By This keyboard has a screen (not that it needs one), is wireless, low-profile, hot-swap, and costs a lot less than any of its popular competitors. Can a keyboard that costs less than half as much as a $300 one has all the same features? Well, no. However, you can come rather close. And it is more than sufficient if you are on a tight budget. With the Hexgears Immersion A3, a keyboard, the goal is to make flagship features much more affordable.
At $130 (and only $110 with a coupon at the time of writing), this wireless, hot-swap, RGB, screen-equipped keyboard does most of the best things that contemporary name-brand mechanical designs have to offer. Although it may seem strange to say this about a keyboard that costs three figures, it is a good deal. As one might anticipate, there are certain shortcuts taken here, and it is evident that a significant amount of white hardware is being used. At a reasonable price, it offers a lot of features.
Design of the Hexgears Immersion A3
The Immersion A3 was “influenced” by Logitech’s G915 in terms of appearance and design. It has the same TKL layout and a sleek, low-profile design with black keycaps on brushed metal. It has an additional top row with the same circular, independent control buttons. Okay, so I would not exactly describe it as shameless. It is blatant.
The small screen in the right-hand corner, which squeezes the volume control into a much smaller rocker, is the largest deviation from Logitech’s design. Right now, a lot of smaller mechanical manufacturers, including SteelSeries, Asus, and Razer, are putting screens on their keyboards.
And I will reiterate what I have said in every previous pertinent review: keyboards with small screens are stupid. They are particularly undesirable on wireless boards where battery life is limited. I can not wait for this trend to finish since using tiny screens on a gadget while staring at another screen is a poor idea.
The only way to change the lighting on the Immersion A3 is to use the rocker next to it, which is already quite simple to accomplish with the function layer. Otherwise, it is pretty much useless. Those buttons are already directly beneath the screen. The only other option available to you with this small display is to alter its language. You must use the desktop software to modify the time, even if it is set to a clock by default. What a fool!
Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL Mechanical Keyboard, Bluetooth/2.4G/USB-C Wireless Keyboard with Low-Profile Switches, Display Screen.
Since it is a white box component found in dozens of newly released keyboards, I believe that this thing is extremely limited. Just a short search on Amazon turned up five distinct ones, all from different companies, all with what appears to be nearly identical screens running the same pre-installed software.
Having said that, other than wasting physical space, this screen does not adversely affect anything else on the keyboard, which is a relief after complaining about how stupid it is. Because it is primarily static, it does not drain the battery too much even when it is turned on. Additionally, you can push the circular power button to turn it off and extend the keyboard’s battery life. It, ironically, is not your connected device’s power button or the keyboard’s power button (that is a switch on the top edge). You see? Foolish.
Features
The keyboard is fairly simple otherwise. A difficult-to-find combo, you get low-profile key switches that are also hot-swap. Although there are significantly fewer options than the normal Cherry MX-compatible switches, Kailh, the company that supplies these, is an excellent pick with a good assortment. Additionally, this keyboard is available on Amazon with clicky (grey), tactile (black), or linear (white) switches already installed. The fact that all three are available without requiring further switch purchases is fantastic.
Although they are not nearly as quiet and cushioned as the bespoke ones on the Lofree Edge, the tactile switches that come with this review device are decent. Thanks in large part to the standardized TKL layout, I was able to get used to typing on them quite fast. The cross-shaped stems will make it easy to find replacement or custom keycaps to replace the boring ABS ones here, however full-height Cherry caps are probably not going to work.
Along with the standard animation settings, you get RGB lights that are a little dim. You receive a gorgeous blue-black brushed aluminum top. I like the two keyboard feet with three changeable angles, but the plastic bottom feels a touch flimsy. Although it is a little chintzy, the trim on top near the power switch is tolerable, and I appreciate that the 2.4GHz wireless dongle can be stored inside the body.
Additionally, you might want to do so even for a mid-sized keyboard. The device weighs just a bit more than 1.5 pounds (.75 kilograms), which is surprisingly light considering its enormous 5800mAh battery, which is larger than most smartphones. You might be tempted to stuff this into a laptop bag because of that and its tiny profile. However, I would advise using a dedicated carrier first because of the sharp floating keycaps.
Hexgears Immersion A3 for Typing and Gaming
It amazed me that I used this item for a few weeks. Although it does not have the same upscale feel as low-profile boards like the Nuphy Air or Lofree Edge, it is incredibly reliable in both Bluetooth and dongle-based wireless modes. After hours of typing, I was able to smoothly transition into PC gaming without any interruptions.
Since this is marketed as a gaming keyboard by Hexgears, I should bring up gaming. Additionally, it fails to have a facility to link particular programmed layouts to particular games, which is one of my cardinal sins for gaming boards. If you care, you will need to use Hexgears’ own downloaded Windows driver program to synchronize and adjust the display’s clock. Three distinct profiles, along with the standard color adjustment and macro programming, make it functional but uninteresting.
However, profiles cannot be launched with games. I have to ding it for a gaming board that claims to be high-end, even if it is significantly less expensive than its rivals. More than a year later, the wired G.Skill KM250, which is still my preferred gaming board budget choice, can be had for less than $50. Immersion A3 is unable to.
Conclusion
I must agree that, despite my criticism of the software and the vestigial screen, this board is a wonderful value at $110 and a good deal at $130. It is a great substitute if you enjoy the understated appearance of Logitech gaming boards but believe they are quite expensive. I would suggest some silent switches and a set of low-profile PBT keycaps if you want to utilize this as a foundation for some enhancements.
To reach its low price, the Immersion A3 makes some noteworthy concessions, although none of them are insurmountable. Consider a Nuphy Air or Keychron K series alternative if you prefer a smaller or larger layout or more flexible programming.
