You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/ultimate-hacking-keyboard-v2.2287/

Back in 2019 I took my first step into what I still consider to be an incredibly exciting world: the world of split mechanical keyboards. Despite being my first steps I was entirely enthralled out of the gate, praising the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard for its comfort, software, typing experience, and ease of use. Roll on 2023 and we’re back to look at its latest iteration, but just what have Ultimate Gadget Labs changed to make this one worth a second look?

Let’s Get the Basics Down

For those who missed my original review, allow me to get you up to speed on exactly what the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard is. The UHK is a split keyboard powered by open source software designed to be ergonomic and improve productivity. I praised it for the relative ease of adaptation, great software, and impressive customisation choices at checkout, and kicking off our look at the V2, I’m glad to see these things really haven’t changed.

Looking at the site, you get the choice between eight switches, eight layouts (these made up of different keycap sets for ISO and ANSI), and five case colours. That’s 320 different configurations to pick from depending on your needs if I’ve done my maths right, but that isn’t where it ends for the V2. Now featuring hot-swap sockets, you’re able to take your board further or just change your mind as to how you want to type on it down the line without having to disassemble the board and desolder the switches. While I enjoyed the Cherry MX Clear switches I had in my V1 board, I do wish I could’ve swapped these out after a year or so of use if only to refresh the board a little. With the V2 I decided to do this out of the box to create what I would consider my Ultimate UHK.

Starting with Box Red switches on a UK layout board with a white case, I went out of my way to get this looking and feeling as good as I possibly could. But there were a few things worth noting when I started this journey. First of all, the V2 board now features per-key RGB lighting. This pairs incredibly well with the included shine-through keycap set, but the keen-eyed among you will notice that these are north-facing RGBs. These do have their benefits in generally giving a better shine-through lighting effect, but this comes at the cost of keycap compatibility, with Cherry profile keycaps having a few issues. The RGB lighting is indeed really clear, and it is at least utilised well by the default keyboard configuration to justify its north-facing nature. For those new to the UHK experience, this lighting is a great asset in adjusting to the layout and the numerous layers function layers the keyboard has.

Unlike most keyboards that might just have a function layer, the UHK makes the absolute most of its 60% layout by coming with three: function, mod, and mouse. How this ties into the RGB is that keys that are mapped on each layer will light up differently while their appropriate key is being held, giving you meaningful visual feedback as you adjust. Most of these keys also show their default additional functions on the south side of the keycap, so you have that to fall back onto as well. Having used the V1 UHK on and off for more than three years now, I opted to forego the back-lighting and go so far as to replace the keycaps with something a bit brighter to match the white frame. For those curious, these are the DSA profile Magical Girl keycaps from Mintlodica in the Millennium colour scheme, and I have to admit I didn’t quite do enough research into the unique keycap sizes the UHK requires. With a good chunk of keycap profiles, you’ll find each row is angled a certain way, usually giving you a slight V shape from the side. Generally this isn’t an issue, but because the UHK has an unusually short 1.5U backspace key and 1.75U return key, you might struggle to find keycaps that fit both the row and width. On top of this you have two less common 1.75U keycaps required for the spacebar. In short, I got lucky. DSA as a profile is uniform. This means that any keycap will happily occupy any row of the keyboard without sticking out weirdly. Because of this profile, I also had ample 1.75U keys that could fill the spacebar slots, and every other key I could have needed to populate the board. It did take a little getting used to having concave spacebar keys, but it was a quick adaption. I really love how it turned out.

While I was uprooting the keycaps, I also made the decision to put in my own switches, opting for Gateron’s Ink Black V2s for a heavy linear keypress. I had already made this decision prior to the board arriving and had these at the ready, and installing them was as simple as using the included keycap and switch puller to remove, you guessed it, the keycaps and switches, and putting the new ones straight in. Thanks to the hot-swap nature of the board, this was an incredibly simple endeavour. I will admit I was quite surprised at how nice the Kailh Box Red switches were that came with the board though. While they were a little lighter than my general preference with a 50gf actuation force (vs 60gf for the Ink Black Vs2), they were smooth out of the box and genuinely a joy if you’re a linear fan. They’re currently sat in a box and I plan to put them into a cheaper custom build down the line.

The Price of Making it Mine

I really appreciate how simple it was to make this keyboard my own, but it does go to highlight a missed opportunity for Ultimate Gadget Labs in their lack of a barebones kit for the UHK. For those like me who are going to be spending £100+ on a nice set of keycaps and a further £50 or so on switches, it’d be nice to have the option to save some money when buying the keyboard for parts we might not actually need. Unfortunately this isn’t something that’s going to change due to the switches being used to test the keyboards at the end of the assembly process, but it’s a shame all the same. At $320 this isn’t a cheap keyboard, and being able to knock even a little off that would naturally make it more appealing.

There is still more to talk about though, because $320 will only get you the keyboard. Like the original UHK you’re going to have to pay an additional $75 if you want the attachable beech wood palm rest, and I would call this an essential part of the keyboard if you’re planning to use it tented. While it does cost a chunk, I can at least vouch for its quality and comfort over extended periods of use. The palm rest I have for my V1 UHK has stood up well over time, and though it’s scratched a little, it’s still doing well.

