Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Drop’s legendary mechanical keyboards are finally getting an update

Monica J. White
By
A Drop mechanical keyboard sits on a dark desk, lit up with RGB lights.
Drop

There’s good news for all fans of top-notch mechanical keyboards. Drop is finally updating its range by giving its Alt, Ctrl, and Shift keyboards a much-needed refresh. With support for new switches, increased LED customization, improved architecture, and new ways to optimize keyboard sound, there’s a lot to look forward to, and a total of 10 new keyboards across three different models are up for grabs.

Drop also makes gear for audiophiles, like headphones, speakers, and amps, as well as battle stations, including chairs and accessories. However, keyboards are perhaps what the company is most renowned for, and it’s got a fairly impressive portfolio under its belt, including both ready-made keyboards and bar-bones options for those who want to build their own. Now, the company has announced exciting updates for its three most well-known mechanical keyboards.

Recommended Videos

The Alt V2, Ctrl V2, and Shift V2 keyboards will serve up a reworked PCBA (printed circuit board) to add support for 5-pin switches. Drop has also integrated the STM32 chipset to enable improved support for the Quantum Mechanical Keyboard (QMK) firmware, allowing users a greater degree of control over what each key is responsible for. VIA, which is a feature in QMK that lets you adjust your keymap without needing to meddle with the keyboard’s firmware, will be available as well.

A barebones mechanical keyboard from Drop over a fuchsia background.
Drop

If you like the unique sound of mechanical keyboards, you’ll be pleased to hear that Drop has updated its Phantom Stabilizers to optimize the sound on large modifier keys. It also added extra layers of premium foam throughout each keyboard, aiming at boosting both the sound experience and the overall performance.

Related

Customization is king, and to that end, Drop is also launching new Keyboard Configurator software to make LED customization a less tiresome affair. The keyboards will also be available with either Drop Holy Panda X Clear tactile switches or the Gateron Yellow KS3 Linear switches to let you pick what suits your needs best.

Five Drop keyboards stand next to each other over an orange background.
Drop

The new Alt V2, Ctrl V2, and Shift V2 will all be available in bare-bones and fully built models, and for the former, you can always shop for some keycaps directly from Drop, too.

These keyboards will be priced as follows:

  • Alt V2 – bare-bones: $140; fully built: $180
  • Alt High Profile V2 – bare-bones: $190; fully built: $230
  • Ctrl V2 – bare-bones: $150; fully built: $200
  • Ctrl High Profile V2 – bare-bones: $200; fully built: $250
  • Shift V2 – bare-bones: $190; fully built: $250

While there’s a lot of new stuff to be interested in, the major benefits of each keyboard remain the same. They’re constructed of aircraft-grade aluminum, come with lots of RGB options for those who love a shiny keyboard, and add USB-C ports to make connectivity a little easier. These new models sound exciting enough to eventually make it on our list of the best keyboards, but we’ll have to wait and see them in action to see how big the improvements really are.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
The Keychron S1 is a slimline keyboard with premium features
The Keychron S1 mechanical keyboard sitting on a desk.

If you’re into mechanical keyboards, Keychron will be a familiar name. The company has a large range of boards on offer, from slimline low-profile keyboards to full-size mechs that let you click and clack to your heart’s content. Now, there’s a new keyboard in the company’s stable: the Keychron S1.

The S1 combines the low-profile keys and miniature footprint of the Keychron K-series boards with the premium quality of its high-end Q-series range. As a result, you get an all-metal chassis and 1,000Hz polling rate in a svelte package.

Read more
Cooler Master’s new 65% mechanical keyboard comes with hot-swappable switches
cooler masters 65 mechanical keyboard may be what gamers need master ck270 rgb

California-based gaming peripheral brand Cooler Master just announced the CK270, the company's first mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable plug-and-play switches.

Listening to feedback from fans and customers, the company took its CK271 65%-format keyboard, introduced a few new features, and deemed it the CK270. It added preinstalled Kailh Box V2 switches, which are known to be snappy and light, that users can also swap out if they prefer to use other kinds of switches -- no soldering gun required. The keycaps themselves are made with PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), so they won't wear off from heavy use.

Read more
Why Drop’s new custom mechanical keyboard is such a big deal
Drop Sense75 keyboard sitting on a black table.

Drop is launching a new keyboard for the first time in three years, and it's an important one. The Sense75, which is available to pre-order starting today, is a 75% fully customizable board that seems destined for a slot in our roundup of the best keyboards you can buy.

If you're unfamiliar, Drop specializes in mechanical keyboard gear and audiophile equipment, but keyboards are the main draw. The Sense75 joins two other in-house Drop keyboard designs -- the Alt and Ctrl -- both of which are among the best mechanical keyboards you can buy.

Read more