A weighted weekly score across community chatter, retail availability, and editorial mentions. Row names link to their deep dive when one has been published. Updated July 13, 2026.
2026 · week29of 52
This week at a glance
biggest riser
Work Louder x OpenAI Codex Micro
+94%
biggest faller
Cherry MX2A
-50%
breakout
Prototypist
+15%
sleeper
DCS Dolch
-23%
Switches
Switch movers
RankNameScore8-wkEditor's note
01
Hall Effect/Rapid TriggerSub-$50 HE boards now common and most 2026 gaming keyboard launches ship Hall Effect/Rapid Trigger as baseline, per KeebFinder and PC Gamer roundups this week.
+91%Sub-$50 HE boards now common and most 2026 gaming keyboard launches ship Hall Effect/Rapid Trigger as baseline, per KeebFinder and PC Gamer roundups this week.
02
HMX Cloud V2No new SKUs or reviews surfaced this week; Cloud V2 remains a steady catalog staple as attention shifts toward Gateron Lanes and newer linears.
flatNo new SKUs or reviews surfaced this week; Cloud V2 remains a steady catalog staple as attention shifts toward Gateron Lanes and newer linears.
03
Gateron LanesThereminGoat published a fresh Gateron Lanes switch review this week, reviving community discussion after a quiet stretch.
+46%ThereminGoat published a fresh Gateron Lanes switch review this week, reviving community discussion after a quiet stretch.
04
Gateron Oil KingFour-switch Oil King lineup (linear, silent linear, silent tactile, heavy tactile) holds flagship status in Gateron's 2026 catalog; no new SKUs announced this week.
flatFour-switch Oil King lineup (linear, silent linear, silent tactile, heavy tactile) holds flagship status in Gateron's 2026 catalog; no new SKUs announced this week.
05
Cherry MX2ANo new SKUs since April's MX2A Dummy release; buzz keeps ceding ground to magnetic/TMR switches with little fresh MX2A-specific discussion this week.
-50%No new SKUs since April's MX2A Dummy release; buzz keeps ceding ground to magnetic/TMR switches with little fresh MX2A-specific discussion this week.
Keycaps
Keycap movers
RankNameScore8-wkEditor's note
01
GMK CYL OG ExtensionsNew "[IC] GMK CYL OG Extensions" interest check posted on Geekhack with a GB window of July 15-Aug 12, 2026, generating fresh keycap-community buzz.
+55%New "[IC] GMK CYL OG Extensions" interest check posted on Geekhack with a GB window of July 15-Aug 12, 2026, generating fresh keycap-community buzz.
02
DCS DolchOvershadowed by concurrent DCS group buys - Handarbeit (closes July 19) and Mudbeam (closed July 16) - pulling DCS-profile attention elsewhere this week.
-23%Overshadowed by concurrent DCS group buys - Handarbeit (closes July 19) and Mudbeam (closed July 16) - pulling DCS-profile attention elsewhere this week.
03
GMK CYL PandemoniumSet remains in the post-GB fulfillment queue with no fresh updates; community focus has moved to newly opened 2026 CYL interest checks.
-27%Set remains in the post-GB fulfillment queue with no fresh updates; community focus has moved to newly opened 2026 CYL interest checks.
04
GMK CYL Masterpiece R2No group-buy activity tracked this week; hobbyist attention has shifted to newer GMK CYL interest checks like OG Extensions and Classic.
-30%No group-buy activity tracked this week; hobbyist attention has shifted to newer GMK CYL interest checks like OG Extensions and Classic.
Layouts
Layout movers
RankNameScore8-wkEditor's note
01
Split/ErgoKickstarter split-ergo field stayed crowded this week: TAIKO-01 physician-designed split posted a July 2026 update alongside NocFree's HK$2.1M-raised low-profile split campaign.
+77%Kickstarter split-ergo field stayed crowded this week: TAIKO-01 physician-designed split posted a July 2026 update alongside NocFree's HK$2.1M-raised low-profile split campaign.
02
75% LayoutBuyer guides this week peg 75% at roughly 42% of compact-layout preference for 2026, with rotary-knob boards cementing it as the default first custom build.
flatBuyer guides this week peg 75% at roughly 42% of compact-layout preference for 2026, with rotary-knob boards cementing it as the default first custom build.
03
Alice layoutCoverage now frames Alice as fully mainstream ('no longer exotic') with sub-$100 budget clones saturating the category, cooling novelty-driven hobbyist discussion.
-44%Coverage now frames Alice as fully mainstream ('no longer exotic') with sub-$100 budget clones saturating the category, cooling novelty-driven hobbyist discussion.
Vendors
Vendor movers
RankNameScore8-wkEditor's note
01
Work Louder x OpenAI Codex MicroOpenAI's first branded hardware, Codex Micro (built by Work Louder off the $199 Creator Micro 2), ships July 15, 2026; pre-launch teasers drove a discussion spike this week.
+94%OpenAI's first branded hardware, Codex Micro (built by Work Louder off the $199 Creator Micro 2), ships July 15, 2026; pre-launch teasers drove a discussion spike this week.
02
Mode DesignsMode's Summer 2026 update: Sonnet/Encore return to in-stock after preorder fulfillment, Envoy gets a final-stock notice, and the Prologue 98% is teased for late summer.
+53%Mode's Summer 2026 update: Sonnet/Encore return to in-stock after preorder fulfillment, Envoy gets a final-stock notice, and the Prologue 98% is teased for late summer.
03
PrototypistHosting the KeyBoy Advance group buy (Game Boy Advance-shaped 50%, closes July 22, 2026) and teasing the Paper 65 kit, reversing last week's decline.
+15%Hosting the KeyBoy Advance group buy (Game Boy Advance-shaped 50%, closes July 22, 2026) and teasing the Paper 65 kit, reversing last week's decline.
Brands
Brand movers
RankNameScore8-wkEditor's note
01
KeychronV6 Ultra HE Kickstarter VIP reservation window (through July 21, 2026), the new 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 dock (launched July 6), and K5 Ultra 8K keep Keychron's release cadence at a brand-defining pace.
+86%V6 Ultra HE Kickstarter VIP reservation window (through July 21, 2026), the new 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 dock (launched July 6), and K5 Ultra 8K keep Keychron's release cadence at a brand-defining pace.
02
Wuque StudioConfirmed as Haimu's sole business agent outside mainland China this week; teased VANY Alice group buy and Mammoth V2/Promise V2 development stabilized sentiment.
flatConfirmed as Haimu's sole business agent outside mainland China this week; teased VANY Alice group buy and Mammoth V2/Promise V2 development stabilized sentiment.
03
Cherry (GMK parent)Cherry XTRFY's July 3, 2026 TMR-based K5 Pro Compact launch gave the Cherry brand a rare positive headline after months of MX2A-driven decline.
-24%Cherry XTRFY's July 3, 2026 TMR-based K5 Pro Compact launch gave the Cherry brand a rare positive headline after months of MX2A-driven decline.