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 Jul 26, 2026.
Keychron's V6 Ultra HE opens Kickstarter July 22 with hybrid Nova Socket TMR+mechanical PCB; PC Gamer and others now call HE/rapid trigger baseline for 2026 gaming boards.
Score change: +94%Keychron's V6 Ultra HE opens Kickstarter July 22 with hybrid Nova Socket TMR+mechanical PCB; PC Gamer and others now call HE/rapid trigger baseline for 2026 gaming boards.
No fresh coverage this week; HMX Cloud V2 discussion holds steady as a budget hot-swap linear pick per KeebFinder listings, momentum essentially plateaued.
Score change: flatNo fresh coverage this week; HMX Cloud V2 discussion holds steady as a budget hot-swap linear pick per KeebFinder listings, momentum essentially plateaued.
ThereminGoat posted a new Gateron Lanes switch review on Patreon this month, reviving tactile-switch chatter after the initial spring launch buzz cooled.
Score change: +50%ThereminGoat posted a new Gateron Lanes switch review on Patreon this month, reviving tactile-switch chatter after the initial spring launch buzz cooled.
Oil King catalog (linear, silent linear, silent tactile, heavy tactile) stays steady in vendor listings; no new SKUs or reviews surfaced this week per gateron.com.
Score change: flatOil King catalog (linear, silent linear, silent tactile, heavy tactile) stays steady in vendor listings; no new SKUs or reviews surfaced this week per gateron.com.
MKBGuide's 2026 Cherry MX guide notes virtually every new Cherry switch now ships as MX2A, repositioning Cherry against Gateron even as ThereminGoat's dummy-switch review keeps hobbyist skepticism alive.
Score change: +46%MKBGuide's 2026 Cherry MX guide notes virtually every new Cherry switch now ships as MX2A, repositioning Cherry against Gateron even as ThereminGoat's dummy-switch review keeps hobbyist skepticism alive.
GMK CYL TA Neo group buy closed July 17, 2026 after a June 19 open per KeebFinder tracking; final-week pledges pushed interest to a close-of-buy peak.
Score change: +62%GMK CYL TA Neo group buy closed July 17, 2026 after a June 19 open per KeebFinder tracking; final-week pledges pushed interest to a close-of-buy peak.
The Geekhack interest check keeps climbing as its announced July 15-Aug 12 group-buy window opens, still outscoring both closed GMK CYL buys' peak reads with no vendor listing yet.
Score change: +58%The Geekhack interest check keeps climbing as its announced July 15-Aug 12 group-buy window opens, still outscoring both closed GMK CYL buys' peak reads with no vendor listing yet.
03
DCS Handarbeit
DCS Handarbeit's group buy wrapped July 19, 2026 (opened June 19); community chatter shifted to delivery-estimate discussion for its Q4 2026 ship window.
Score change: +45%DCS Handarbeit's group buy wrapped July 19, 2026 (opened June 19); community chatter shifted to delivery-estimate discussion for its Q4 2026 ship window.
MKBGuide and Engadget both flag 2025-2026 as the moment split layouts went mainstream, citing Keychron Q13 Max and Dygma as reference boards for the shift.
Score change: +80%MKBGuide and Engadget both flag 2025-2026 as the moment split layouts went mainstream, citing Keychron Q13 Max and Dygma as reference boards for the shift.
75% remains the default custom form factor in vendor catalogs with no major new releases this week; interest holding at a steady plateau.
Score change: flat75% remains the default custom form factor in vendor catalogs with no major new releases this week; interest holding at a steady plateau.
Ergonomic buyers increasingly skip Alice as a stepping stone and jump straight to full split, per MKBGuide's split-keyboard guide, continuing Alice's slow fade in enthusiast threads.
Score change: -48%Ergonomic buyers increasingly skip Alice as a stepping stone and jump straight to full split, per MKBGuide's split-keyboard guide, continuing Alice's slow fade in enthusiast threads.
OpenAI's Codex Micro macro pad, built on Work Louder's Creator Micro platform, fully launched July 15, 2026 at $230 per TechCrunch and Engadget coverage of OpenAI's first hardware.
Score change: +96%OpenAI's Codex Micro macro pad, built on Work Louder's Creator Micro platform, fully launched July 15, 2026 at $230 per TechCrunch and Engadget coverage of OpenAI's first hardware.
Prototypist's Paper 65 kit group buy (opened earlier this month) continues toward Q4 2026 delivery while its GMK CYL Midnight Rainbow R2 project and 2026 relaunch push keep the vendor visible.
Score change: +20%Prototypist's Paper 65 kit group buy (opened earlier this month) continues toward Q4 2026 delivery while its GMK CYL Midnight Rainbow R2 project and 2026 relaunch push keep the vendor visible.
Keychron opened $5 deposits for the V6 Ultra HE ahead of a July 22 Kickstarter, the first board mixing mechanical and TMR magnetic switches via its new Nova Socket PCB, per Notebookcheck and TechPowerUp.
Score change: +90%Keychron opened $5 deposits for the V6 Ultra HE ahead of a July 22 Kickstarter, the first board mixing mechanical and TMR magnetic switches via its new Nova Socket PCB, per Notebookcheck and TechPowerUp.
02
Wuque Studio
Wuque Studio stays quiet this week; its NAMA group buy (closed December 2025, delivery est. March 2026) has cycled out of active discussion per CannonKeys listings.
Score change: flatWuque Studio stays quiet this week; its NAMA group buy (closed December 2025, delivery est. March 2026) has cycled out of active discussion per CannonKeys listings.
Cherry's brand score keeps climbing (-24 to -18) while the MX2A switch line falls further behind (-46) — the widening gap this piece tracks: XTRFY's TMR pivot, not the mainline switch business, is what's pulling Cherry's aggregate score off its floor.
Score change: +18%Cherry's brand score keeps climbing (-24 to -18) while the MX2A switch line falls further behind (-46) — the widening gap this piece tracks: XTRFY's TMR pivot, not the mainline switch business, is what's pulling Cherry's aggregate score off its floor.