The question arises: is it time to stop buying the MCHOSE Ace 68 (A68)? That keyboard is certainly one of the best budget magnetic options available. However, the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 presents some pretty good competition. Many gamers have become familiar with options like the MCHOSE Ace 68 establishing affordable Hall Effect entry points, but the NS68 often undercuts even that, presenting remarkable value – while deals can be aggressive, its typical Amazon price hovers around a very reasonable $45.99. This isn’t just about hitting a low price point, though.
The NS68 comes loaded with the kind of performance features enthusiasts demand. You’re getting the full adjustable actuation experience, configurable down to a hyper-sensitive 0.1mm, coupled with Rapid Trigger technology that boasts adjustability down to an impressive 0.01mm for near-instantaneous resets. Add the 8000Hz polling rate for ultra-low input latency, and the hardware specs alone are compelling.
First Impressions & Build Quality
My first impression holding the NaughShark NS68 is positive. It sports a clean, understated design. The entire casing is made of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy; there’s a decent heft and rigidity to it. The specific version reviewed here is black, featuring unique side-printed keycaps with a topographic map pattern overlay. A distinctive element is the included fabric strap, branded “Naugh ShrK” with wave graphics. This strap attaches securely to a dedicated loop point on the upper left corner of the keyboard case using two small screws, providing a unique aesthetic touch and perhaps a way to carry it, though its practicality for carrying is debatable.
Looking at the physical features, the keyboard has a USB-C port centered on the back edge for its wired connection. The bottom of the case features four rubber feet for stability and two flip-out feet for adjusting the typing angle. These adjustable feet are also rubber-tipped, which is a nice touch to maintain grip even when the keyboard is elevated.
This keyboard comes in a few different flavors. Besides the black version with the special side-printed topographic keycaps, you can find a white version with the same keycap style. Alternatively, both black and white case colors are available with standard shine-through keycaps (legends on top, no topographic pattern, no side print). Connectivity-wise, the model reviewed is purely wired. A Tri-mode version (offering wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz wireless) is listed on the product page but appeared to be out of stock during the review filming, suggesting it might be available at other times.
Keycaps & Switches
The keycaps on this particular model are Cherry profile, known for being comfortable and widely popular for typing and gaming. They feel like good quality PBT plastic. The side-printed legends are clear, and interestingly, both the legends and the topographic pattern are shine-through, allowing the RGB lighting to illuminate the entire design, not just the primary characters. This creates a very cool visual effect when the backlighting is active.
Underneath the keycaps sit Outemu Peach magnetic switches. These are linear switches pre-installed from the factory. They feature a closed bottom housing design. Stability is quite decent; there’s minimal side-to-side wobble on the keycaps, which is respectable for a budget board. They aren’t the absolute most stable switches on the market, but they perform well above their price bracket. The keyboard is hot-swappable, meaning you can easily pull out the Outemu switches and replace them with other compatible 3-pin magnetic switches, like those from Gateron or TTC, if you prefer a different feel. Pulling the switches out did require a bit of effort, however. Sound-wise, the Outemu Peach switches offer a reasonably pleasant, smooth linear sound, especially considering the keyboard’s price.
Sound Profile
The overall sound profile of the NaughShark NS68 is quite good out of the box. The main typing sound is clean and relatively subdued for linear switches. The stabilizers, particularly on the spacebar, do exhibit a bit of rattle, which is common on many keyboards, even more expensive ones. However, you can feel and see that efforts were made to improve the sound. There’s visible lubricant applied to the stabilizer stems, and foam or silicone dampening material is placed underneath the spacebar and likely other larger keys to reduce hollowness and soften the bottom-out sound. These factory modifications are appreciated and contribute to a better typing experience than you might expect at this cost.
Performance Features
Performance is where the NaughShark NS68 truly aims to impress, leveraging its Hall Effect magnetic switches. It boasts features typically found on much pricier gaming keyboards. You get adjustable actuation points, allowing you to set how far down you need to press a key for it to register, configurable down to a highly sensitive 0.1mm. Complementing this is Rapid Trigger technology, which enables faster repeated keystrokes by dynamically adjusting the reset point. The NS68 allows Rapid Trigger sensitivity adjustments down to an incredibly fine 0.01mm, meaning the key resets almost instantly upon upward movement. The keyboard also features “Zero Deadzone,” ensuring immediate responsiveness from the very top and bottom of the keypress.
For raw speed, the wired connection supports an 8000Hz polling rate, sending updates to the computer 8000 times per second, which is eight times faster than the standard 1000Hz. It also has a reported 32KHz scanning rate, further contributing to its low latency performance. Advanced features like DKS (Dynamic Keystroke, allowing multiple actions on a single keypress based on travel distance), Mod Tap (different function on tap vs. hold), Toggle Key, and Snap Key (instant actuation upon reaching a set point) are also available through its software.
Software Experience
Customization is handled via a web-based driver accessible at qmk.top. Upon connecting the NaughShark NS68 (identified as NS68), you’re greeted with the Quantum Mechanical Kit interface. Here, you can manage keyboard settings extensively. Key remapping is comprehensive, allowing you to assign custom keys, create combo keys (macros triggered by multiple key presses), record and assign full macros, assign various functions (media controls, system functions, etc.), or completely disable specific keys. Multiple layers are supported, including customizing the Fn layer for secondary functions. You can also perform a travel calibration routine to ensure the keyboard accurately reads the full travel distance of each switch.
