HK GAMING GK61 Review — Optical 60% Keyboard Built for Speed

The HK GAMING GK61 is the budget 60% optical keyboard that punches way above its price tag. Optical switches replace the metal contact found in standard mechanical switches with an infrared beam, which means actuation registers the instant the beam is broken. No debounce delay, no contact bounce, and roughly double the lifespan rating of standard MX switches. For programmers and fast typists, that translates to crisp, immediate response on every keystroke.

The board ships with Gateron Optical Blue switches, which are unapologetically clicky. The tactile bump is satisfying, and the click is loud enough to be heard across a room. This is the keyboard for home offices and private spaces — not for shared open-plan setups unless you actively want to annoy coworkers. The good news is the switches are hot-swappable, so swapping in optical Reds or Browns down the line takes about 5 minutes per switch with no soldering needed.

Build quality at the $25 price point is genuinely surprising. The case is sturdier than most 60% boards in this range, with no flex when you press down on the edges. The stabilizers are pre-lubed from the factory — a luxury usually reserved for $100+ keyboards. Typing has no rattly stabilizer ping, and the bigger keys like the spacebar, shift, and enter feel consistent across their travel.

RGB lighting is per-key and genuinely vibrant. The 18 included lighting effects are mostly decorative, but the ability to set individual key colors via the included software is useful for highlighting function-layer bindings — handy if you’ve remapped F-keys, arrow keys, or symbols to a layer accessible through FN. Mac and PC modes are both supported, with a toggle baked into the FN layer.

The trade-offs are mostly what you’d expect at this price. The ABS keycaps will shine over time — typical for budget boards. The optical switches are not cross-compatible with standard MX switches, so your aftermarket Cherry MX sampler pack won’t work here. And the bundled software is functional but ugly. None of these matter much in daily use.

Verdict

The HK GAMING GK61 is a fantastic entry point into optical mechanical keyboards for under $30. Fast actuation, hot-swap optical sockets, and pre-lubed stabilizers add up to a board that genuinely competes with $80 keyboards. If you can tolerate the clicky noise, it’s a steal.