The tented layout, if you weren’t familiar with the terminology, is having the keyboard raised in the centre. This is something that’s only really possible on a split board and allows for your hands to rest incredibly comfortably on it. Thanks to the easily-detachable feet though, you are able to swap between layouts really quite fast. If for example you decided you wanted to join the keyboard halves together and use a positive tilt (what you see on most standard keyboards with the back raised), it’s as simple as twisting the feet out, and twisting them into their new position. It takes a minute at most and is really seamless, especially when compared to the V1’s feet that required screwing in. This is a keyboard that gives you a really good number of options, with both positive and negative tilting possible if you’re not ready to try the tent just yet. These options go beyond the physical though, with the driver software only improving since we last looked at it.

The Software Behind the Keyboard

Much like in 2019 this driver software is completely optional, with any changes made saving onto the keyboard itself instead of requiring a background process. This is already a win in my books, but it’s only made better by how easy to use and powerful this software actually is. UHK Agent is the standard keyboard driver software should aspire to, and it elevates what the UHK itself is capable of immensely. You have all your basics presented cleanly and in a way that’s easy to use. You can create macros, you can swap out what keys do, you can update the firmware, and you can also configure the lighting. The board comes with a considerable 32 MB of internal storage, so you have a good degree of freedom to add lengthy macros or a huge number of keymaps to swap between as you see fit. With the default configuration of six full keymaps and three simple macros, you’re looking at about 4.5 MB of space being taken up. By clearing out unused keymaps (assuming you won’t be swapping between Qwerty and Colemak frequently) that goes down to just 0.9 MB, with your used space showing up in the Configuration page of the software.

While this is a 60% keyboard and is on paper lacking a number of keys you might find useful, UHK Agent gives you incredible power in just what you can map. I the three standard function layers earlier in the review: Fn, Mod, and Mouse. Put simply, Fn gives you media controls, Mod gives you your F row and a myriad of missing keys (arrow keys included here!), and Mouse allows you to control your mouse using the keyboard, with things like mouse speed again configurable in UHK Agent. You get a lot out of the box, but should you be craving more, UHK Agent will allow you to assign up to 11 total function layers within one keymap. I can’t fathom why anybody would need so many, but when it’s rare to see more than one in most pre-built offerings, it’s something definitely worth mentioning.

I really appreciate the simplicity in mapping modified keypresses too. Where, as mentioned, the Mod layer transforms the number keys into the F keys, I realised I didn’t really want F4. All I, and likely anybody else, uses F4 for is closing apps by holding Alt down at the same time. So I just changed that. Now Mod+4 is the same as me pressing Alt+F4. It’s as simple as adding a modifier to it and saving it to the board. The default layout is something I would recommend people stick to for the most part to learn the ropes, but once you’re comfortable you have so much power at your fingertips.

Living my Best Modular Life

There is yet more to talk about however with the long-awaited release of modules. For those with great memories (or who decided to read my V1 review prior to this one), you’ll remember my excitement for these all the way back in 2019. Each keyboard half features a rail and set of pogo pins, and it’s on these you can mount one of the unique UHK modules. On the left half you can add a cluster of three keys, while on the right half you can pick between a trackpad, trackball, or trackpoint. Put simply, these are everything I hoped they’d be, with the trackpoint being my module of choice to provide an incredibly intuitive and easy to reach mouse from the comforts of the keyboard. Much like the rest of the keys, you’re able to customise both the key cluster keys and the functionality of the mouse clicks via UHK Agent should you wish to change it. The mouse modules also allow for both vertical and horizontal scrolling by holding the Mod key while using them. Coming from a trackball mouse anyway, I didn’t really feel a learning curve with these and have really had a blast using them. It’s worth adding too that these modules are entirely compatible with the V1 UHKs, which is really good to see for those who might have bought that module on the promise of them. My only real fault with them is that they don’t come in colours to match the casing options, but after using the keyboard for a month or so now I’ve come to like the contrast of the black more than I had originally expected to. These modules, much like the rest of the keyboard, aren’t cheap. At $65 apiece you’re adding a lot of money to an already-expensive board, but I would recommend picking up one of the mouse modules all the same if this board does interest you. It’s been a huge part of what makes this keyboard stand out from its predecessor to me.

Moving onto a few more rapid-fire upgrades from the V1, we now have a new braided cable to connect the keyboard halves, a white light on the layer text window on the top of the left half, and a USB C connector as opposed to the V1’s Mini USB. You’re also covered pretty well if you lose or break a part of the keyboard with Ultimate Gadget Labs selling replacement feet, switches, keycaps, cases, cables, and even plates. It seems the only thing they aren’t selling is a new covering for the display, which I may have mistook for a screen protector and peeled off slightly. Live and learn!

Closing Thoughts

To cut to the chase, do I think the second iteration of the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard is worth buying? 100%. Do I think this is going to be a keyboard for everybody? No. Split keyboards in themselves are a niche, but for those already deep into the mechanical keyboard world and wanting a unique and powerful split option, I honestly cannot imagine something topping this, especially if like me you enjoy the standard staggered keyboard layout over something more touch typing-oriented.