The Nixeus MODA rubbed me the wrong way at first. After arriving with a busted left shift key, I took advantage of the better than average 3 year warranty. Nixeus was great in sending me out a replacement before I had to send mine back. After a little time in getting used to the Kailh brown keys and unusual F key layout, it turned into a great TKL budget keyboard.
The body of the MODA is all plastic with a solid metal backplate. Plastic accents above and below show faux "screws" that are unpainted. I'm not sure what type of look Nixeus was going for, but some may not like it. Honestly, I kind of liked it. The Nixeus logo sat atop by the USB cord in gray, but no mention of MODA anywhere on the body. The large chin is a little too small for a wrist rest but I had no problem using the keyboard. Laser engraved key caps sit atop the Kailh browns, while Nixues was nice enough to include some awesome looking blue WASD and arrow key caps, with a blue key cap puller. I still recommend using a wire key cap puller. The F keys atop the keyboard are all lumped together, with dedicated volume down, up, mute, web browser and email client keys. There is no FN key due to the dedicated keys. Sadly there is no Win lock key. Any self proclaimed gaming keyboard should have a Win key lock in some form. The included blue keys are nice and include a slight raise on the key cap and have an arrow design next to the WASD lettering. I've seen some people say if it feels like the stock key caps, then the included keys are useless, but I love the comestic look that it gives the keyboard. No backlighting is included, and strangely instead of dedicated Caps lock and Scroll lock indicators, Nixues stuck a blue LED under both keys. The key caps do not allow light through, but the light bleeds from under the caps to indicate activation. I would have much rather seen a dedicated area for the indcators, or at least a small clear plastic cutout in the keys. The larger keys utilized a Costar style stabilizer with plenty grease around the tips. The underside is lined with a grainy pattern with 4 small rubber feet, and the flip out feet flip towards the top of the keyboard and are not rubberized. The USB cord is a thick rubber and goes to a basic looking USB plug with gold plating, and a ferrite core.
The MODA was my first mechanical with Kailh browns, but I've used Cherry's browns. Off the bat, the keys felt very similar to the Cherry variety, and had a nice uniform feel to them. At a 60 gram activation, they felt nice and not too heavy or light. Kailh browns and Cherry for that matter have a slight bump in the middle of the travel. At a 4mm bottom out, they activate at 2 mm and the bump occurs slightly before that. It feels great to type on and to game. I like a tactile feel, but blues are my favorite. This key is perfect for people who game and type but don't want the noise of a blue. Reds are best for straight up gaming with a linear feedback. I noticed at first some keys didn't seem to have the bump, but slowly depressing the keys affected had the keys make the bump. It never came back after a few attempts. Typing at typeracer.com gave me a high of 91 WPM with a 0% error rate. The keyboard made a nice "clack" bottoming out but wasn't too loud. O rings could help quiet it. The gray metal back plate gave the keyboard a nice sturdiness, but it still felt light when picked up. Nixeus includes a mere 6 KRO, but this should be sufficient for most beyond the hardcore. The keyboard reports at 1000Hz.
At $54 when I purchased, this is a great no frills keyboard. No software but no other standout features beyond a unique look and blue keycaps. Nixues also doesn't offer a choice of switch types, so no reds, blues, blacks, etc. Browns are a nice middle of the road key so not many should have a problem. One thing I loved about Nixeus' box is that they promote the use of Kailh. Many manufacturers hide the fact that they are not using Cherry, but Nixeus proudly displays it has Kailh. I would rather Cherry but there is nothing really wrong with Kailh, as they have the same 50m keypresses. I would highly recommed the MODA to anyone who wants a great TKL keyboard without any of the frills.
Pros: Sturdy build quality, metal backplate, blue replacement key caps with key puller, dedicated keys not requiring a Fn key, great feeling brown Kailh's, an impressive 3 year warranty.
Cons: Unusual F key layout, no choice of switch, only 6KRO, LED indicators under non-translucient key caps.
| Brand | Nixeus |
|---|---|
| Item model number | MK-104BN16 |
| Operating System | Mac,Mac Os,Windows |
| Item Weight | 3.4 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 17.3 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 17.3 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches |
| Color | Brown |
| Manufacturer | Nixeus Technologies, Inc |
| ASIN | B01DXVUD6S |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | April 7, 2016 |
