Epomaker Teases Hack70 Ortholinear Mechanical Keyboard

Hot on the heels of the launch of the Epomaker HE 75 V2 and F108 Pro V2 keyboards, the keyboard maker has shown off the Hack70 as an upcoming mechanical keyboard, offering a larger version of the ortholinear layout that featured in keyboards like the Luma40. The Hack70 has yet to be officially announced, but the keyboard has been teased in a number of social media posts and a recent unboxing livestream to the brand's YouTube channel. The Hack70 has not yet been announced, but the only other keyboard in the Hack line-up is the HHKB-style Hack59, which comes in at $69.99 on Epomaker's online store, so pricing may be somewhat similar for the Hack70. What few details can be gleaned from the aforementioned livestream suggest that, although it is a niche product, it will likely be on the more affordable side and appeal to those who want to dip their toes into ortholinear keyboards without diving into hyper-niche DIY builds or in-depth customization.

The Hack70 will have tri-mode connectivity, meaning USB-C wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz, and it will have a plastic case with two-stage flip-out feet and a polycarbonate gasket mounted plate, judging by the included sound test. In case you're unfamiliar, an ortholinear layout—where the keys are aligned in a perfect grid, unlike the traditional row-stagger—supposedly eliminates diagonal finger movements, potentially reducing finger strain and increasing typing efficiency—although the latter is hotly debated. Similarly to the Keychron Q15 Max, the Hack70 veers away from traditional ortholinear keyboards by including more conventional 2.25u and 2.75u split spaces. The Hack70 will also be hot-swap compatible with 3- and 5-pin MX-style mechanical switches, with Epomaker Creamy Jade switches installed by default, by the looks of things, and it will have per-key RGB backlighting, although it will lack the shine-through keycaps of the Luma40. The Hack70's keycaps, which look to be dye-sublimated PBT, will be uniform height, using the XDA profile, thereby giving users the flexibility to test out different layouts or create a macro pad by moving keycaps around freely. The presenter in the unboxing livestream comments that there will be a .JSON file on the product page, suggesting that the Hack70 will be programmable in VIA.