Review: Das Keyboard 5QS Mark II

Das is a storied name in the keyboard world, having made mechanical keyboards that bridged the gap between productivity and gaming since 2005—before Cherry MX switches (and even mechanical keyboards) entered the mainstream. Since then, the company has introduced multiple keyboards that consistently brought new technology to the peripherals space.

With the 5Q keyboard, Das introduced customizable “Applets” that could use the keyboard’s RGB lighting to display live information. In the 5QS Mark 2, the company has furthered the technology and introduced Cherry’s new MX2A switches, which are generally an improvement over the standard MX switches Das used in the past.

However, Das’ newest model feels rooted in the past in both its design and functionality. At $220, it competes with models from Keychron and Razer that are leagues ahead in refinement, functionality, and typing feel. There's some charm to this keyboard and its classic construction, but I find it hard to recommend to any serious buyer when better options exist.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Typing Experience

The Das 5QS Mark 2 is an unusual keyboard in many ways, but the most interesting to me is the assembly. Unlike the usual top, tray, or gasket-mounting systems, the 5QS is a bottom-mounted keyboard. This means the internal assembly of the keyboard is attached to the bottom case around the edges, with sound-dampening silicone and plastic posts holding up the internal assembly.

This style is fairly uncommon today, with most budget keyboards opting for a tray mount (which supports the center of the keyboard but inhibits sound and typing feel), and higher-end keyboards choosing gasket- or top-mount systems (which both typically leave the center floating, and create a clean typing sound). The bottom-mounting system was once common in gaming-specific mechanical keyboards and has occasionally been utilized in higher-end custom keyboards. But it has slowly fallen out of favor as gasket mounting and tray mounting have become more common, since both offer improvements in sound and/or rigidity.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

The 5QS Mark 2 can be outfitted with Cherry MX2A Brown, Red, and Silent Red switches. Das sent me a review unit with its most popular option, the MX2A Silent Reds. The bottom-mount system, large amounts of silicone dampening, and the silent red switches combine to create an incredibly dull typing feel. The switches, silenced using internal silicone strips, are naturally soft and a bit mushy, and the bottom mount makes this mushiness even more pronounced when typing. The sound dampening inside the case absorbs whatever other vibrations and elements of typing feel would otherwise be present. The stabilizers are generic plate-mounted units that, despite being lubricated from the factory, still rattled, even immediately out of the box. This was also made more obvious by the keyboard’s silencing.

In the end, this keyboard’s typing feels soft and sounds nearly silent, while still maintaining some subtle higher-pitched and rattly tones that are unpleasant, but quiet enough to be covered up by headphones, earbuds, or even speakers.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Unlike many keyboards today, the 5QS does not have hot-swap sockets. This means that unless you’re handy with a soldering iron and don’t like having a manufacturer warranty, you’ll be limited to whatever switches the keyboard comes with from the factory. The Lego-like customizability offered by hot-swap sockets has gone from a novel luxury to an industry standard in modern keyboards, so being absent on this model, at this price, is somewhat disappointing. However, this does mean the 5QS is going to be marginally more reliable than a hot-swappable board, since hot-swap sockets can occasionally fail with extensive use.

Q Functionality

Das’ big selling point with this keyboard is its “Q” software, which is used to customize the RGB lighting and other functions. This can be used to apply animations and patterns to the RGB, along with modifying the individual function of each key.

The RGB can also be configured through individual “applets” you install within the main app. These can connect to external applications and website logins to display information like unread messages, alerts, and system information. Some of the more interesting ones include a four-day weather forecast, value trackers for stocks and cryptocurrencies, and price trackers for flights and video games. Besides that, there are a few timed reminder apps for small tasks like drinking water and standing reminders if you've been sitting too long.

While all of these are cool concepts, even the best ones are held back by a major flaw: RGB lights simply are not an efficient way to communicate complex information. For example, the weather forecast applet has multiple color options for different predictions, but only some of these make sense at a glance: White for snow, yellow for sun, and blue for rain. Other options—pink for overcast, and red for thunderstorms—are not very intuitive. Unless you spend a lot of time with this keyboard and adjust your daily routines to acclimate to the new system, I doubt the average person will find it helpful to play a memory game with information that is otherwise two clicks away on their computer. While other keyboards (like Razer’s BlackWidow V4 75% Pro) integrate secondary displays, this solution feels overcomplicated and underwhelming.

Even worse, if you use this keyboard in a well-lit or sunny room, the RGB lights look washed out, and it can be hard to tell the status of the applets unless you specifically look down at your keyboard. None of the lights are bright enough to get your attention when in your periphery, and there doesn’t seem to be any option for onscreen notifications unless you have the Q software open and visible.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

There are a few weird choices with this keyboard’s assembly too. The largest is the lack of a removable USB cable. Instead of connecting with a USB-C port, the device end of this cable is permanently fixed to the keyboard. At least everything internally seems robust—the metal top case is thick, as is the metal plate, and the electronics inside are all secured properly.

I wasn’t a big fan of the material choices in this keyboard. The rubberized material of the wrist rest feels unpleasant, and the outside of the knob (also rubberized) feels slightly tacky. The key caps seem to use a soft-touch coating on top of clear plastic keycaps, which creates a weirdly slick feeling when typing and has noticeable recesses where the lettering is. If you’ve driven a German car from the early 2000s, the buttons are similar. On top of that, this keyboard uses low-profile, non-mechanical buttons at the top of the keyboard. Pressing them requires you to hook your fingers over the actual keys to reach them, which is annoying, and the buttons themselves are squishy and unresponsive.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Das has opted to put a “Q” graphic on top of the knob, which is going to end up facing the wrong direction 90 percent of the time unless you specifically avoid using it. This isn’t a huge issue, but it still bugs me.

On the other hand, I like how easy it is to disassemble this keyboard. There are eight hex screws on the back and eight Phillips screws on the inside. Replacing broken switches or troubleshooting internally is easy (as long as you know your way around a soldering iron) and doesn’t require removing stickers or adhesive feet.

The wrist rest is magnetically attached, which is a nice touch, and the flip-out feet mean the 5QS can be angled at 3 or 7 degrees of typing angle. These features are pretty standard today, but they are welcome inclusions regardless.

Dated Board

Almost every aspect of this keyboard’s design feels either dated or poorly executed. It’s awkward, clunky, and feels uninspiring to type on, especially when compared to Cherry’s in-house keyboards, which retail for half the price yet manage to bring out more character and personality from the MX2A switch. Plus, these keyboards are incredibly similar internally, meaning you are mostly paying a premium for the knob in the corner, the software included, and the Das name—none of which are worth double the price.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Even if the RGB applets appeal to you, I would reconsider this keyboard. Yes, they are functional, but I found their functionality incredibly limited and their usefulness almost nonexistent. There are better solutions to every problem they are meant to solve, none of which should be solved by your keyboard.

If you want a keyboard like this one, buy a Cherry keyboard for half the price. If you're OK with this price range, buy a keyboard from Keychron or Razer for something that, while having marginally less utility in its RGB lighting, will work better and feel better to type on.