**Das Keyboard DeltaForce 65 Review: A Step Forward, But Still Falling Short**
In the landscape of mechanical keyboards, certain brands have established themselves as industry mainstays, known for their build quality and typing feel. Das Keyboard is one such name, with a history stretching back nearly two decades. However, in recent years, the company has faced criticism for failing to adapt to the rapidly evolving world of enthusiast keyboards, often relying on outdated designs and gimmicky features that offer little tangible improvement to the user experience.
The new Das Keyboard DeltaForce 65 is clearly intended as a response to these criticisms. Priced at $200, this compact mechanical keyboard is a notable departure from the company’s previous efforts. Rather than leaning on nostalgia or superficial novelty, the DeltaForce 65 aims for a modern, competitive design that appeals to today’s keyboard enthusiasts. Yet, despite genuine progress in build quality and aesthetics, the keyboard’s overall performance and software execution leave much to be desired. It’s a product full of potential, undermined by frustrating missteps that prevent it from becoming a true contender in its class.
**A Modernized Physical Design**
One of the most striking aspects of the DeltaForce 65 is its physical construction. The case is made from a lightweight aluminum that feels distinctly more premium than the plastic shells found on many mass-market keyboards, though it lacks the substantial heft of the highest-end aluminum boards. Notably, the internal assembly is carefully engineered, with three distinct printed circuit boards (PCBs) linked by ribbon cables: one for the key switches, a daughterboard for the USB-C connection, and a separate board for the control knob. This arrangement allows the USB port and knob to be securely anchored, minimizing the risk of wear or electrical issues caused by repeated flexing—a detail that demonstrates thoughtful engineering.
The DeltaForce 65 adopts a gasket-mount system, a popular choice among modern mechanical keyboards. This design places the switch plate on a flexible gasket, resulting in a subtle, bouncy typing feel. While the flex and comfort are evident, the keyboard doesn’t quite achieve the lively, responsive typing experience found on some high-end competitors, such as the Mchose GX87. Instead, the feel is muted and neutral, with a sound profile that sits somewhere between a high-pitched “clack” and a deep, satisfying “thock.” It’s inoffensive, but lacks the acoustic richness that enthusiasts often seek.
**Typing Experience: Adequate but Uninspired**
At the heart of any mechanical keyboard is the switch, and Das Keyboard has opted for Gateron Red switches here—a well-known, linear switch with a 45-gram actuation weight. These switches are light and smooth, making them a safe choice for both typing and gaming. However, they’re also ubiquitous, and for anyone familiar with modern mechanical switches, their feel offers nothing new or exciting. There’s a bit of wobble in the switches, and combined with the flex-cut PCB, this leads to a somewhat thin and plasticky sound when typing. The keyboard does include sound-dampening foam, which helps, but only partially.
Stabilizers—the components that keep larger keys like the spacebar and shift stable and rattle-free—are an area where DeltaForce 65 makes a decent showing. The plate-mounted, screw-in stabilizers come pre-lubricated, and for the most part, they do their job well. There is some rattle, particularly on the left side of the spacebar, but this is relatively easy for an end user to fix. Once properly tuned, these stabilizers should remain solid over time, and their inclusion is a nod toward a more premium build.
**Aesthetic Choices and Functional Details**
Das Keyboard has made some bold aesthetic choices with the DeltaForce 65, not all of which will appeal to everyone. The most contentious is the camouflage design of the keycaps. While the print quality is excellent—sharp, vivid, and consistent even on the sides of the keycaps—the actual design feels busy and, to some, tacky. The shapes don’t always align across keys, resulting in a somewhat haphazard look.
On the other hand, the white keycaps, combined with the white plate beneath them, have a functional benefit: they diffuse the RGB lighting beautifully. The result is a keyboard that glows evenly and brightly, with the underlying colors reflecting between the keycaps and the plate for