Iqunix’s Ghost in the Shell EV63 keyboard gets high marks in review
The $249 wired gaming keyboard adds 1995 anime styling to Iqunix’s compact Hall effect EV63, according to The Verge.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Iqunix’s Ghost in the Shell Edition EV63 keyboard pairs a compact gaming-focused layout with artwork drawn from the 1995 anime film, according to a review by The Verge. The model matters for keyboard buyers because it adds a sizable design premium to a performance board built for competitive play.
The Verge’s Antonio G. Di Benedetto reviewed the special edition and gave it a score of 8. He wrote that the keyboard has strong build quality, distinctive Ghost in the Shell design work, fast gaming features and a good typing feel, while noting that it costs more than the standard EV63 and works only over a wired connection.
Price and core hardware
The Ghost in the Shell Edition sells for $249 through Iqunix, according to The Verge. That is $80 more than the regular EV63, which The Verge lists at $169.
The keyboard is based on Iqunix’s standard EV63, a 65-percent Hall effect keyboard aimed at gamers, The Verge reports. The board has an 8,000Hz polling rate and rapid trigger keys, a feature The Verge says was popularized by Wooting and is meant to help players who want faster actuation in competitive games.
The Verge says the EV63 is wired-only. The review notes that wireless mechanical keyboards are common, but says buyers looking for both Hall effect switches and an 8K polling rate should expect a cable.
Two Ghost in the Shell designs
Iqunix is selling the keyboard in two versions, called shell core and cyber blue, according to The Verge. Both use Ghost in the Shell imagery, symbols and character art, along with aluminum cases and RGB lighting programmed to match each model’s color scheme.
The Verge reports that several keys use frosted keycaps, including escape, space bar, left shift, enter and the arrow keys, allowing the lighting to show through. The review says the designs arrive around the July release of a new The Ghost in the Shell anime, but their visual references come from Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 film.
According to The Verge, the cyber blue version includes a restrained outline of Motoko “The Major” Kusanagi’s nude profile from the 1995 theatrical poster on the keycaps and bottom case. The review says the treatment is subtle on the keys because the image is split across multiple dark gray caps and uses a black outline.
Typing feel and switches
The Verge says the keyboard weighs 2.7 pounds, or 1.2 kilograms, making it dense for its size. Di Benedetto described the typing feel as satisfying for a Hall effect board, a category he says is often tuned more for gaming performance than sound or feel.
The Ghost in the Shell Edition uses KeyTok Nova linear magnetic switches, according to The Verge. The standard EV63 uses Iqunix Magnetic X Pro or Ultra switches, though The Verge said those standard switches were not tested in the review.
The Verge said the special edition EV63 produces a pleasing clack, though it does not have the deeper sound of some non-Hall effect mechanical keyboards. The review also said it sounded better to Di Benedetto than the Dry Studio Ice Ring 63 RT, while the Chilkey Slice75 HE had more of the lower-pitched sound he usually prefers.
The Verge framed the keyboard as a niche product because it combines a 65-percent gaming layout, wired Hall effect hardware and licensed anime styling. For buyers who want that mix, the review called the Ghost in the Shell models a strong execution despite the higher price.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.