California-based gaming peripheral brand Cooler Master just announced the CK270, the company’s first mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable plug-and-play switches.
Listening to feedback from fans and customers, the company took its CK271 65%-format keyboard, introduced a few new features, and deemed it the CK270. It added preinstalled Kailh Box V2 switches, which are known to be snappy and light, that users can also swap out if they prefer to use other kinds of switches — no soldering gun required. The keycaps themselves are made with PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), so they won’t wear off from heavy use.
The chassis has gained some welcome additions as well, such as new pre-lubed Cooler Master stabilizers for smoothness and stability, and silicone padding on the PCB and bottom plate to produce more satisfying key clacks. For quicker access to the innards for routine maintenance or changing up the switches, the CK270 also offers a removable aluminum top plate.
On the top right-hand corner sits a three-way dial, which according Cooler Master, provides tactile controls that can be customized via its MasterPlus+ software. The software also allows the user to create and fine-tune macros, customize the RGB (16.7 million color palette) and lighting modes for either each key or the entire keyboard, and adjust more in-depth settings.
“We’re huge fans of custom-built mechanical keyboards ourselves, so we wanted to make sure the CK720 is a great steppingstone into the hobby, said Dennis Liu, peripheral general manager at Coolest Master. “Whether you like smooth linear switches with maximum thock, or a sharp tactile typing feel with a marbly sound, the CK720 has the ability to achieve it.”
The USB-C-powered CK270 is available right now. If you’d like to purchase one or find out more information, visit the Cooler Master website.