The Magnetic Switch Settings tab is where the core performance features are tuned. You can select individual keys or groups of keys (via drag select or select all) and adjust their behavior. This includes setting the actuation point (Key Trigger Stroke Settings) from 0.1mm up to a higher value. The Rapid Trigger (Full Travel Continuous Rapid Trigger) can be toggled on or off, and its sensitivity (both for the press-down trigger and the release-up reset) can be finely adjusted between 0.01mm and 2mm.
Deadzone settings for the top and bottom of the key travel can also be configured, allowing you to eliminate any unresponsive zones, even setting them to 0.0mm if desired. Additional toggles for “RT Stab” (Rapid Trigger Stabilization) and “Anti-Accidental Trigger Mode” offer further refinement. A simulation test area visually demonstrates the switch travel and actuation points.
Under Advanced Key Settings, you can configure DKS, Mod Tap, Toggle Key, and Snap Key functionalities for selected keys. The Lighting Settings tab provides control over the per-key RGB backlighting. Brightness and effect speed are adjustable via sliders. Numerous pre-programmed lighting effects are available, including dynamic options like Breathing, Spectrum Cycle, Wave, Ripple, Starlight, Stream, Shadow, Mountain Wave, Sine Wave, Color Spring, Flower Wave, Circle Wave, Colorful Cross, Snow Fall, Meteor, Snow Trace, and even one called “Kill Two Birds.” Reactive effects that respond to typing are included. You can choose single colors or use the “Shining” (rainbow) default, customize colors precisely, and even set up custom lighting patterns.
Music Follow and Light Shadow modes are listed but seemed to require a separate downloadable driver installation according to a non-English message, rather than working directly through the web interface. The interface also has options for firmware upgrades and changing the display language. An AI assistant icon is present, seemingly for help documentation. One notable absence in the web driver was an option to change the 8000Hz polling rate; it appears to be locked at its maximum setting. Polling rate tests using Keyboard Inspector software confirmed the keyboard operates at or very close to the advertised 8KHz, showing stable and accurate performance.
Gaming Performance
In gaming, the NaughShark NS68 performed flawlessly. It felt incredibly responsive, and features like Rapid Trigger and the highly sensitive actuation points made movement techniques like strafing, stopping on a dime, and counter-strafing feel crisp and immediate in FPS games like Valorant. There was no perceptible delay, and hitting shots felt accurate. The keyboard didn’t hold back performance in any way; it delivered a top-tier gaming experience. The built-in SOCD (Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Directions) cleaning worked correctly, ensuring clean inputs for movement.
Daily Use & Typing
For everyday use, like browsing the web, typing documents, or general work, the NaughShark NS68 was perfectly comfortable. The 68-key layout provides essential keys, including arrow keys, while remaining compact. The standard layout means it’s easy to adapt to, and the Fn layer combinations for accessing missing keys (like F-row keys) are intuitive and customizable via the software if needed.
The typing experience was pleasant, though the slight spacebar rattle was noticeable during general typing more than in gaming. I did encounter a minor instance of the spacebar double-clicking, but this only occurred when using my highly sensitive gaming profile with extremely low actuation and Rapid Trigger settings. Switching to a less sensitive profile or simply adjusting the spacebar’s sensitivity individually resolved this easily, so it’s not a fundamental flaw but rather a side effect of pushing the sensitivity to its limits.
Final Recommendation
Now, let’s talk value. The NS68 is often on sale for around $39.99. A special, limited-time discount code (NS68, mentioned as limited to 30 pieces) brought the price down to an astonishing $29.99 during the review period. Even without that specific code, using a general discount code like MIGSS (providing 6% off) results in a price of about $37.59 for the base model. Adding the side-printed keycaps adds about $4. Comparing this to the MCHOSE Ace 68, its cheapest configuration typically lands around $47.53 using the MIGSS discount code. This means the NS68 can be anywhere from $10 to nearly $18 cheaper than the A68, depending on the active discounts and chosen configuration.
If you are working with a very tight budget, the NS68, especially if you can snag it for $29.99 or even $37.59, is undeniably the cheaper option. Another factor could be shipping costs, which vary by region; you’d need to check the final price for both keyboards delivered to your location.
So, should you stop buying the A68? Not necessarily. The A68 might still appeal to some due to potential subjective preferences for its slightly different build or sound profile (though both are plastic and sound is very preference-based). However, the NS68 offers virtually identical high-end magnetic switch features (8KHz, 0.1mm actuation, 0.01mm RT, advanced software functions) at a significantly lower price point. The value proposition of the NS68 is incredible. You’re getting a fully-featured, high-performance magnetic gaming keyboard for potentially under $40, or even under $30 with the special discount. It performs like keyboards costing two or three times as much. Given the features, performance, and aggressive pricing, the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 is an amazing keyboard that’s very easy to recommend, presenting a serious challenge to other budget magnetic keyboard options.
