Why Drop’s new custom mechanical keyboard is such a big deal

Drop is launching a new keyboard for the first time in three years, and it’s an important one. The Sense75, which is available to pre-order starting today, is a 75% fully customizable board that seems destined for a slot in our roundup of the best keyboards you can buy.

If you’re unfamiliar, Drop specializes in mechanical keyboard gear and audiophile equipment, but keyboards are the main draw. The Sense75 joins two other in-house Drop keyboard designs — the Alt and Ctrl — both of which are among the best mechanical keyboards you can buy.

Drop

The Sense75 goes further than those two previous keyboards, though. For starters, it comes with gasket-mounted switches, which are essential when building your own keyboard, and it’s hot-swappable, allowing you to easily customize each of the switches to fit your typing (or gaming) needs.

The frame is fully aluminum, as well, only broken up by thin light diffusers around the underside edge. These diffusors break up the RGB to provide a soft underglow, and Drop says they’re invisible when you sit down to type.

As with other Drop keyboards, you can also customize the firmware (either QMK or VIA), as well as adjust the RGB lighting on a per-key basis.

If you’re into the world of custom mechanical keyboards, Drop’s Sense75 may look familiar. It’s a lot like the Glorious GMMK Pro, which has been the go-to custom mechanical keyboard for about a year.

Drop seems confident it can improve on Glorious’ design, writing in a press release that it’s “a first-rate product that is an improvement on what is currently available on the market.”

Whether that’s true or not, we’ll have to wait and see. The Sense75 has the stabilizers working in its favor already, though. The GMMK Pro’s included stabilizers aren’t perfect, while the full Sense75 kit uses Drop’s own Phantom stabilizers.

Drop

Drop is at least confident enough to price the Sense75 well above the GMMK Pro. You have the option between black and e-white, which run $250 and $300 for the barebones kit, respectively. The pre-built version — which includes Drop’s Phantom stabilizers, Holy Panda X switches, and DCX keycaps — runs $350 for black and $400 for e-white.

Pre-orders are available now for the full kit, and Drop says they’ll ship out in early November. The first 500 pre-orders get a free kit of Drop’s MT3 keycaps (which normally run $130 on their own), a limited edition novelty keycap, and a carrying case. For the barebones kit, Drop says it will be available “at a later date.”

There’s a rising tide for customizable mechanical keyboards with all the bells and whistles, as evidenced by mainstream options like the Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless and Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate. Drop’s push into the gasket-mounted, 75% market furthers that, providing a relatively mainstream alternative to the GMMK Pro. If it stacks up for the premium, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Related posts

Latest posts

Dell Tech Days: Big Savings on AI-Ready PCs and More

Dell / Dell Good news if you’ve been waiting for the right time to , Dell Tech Days is offering deals that make waiting worth it. on top PCs, monitors, and accessories, plus 2x Dell Rewards. Pull the trigger and get yourself an AI-ready machine and score big on premium hardware. Savings on Products Recommended […]

I tried roaming on Google Fi and T-Mobile, this is the best

If you travel abroad frequently, you’ve probably wondered how to cut back on bill shock. We’ve all been there: you have a great vacation, get back home, and your next postpaid bill drops. Except, it’s much higher than you expected thanks to roaming charges for using your phone abroad. Most networks offer some form of […]

Updated macOS malware variant uncovered by Microsoft

Microsoft has observed a once formant macOS malware that has now began targeting Apple’s Xcode platform in a new, more enhanced variant.

Research suggests cutting down screen time can work better than antidepressants

With access to internet cut off, screen time came crashing down, leading to better mental health, improved sleep, and positive behavioral changes in users.

Google makes it harder to accidentally call 911 with your Pixel Watch

A new feature will help reduce the number of accidental 911 calls from Pixel Watches, and it's rolling out to Pixel Watch users now.

Google’s new policy tracks all your devices with no opt-out

Google has implemented the same strategy they once called wrong and subverts user choice. The tracking has begun and it's happening without your permission.

Amazon is replacing its TikTok-like Inspire with Rufus the AI bot

Amazon shut down Inspire and will be replacing it with AI shopping assistant, Rufus.

This Lenovo ThinkPad is normally $3,229 — today it’s $1,453

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 provides reliable performance from a portable body. The laptop is on sale from Lenovo at 55% off, or savings of $1,776.

Meta’s new ‘Llamacon’ event is all about open-source AI

Meta Connect returns in September but will be preceded by the new Llamacon AI conference in April.

Chase’s latest move will help cut fraud, but Zelle users may not like it

Chase Bank will be blocking Zelle payments to sellers on social media platforms and messaging apps starting March 23.