The GravaStar Mercury V60 Pro immediately breaks away from the standard gaming formula the second you pull it out of the packaging. This is a premium keyboard from the moment you begin to unbox it. , and thankfully, it backs up its style with a great keyboard that I’ve tested for both gaming and my general office and writing use here at Explosion Network.
As you unbox this keyboard, it’s like being gifted a premium set, not just a device you’ll slap into the back of your PC. There’s a sleek cover over the keyboard before you reveal the metallic, rather sexy-looking unit itself, and then you’ll find a bunch of included extras that make the set feel like the investment is even more worth it. This includes some tools, like a duster, as well as a full set of clear keycaps.
The Mercury V60 Pro is a compact 60% Hall-Effect gaming keyboard built around GravaStar’s custom UFO magnetic switches, featuring adjustable actuation, rapid-trigger functionality, and an aluminium construction that gives it a premium feel and look, making it stand out the moment I put it on my desk.
Hall Effect keyboards are becoming increasingly popular in competitive gaming thanks to features like rapid trigger and adjustable actuation points. The adjustable actuation range goes from an incredibly sensitive 0.005mm to 3.5mm — allowing you to tailor the experience to what you’re playing. In faster competitive games, the lower actuation feels almost instantaneous, meaning you’ll barely feel like you have to press a key. The higher, or deeper, actuation points make typing and general use far more controlled and better suited for typing.
Thankfully, GravaStar avoids the trap of making the software experience a nightmare. Much of the keyboard’s configuration is handled through a web-based interface, so you’re not forced to download bloated software that runs in the background all day. It’s a small thing, but it genuinely improves the overall experience and stands out compared to other keyboard brands we’ve reviewed here on Explosion Network.
The five-layer acoustic foam gives the V60 Pro a satisfying sound you’ll like in a gaming keyboard without becoming obnoxiously loud. It’s somewhat quiet, yet it provides enough feedback to remain satisfying. I’m well aware it’s an oxymoron, and yet it’s the best I have to describe the sound of this keyboard’s click-clacking.
The Mercury V60 Pro looks unlike almost anything else on the market. Between the metallic shell, exposed sci-fi aesthetic, and aggressive industrial styling, it feels closer to a collector’s piece than a standard peripheral. That uniqueness won’t work for everyone, but personally, I loved having something on my desk that didn’t blend into the endless sea of generic gaming hardware. It doesn’t scream gamer keyboard, nor does it look like something you’d see in an office. GravaStar have crafted something unique that stands alone, almost like a bespoke piece created just for your desk set-up.
The 60% layout also won’t suit everybody. Losing dedicated function keys and extra controls can take some adjustment, depending on how you use your keyboard, which games you play, and whether you want all the keys for general office use as well, especially if you’re coming from a full-sized keyboard. That said, the compact footprint frees up a surprising amount of desk space if you haven’t experienced any off-standard-sized keyboards before. And for a gaming-only set-up, it’s sometimes great to lose some of those extra keys and buttons.
(A review unit was supplied for the purposes of this article.)
