So here’s one for the gamers. Akko have just sent me their 3061 S HE mechanical gaming keyboard, and I must say I did feel a little out of my depth with this one, because of all the customisation options available to you, but they’ve done a great job in making it as simple to understand as possible. Let’s talk about it.
The Akko 3061 S HE is a small 60% mechanical gaming keyboard that’s covered and built in pretty much plastic the whole way through to keep the weight down. It measures at 292 x 101 x 27mm though there are two feet on the bottom which really do raise that height from the desk to create quite a comfortable typing angle. Being all plastic is super lightweight, which in some ways is really shocking because of the noise profile this keyboard can produce, but unfortunately compared to other aluminium-style keyboards I’ve seen lately, card in the corner, it feels a bit cheap. But don’t judge a book by its cover so far. Listen to this.

It uses Kailth Sakura Pink magnetic switches which is where this keyboard becomes interesting, because of the level of customisation that you can run through with this keyboard because of those switches and even Hall Effect sensors, because of that tiny actuation point. It’s a gaming focussed keyboard through and through, and a budget option that’s currently going after that Wooting top spot, and if you’re someone who plays eSports titles like CounterStrike 2 and Valorant, or MOBAs like DOTA or League, then keep watching because this keyboard is definitely aimed at you lot. We’ll go through it in a moment though so keep watching. The keycaps feel alright, I’ve definitely seen and felt better though they’re using PBT Shine Through keycaps with a double-shot process. They’re just a bit rougher than I’ve felt on some custom keyboards of late, but I suppose this does help with finger friction. The switches are not hot-swappable, but that’s okay because if you’re buying this, you’re really buying it for the experience Akko can give you with this tiny keyboard. It uses USB Type-C interface which I’ve plugged straight into the back of my motherboard. The advantage of this is the 8K polling rate it promises.

So let’s talk about the driver becausethere are a lot of settings here to really customise your experience with the keyboard and I must say right now this thing is a gamer’s paradise. If you’re new to custom keyboards, it might be a bit overwhelming. I must admit I was at first, but once I started getting my head around what everything meant, it was extremely simple to get everything where I liked it and actually Akko has done a great job with its software layout. The first menu you’re greeted with is a key remap menu, simple enough. But where I think most of you are going to spend the majority of your time is in the Custom Actuation menu where you can change your actuation settings on individual keys. Very advantageous if you’re playing quick games like Counterstrike 2 or Valorant where quick-tap strafing becomes a regular occurrence. There are some presets to choose from where I chose Game mode. that gave me an actuation of 0.5mm to activate and an up of 2.0mm. You can also set your press distance to trigger the key again and then a release distance to reset the key. And as I said this can all be done on a per-key basis to really customise your experience.

The menu underneath this is for your Dynamic Keystroke settings which means up to four keys can have four different functions on them based on how far you press them down. You’ve got toggle switching and mod-tapping where you can have two functions on one key based on whether it’s tapped or held, so think crouch and prone on one key. Not sure it’s a big thing for gaming but please correct me in the comments if it’s used a lot. You’ve got some macro settings you can set up, and some RGB settings, though the RGB on this keyboard is very dull and to be honest, if you’re after an all-black sleek-looking gaming setup, then I’d get it switched off. You can also set your FN functions, even though the keyboard isn’t marked for FN functions, you can remember them I suppose but that’s a lot to remember.
Akko also has a Roar Mode which I’ve never come across with other keyboards I’ve looked at before, but it could be advantageous to gamers if you’re looking for a bit more input speed. Roar Mode enhances your keyboard input speed by ensuring the fastest response from each key after activation. Now, this is only available on four keys so I have set my W, A, S and D keys on here, but if you’re a MOBA player you may want your Q, W, E and D keys for spells.

This keyboard for gaming is ideal. It’s a decent price coming in at under £100, and the level of customisation options here are some of the most in-depth I’ve seen. Maybe it’s not for all types of gamers. If you’re into Satisfactory, then it’s not going to matter whether you’re quick strafing around. But if you’re into your Warzone, your Counterstrike 2, your League or Valorant or any kind of eSports titles, oh and have been looking at an expensive Wooting, then give this a try. It’s literally a fraction of the price.