Keychron is making a significant change to two of its popular Hall Effect keyboards, giving the K4 HE and K10 HE access to a much wider range of magnetic switches without raising their prices. The revised models now support N-pole magnetic switches and ship with Keychron’s Ultra-Fast Lime Magnetic switches as standard.
The change addresses one of the main limitations of the original K4 HE and K10 HE. Both keyboards were designed around S-pole magnetic switches and came equipped with Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula switches. While the keyboards offered Hall Effect features and adjustable magnetic switches, their S-pole compatibility restricted the number of aftermarket switches users could install.
That situation is now changing with the revised models. N-pole magnetic switches have become more widely adopted across the Hall Effect keyboard market, giving users considerably more choices when upgrading or replacing their switches. Buyers of the updated K4 HE and K10 HE can now look beyond Keychron’s own switches and consider options from manufacturers including Wooting, Gateron, TTC, OwLab, Wuque Studio, and MMD.
The updated keyboards also come with Keychron’s Ultra-Fast Lime Magnetic switches out of the box. This gives new buyers a newer switch option while maintaining the same keyboard designs and layouts that made the K4 HE and K10 HE popular in the first place.
The K4 HE uses a 96% layout, offering most of the functionality of a full-size keyboard while saving some desk space. The K10 HE sticks with a conventional 100% layout for users who want a dedicated number pad and a more traditional desktop keyboard arrangement.
There is an important distinction for existing owners, however. The new N-pole compatibility applies to the revised versions and does not extend to previously purchased K4 HE or K10 HE keyboards. Existing owners therefore cannot simply install N-pole switches into their older S-pole models.
Keychron has also kept pricing unchanged. The updated K4 HE and K10 HE cost $134.99 for the Standard Version and $144.99 for the Special Edition, regardless of the selected switch option. The revised models are available through Keychron’s online store.
- Keychron K4 HE: 96% layout
- Keychron K10 HE: 100% full-size layout
- New default switch: Ultra-Fast Lime Magnetic
- New compatibility: N-pole magnetic switches
- Original compatibility: S-pole magnetic switches
- Original switch: Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula
- Compatible aftermarket brands: Wooting, Gateron, TTC, OwLab, Wuque Studio, MMD
- Standard Version: $134.99
- Special Edition: $144.99
- Pricing: Unchanged from the previous models
For buyers considering a new Hall Effect keyboard, the switch compatibility update makes the K4 HE and K10 HE more flexible than their original versions. However, shoppers should pay close attention to the product listing to ensure they are purchasing the newer N-pole version rather than remaining stock of the older S-pole models.
