I wouldn't call myself a keyboard expert, but I've taken part in a number of tests over the past few months and I'm very interested in the field. While typing experience is definitely the most important thing, I love products with interesting design, and on the IFA 2024 show floor in Berlin, I noticed a relative newcomer called Dark Project.
The company has some really interesting keyboard designs and ideas, and the keyboards also seem to be great to type on.
Some of the coolest keyboards ever
Inspired by Japan, the earth and nature
Right off the bat, Dark Project has some of the coolest keyboard designs I've ever seen. The current lineup on the company's website already has some great models, including the DPO 87 Fuji, a Japanese-inspired keyboard with beautiful red and black keycaps. I saw this model at the show and it looks amazing, but there are plenty of other great options.
But of course, the focus of the show was on the company's upcoming products, with particular attention to the Terra Nova and Terra Nostra models. These keyboards both have full metal bodies, as far as I can tell, and the design was clearly the focus. Dark Project took some time to show me the packaging of the Terra Nova, which is heavily inspired by the Earth and the solar system. Unboxing the keyboard, you see images depicting the formation of the planet. Then the keyboard itself is littered with designs depicting all sorts of little things related to the Earth and its surrounding elements. It's really cool to look at. And underneath the keyboard, you'll find an engraved design showing all the planets of the solar system.
The Terra Nostra model is similar in its design, but the theme focuses more on life on Earth and nature in particular. You'll see more landscapes here, and the engraving on the back shows a mountain range surrounding a lake. It's beautiful.
Another product that caught my attention is a product that the company says doesn't have a name yet, but has a very interesting aesthetic. It's an all-metal body and the design is made to look like a tool. It's heavy and looks like one, with a metallic gray base with indentations on the sides. It's available with just regular printed keycaps, but there's also a version with 3D keycaps for some of the keys, which really adds to the look of the keyboard. It also has a volume control and a screen, although the display was off on the units I saw.
This new line of keyboards will launch later this year, probably in November or December according to the people I spoke to.
Something else that Dark Project brought to the show was the idea of a more modular keyboard with a number pad that can be magnetically attached to either side of the letter keys. In fact, you can put one on each side, which is aimed at programmers and other users who need a lot of keyboard shortcuts. However, this is just a concept and interest in this idea is still being gauged. It is worth mentioning, however, that the number pad can also be connected to a PC via USB, giving you the option of using it attached or detached from the main keyboard.
The typing experience is important
Dark Project makes its own switches
I didn't have much time to evaluate the typing feel on these keyboards, but the company did tell me about the in-house switches it uses in its keyboards, called G3ms. From what I could find out, the models currently available feature the G3ms Sapphire switch, which is linear, although the company had many more switches at its booth, many of which were also linear.
The company representative at the booth actually told me it was surprising that more keyboard manufacturers didn't make their own switches. Apparently it's not that hard, a statement I wasn't expecting.
Another aspect of the typing experience that really caught my eye was the PCB mount. Instead of a standard gasket mount where the PCB is attached to the base with screws, these keyboards use a flexible mount, meaning the PCB is held in place by springs. This allows the PCB to more easily absorb the shock of typing on the keys, as you're not slamming into the base (of course, many gasket mounts also have shock absorption systems).
What's particularly interesting, however, is that the unnamed keyboard I mentioned in the section above even lets you adjust the mount using some dials on the bottom. This way, you can tailor the experience specifically to your tastes, which is a fantastic idea.
There are also some crazy collaborations
I hope we can buy these
In addition to the models that Dark Project plans to release, the company also presented some crazier designs in collaboration with a company called Black Rock. These products are not for sale, but they are also the most interesting visually.
My favorite is probably this model with wood trim around the frame and keycaps in very nature-like tones like brown and green. It looks absolutely stunning. There was also a model with keycaps that were painted with sea motifs on the top but were mostly transparent, which was also very cool. And for a slightly more unique twist, there were a few keyboards with very colorful keycaps that used the Comic Sand font for the lettering. My favorite of these was this purple keyboard where the casing almost looked like it was made of glass or some kind of acrylic. This model would definitely stand out, although the aesthetic might not be everyone's cup of tea. There was even a palm rest that actually had some liquid in it.
I would love to see them all for sale though, even though they are made to order and are insanely expensive. They just look interesting.
All in all, Dark Project had some really cool products at IFA 2024. Buying them outside of Europe might be a challenge right now, but I imagine the company will expand pretty quickly.