It’s pricey, yes, but I’d argue it’s worth almost every penny. Excellent keycaps, solid construction, and wonderful tactility make for an amazing board. Those quibbles aside, there’s a lot to like about the Realforce R2 TKL. Thankfully, the upcoming R3 boards will have full remapping via software. Sure, they’re fantastic to type on, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some more options to make it your own. You also don’t get any programming or macro functionality on the Realforce R2 boards, which is a shame considering how expensive the keyboards are. Barring the Realforce RGB, Topre switch stems don’t support Cherry MX keycaps, so you’re stuck with the original keycaps or one of the few aftermarket key sets. I like them a lot, and their quality makes the relative lack of customization options easier to live with.Īnd that brings us to the biggest issues with mainline Realforce and Topre mechanical keyboards: a severe lack of customization. They’re thick and have a unique key profile that’s somewhere in between Cherry and OEM. No matter what weight you choose, you’ll be typing on what I consider to be some of the best stock PBT keycaps you can find. Still, the variable-weight option is ever so slightly more relaxing on the ring and pinky fingers (provided you touch type), so it’s worth trying out if you get the chance. I much prefer uniform weights, especially for gaming, so that’s what I’d recommend. The Realforce R2 TKL comes in two guises: a uniformly-weighted version with 30, 45, or 55-gram switches, or a variable version with a mix of weights supposedly designed to be more ergonomic. You get Topre’s excellent switches, high-quality thick PBT keycaps, and a metal switch plate, all in the space-saving (and, in my opinion, aesthetically pleasing) TKL form factor. The Realforce R2 TKL isn’t just the best Topre TKL keyboard, it’s arguably the Topre keyboard. We’ll update this list once the Realforce R3 boards become more readily available in the US. Given that stock levels of the R2 boards seem relatively healthy as of writing, we’ve opted to discuss the R2 keyboards even though they’re on the way out. However, the R3 boards are currently only available in limited quantities directly from the company, making getting a hold of them quite challenging. Topre/Realforce released the R3 versions of their Realforce keyboards sometime late last year or early this year and have officially discontinued the R2 variants. Our Favorite Topre KeyboardsĪ quick note before we start. That said, we still think there’s enough variety for anyone to find the best Topre keyboard for their tastes. Since there aren’t that many Topre keyboards, treat this more as an introduction to the wonderful world of Topre (and Topre-style) boards than a true “best of” list. But this makes them incredibly pricey, and we won’t blame you for seeking some advice about the best Topre keyboard before taking the plunge. The switches have some of the best tactile feedback you’ll get on a keyboard, and they’re all built to a high standard. Topre keyboards are, in some ways, the cream of the crop when it comes to mechanical keyboards.
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