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Monsgeek and Akko have the same parent company and they both focus on more budget-friendly keyboards but still bring the latest tech in thegamingkeyboard industry. TheMonsgeek FUN60 Ultrais a prime example of that, as it boasts features that you would expect from a premium keyboard, but at a more digestible price point.
The FUN60 Ultra, as the name suggests, is a compact 60% keyboard that comes with magnetic switches, a heavy-duty chassis, and plenty of customization to suit a wide range of gamers.
What’s In The Box?
There’s nothing special about the unboxing experience and the basic packaging reveals the FUN60 Ultra keyboard, the weight of which becomes apparent as soon as you take it out of the box. Its compact size would give you the impression that it weighs next to nothing, but it is deceptively heavy, and that’s a good thing. Besides the keyboard, you get the regular accessories and a single sheet of paper that is the user manual, more on that later.
Specifications and Features
Powered by a 32-bit Cortex M4 processor, the Monsgeek FUN60 Ultra boasts the latest features that you would expect from a top-tier gaming keyboard. It is a hot-swap keyboard and what’s great about it is support for not only five different third-party magnetic switches but also 5-pin mechanical switches. This opens up the customization options quite a bit.
The PCB is tray-mounted, which gives it a bit more stability and a consistent typing feel. It has lubed stabilizers, so there’s minimal rattle and a softer click sound. As the name suggests, it is a 60% keyboard, which means there are no arrow keys, navigation keys, or function row, but more on that in the performance and usability section. The FUN60 Ultra uses PBT shine-through keycaps, and the letters are big and legible. It is backed by a4000mAh batterythat charges via USB Type-C.
My white review sample came with theAkko Glare Magnetic Switchthat has 3.4mm of total travel, 25gf operating force, and a 40gf actuation force at 2mm travel. It is a hot-swap keyboard, but it only supports five third-party magnetic switches.
Design And Build Quality
The compact design of the Monsgeek FUN60 Ultra allows for more space on the desk for mouse movements. A lot of gamers prefer 60% keyboards because of this very reason, and that’s the audience Monsgeek is targeting with the FUN60 Ultra. Structurally, there isno creaking or bendingat all, and it feels like a solid block of metal and plastic. The left side of the body has a Wooting-style strap attachment slit, but no strap is included in the packaging.
I did notice that the left Shift key sits a bit taller than the right one, but other than that, no complaints about the build quality. The larger keys, like the Space bar and Shift keys, feel balanced with almost no wiggle.
The USB Type-C port is located on the top left side of the keyboard and there are no buttons anywhere, giving it a minimalistic look and feel. But, since it is a tri-mode keyboard with Windows and Mac compatibility, the tiny toggle to switch between Windows, wired, and Mac modes is located under the Caps lock key.
There areno adjustable feet at the bottomto raise the keyboard for a more ergonomic position, but there are rubber grips that keep it locked in place.
Software
There is no mandatory software needed for the FUN60 Ultra and all the customization can be done through aweb driver. It is easy to use and offers a lot of customization options, including setting custom actuation for each or every key. There is a simulation setting for when you want to test out the custom actuation, which is pretty neat. The macros, function layer, Rapid Trigger, Snap Tap, RGB lighting, and all other features can be personalized through the web driver.
The first time you open the web portal, it will ask you to download a driver for the OS you are on that allows it to recognize the keyboard. Once done, you get full access to all the settings and features that take effect instantly. For some reason, the user log-in did not work on Windows but worked on macOS.
Performance And Usability
When it comes to gaming on a Windows PC, the Monsgeek FUN60 Ultra delivers on what it promises. The magnetic switches respond well to quick inputs and the endless customizability with the adjustable actuation, Rapid Trigger, Snap key, dynamic keystrokes, and Mod-tap lend to a highly personalized gaming experience. It frees up a lot of space on the desk, even compared to a TKL keyboard that I was using before this one came in.
As for battery life, even with the RGB lighting turned off (0 brightness), the keyboard did not last as long as I’d hoped considering the 4000 mAh capacity. Granted, I used it via a 2.4G wireless connection on both the Windows machine and the MacBook, which would draw more power, but still, it ran out after less than two days of not-that-heavy use.
Furthermore, I experienced an interesting bug while typing out this review using the FUN60 Ultra. There are several combinations of keys that you may use for different functions, such as changing the RGB modes and brightness, switching from 2.4G to Bluetooth and switching between the three paired Bluetooth devices, as well as checking the battery level, among others.
While working on the review, and having the RGB lighting on, the battery fell below the 30% mark, which is when the Esc key starts to blink red. Shortly after, the keyboard stopped taking inputs and, for some reason, started taking Backspace as a continuous input, which then started deleting what I had typed out. Having no on-off button anywhere sent me into a panic and I immediately connected the USB-C cable, which fortunately stopped the undoing of my review.
Monsgeek FUN60 Ultra
The FUN60 Ultra from Monsgeek is a compact 60% gaming keyboard with magnetic switches that are hot-swappable. The keyboard supports an 8K polling rate, tri-mode connectivity, RGB lighting, and comes with a 4000 mAh battery. It comes in black and white colors with a CNC aluminum chassis that is well-built. The FUN60 Ultra features the latest features such as Rapid Trigger, custom actuation, Snap tap, Mod-tap, and more.
Then, the Backspace key stopped working, so I gave it some time to recharge, and everything was back to normal after that. Looks like a random isolated bug that I hope doesn’t occur again when the battery is about to die.
For someone like me who used the FUN60 Ultra with a MacBook for work as well as with my Windows machine for gaming, the transition between the two was not as seamless as one would hope. To maintain a minimalistic look, Monsgeek decided to not have any buttons on the outside, so the only toggle switch is located under the Caps lock key. This means every time I wanted to switch from Windows to Mac, I had to use the keycap puller to take the key off, switch to the correct mode, and then get to using the keyboard.
Another quirk of 60% keyboards and the lack of arrow keys is that you need to use a function layer for those inputs. So, I had to assign Fn+WASD for the arrow keys, which made the keyboard more usable for work on the Mac. However, I was forced to use the 2.4G connection on the Mac because, with Bluetooth, you cannot use commands that involve a combination with the Fn key. Monsgeek told me that it is a macOS issue and that it only recognizes standard Bluetooth HID profiles, which disables all custom commands. The team at Monsgeek did reach out to Apple to find a solution to this issue, but that didn’t work out.
But to be fair, even though the keyboard has Mac support, meaning the Alt and Windows keys switch to Cmd and Option keys when in Mac mode, it is not targeted towards daily work use. It is targeted towards gamers with all the features and customizability options they would need. And at that, it performs quite well.
Pricing And Final Thoughts
At just$90($95 on Amazon), the Monsgeek FUN60 Ultra offers great value for gamers, both casual and competitive. At this price point, getting magnetic switches with the latest tech in the gaming keyboard industry is an excellent deal. It is well-built, has tons of customization, and allows for extra space on your desk for sweeping mouse movements. There is no need for any software as the web interface takes care of everything. Other than the average battery life, the bug I mentioned, and the not-so-seamless switching between Windows and Mac, the FUN60 Ultra is a great compact wireless keyboard for gaming.
