’t an issue with 5QS, offering the same freedom of comfortable key rebinding without any weird gaps. The spacing in general is very well handled.
So if you’re looking purely for a premium keyboard that lives up to that description, by all means, I have to give DasKeyboard’s 5QS high marks. That said, if you’re specifically looking at the smart functionality as the main selling point, that’s where things get a bit more complicated.
In my case, I customized the colors so that the most common keys you’d use in an action game are lit up varying shades of blue — the darker, the more important. Meanwhile my F1 and F2 keys track the performance load on my GPU and RAM, respectively. The Escape key meanwhile turns emergency red whenever there’s a deal listed with the right keywords, with the links to said deals accessible within the Q app. Any of these keys could’ve been used for something else, as you’re free to bind them as you need. The only ones that require a spread are those that count up, such as telling the time with color-coded numbers or function keys.
Besides these function though, there wasn’t a ton of use for the smart functionality for me, personally. I’m not tracking bitcoins or stocks, I haven’t used Asana since leaving Dualshockers, and oddly Google refused to let me login to my Gmail, which is a shame as I really wanted that notification built in. Some relatively simple but useful features like, perhaps the keys lighting up according to your custom bindings, message notification integration, a download or internet speed tracker, or even some integrated functionality on PlayStation and Xbox would be things worth exploring in future apps and hardware iterations.
That said, the smart functionality is merely part of the package. Like I said, on the whole, this is a rock solid piece of equipment. You can see and feel the quality. Hopefully as the Q line evolves, so too will the apps that are available. What’s presented here is intriguing, but most of the apps present right now would be more useful for people working in a typical office.
Regardless, the quality of the build and the intuitive layout make a compelling case for those investing into dedicated keyboard and mouse gaming hardware.
The 5QS is available from DasKeyboard’s home website and Amazon.
Press E For Everything is an ongoing column covering all manner of geeky/nerdy topics that you can support through Patreon! Its author, Elijah Beahm, has covered games and other entertainment mediums for over a decade for sites and channels such as Unwinnable, Dualshockers, The Escapist, GameCritics.com, Boss Level Gamer, and Unabridged Gamer.
