Akko has been a leader in pre-built mechanical keyboards for gamers and custom keyboard enthusiasts for some time now, but with the 3068 V2, it’s officially upping the game. Featuring a 65-percent layout, tri-mode wireless connectivity (including 2.4GHz Bluetooth), hot-swappable switches, and stylish black and pink custom keycaps, this keyboard comes to market at $89.99. Read on to see if it’s worth a buy!
Specifications
- Current Price: $89.99 (Amazon)
- Model: 3068 V2
- Switch: Akko CS Jelly Pink/Akko CS Jelly Blue/Akko CS Jelly White
- Interface: Wireless/Bluetooth/USB Type C
- Macro: Akko Macro V1.0
- N-Key Rollover: Supported
- Disable Winlock: Supported
- Backlit: RGB backlit
- Hot-Swappable: Yes
- Dimensions: 316*107*39mm
- Weight: Approximately 0.7KG
- Keycap Material: PBT Material
- Keycap Profile: ASA
- Keycap Printing Technology: Double-Shot
Akko 3068 V2 Wireless Gaming Keyboard - Overview and Key Features
You might have guessed from the name, but the Akko 3068 V2 is the company’s latest version of its popular 68-key layout. The new release adds exciting new features like hot-swappable switches and sound dampening foam, as well as support for Akko’s new Cloud Driver software that allows you to remap keys and take those bindings and save them to the keyboard itself.
As I mentioned in the introduction, the Akko 3068 V2 adopts a 65-percent layout. It’s a compact keyboard with the “65-percent” referencing that the keyboard is roughly 65-percent the size of a full 104-key keyboard. In truth, this is a bit of a misnomer these days as it would be more accurate to say that a 65-percent keyboard generally has around 65 keys (in this case 68).
Still, the keyboard is smaller even than a traditional TKL, chopping off the Function Row, Numpad, and the usual navigation and editing cluster. Compared to a 60-percent keyboard like the Ducky One 2 Mini, it maintains more functionality by keeping dedicated arrow keys and a selection of navigation buttons in a single column along the right side. These include Page Up, Page Down, as well as Delete and Tilde. This makes it a much better fit for day-to-day use if you complete any kind of writing where these keys may come in handy.
Akko is big on theming their keyboards to lend them unique looks. The model I was sent is the Black & Pink version and comes with black and slate keycaps with pink legends. There are also straight pink keycaps in the box in case you’d like to swap any out for accent keys. The keycaps come from Akko’s own black and pink set and they’re easily one of my very favorite they’ve produced. It’s reminiscent of GMK Olivia (Dark) without outright copying that colorway.
Akko’s keycaps are also great. They are, in my opinion, the best value caps on the market today. Akko uses a proprietary profile called ASA. They’re contoured and spherical, like SA-profile keycaps (the same that used to come on terminals decades ago), but are about the same height as the OEM keycaps you’ll find on most gaming keyboards. This makes them exceptionally comfortable to type on and avoids the hollow sound those taller keycaps create. They’re also made of doubleshot PBT plastic, so the legends are crisp and you’ll never have to worry about them shining or fading over time. The vast majority of affordable PBT keycaps are dye sublimated, which are fine, but nowhere near as good as these doubleshots.
Back to the keyboard itself and what lies under those keycaps: the switches. The 3068 V2 comes with your choice of Akko CS Jelly switches. Choices are Jelly Pink (linear), Jelly Blue (tactile), or Jelly White (linear, speed switch). I was sent the model with Jelly Pinks, which are quite close to Cherry MX Reds with their 45g actuation force. The switches are much smoother, however, and don’t have any audible spring ping like Cherries do. I am surprised at how nice they are to type on. Their smooth actuation force also makes them a great choice for gaming.
If you’d rather swap to another switch, it’s as simple as pulling out these and pressing in new ones. Such is the benefit of hot-swappable switches. It also opens the door to experimentation, which is one of the most fun parts of the keyboard hobby as new switches are coming out all the time. At the same time, you can also change individual switches should one ever break, allowing you to repair your own keyboard.
When I was pulling out switches, I also noticed that Akko included a layer of foam between the plate and PCB to dampen out typing noises. Typing on the keyboard feels fairly solid and not hollow like many other affordable keyboards with plastic cases. I was also very pleased with the stabilizers. They come factory lubed without any rattle to speak of. They’re honestly some of the best factory stabilizers I’ve used on a pre-built keyboard. Akko has done good work making this keyboard pleasant to type on.
Another interesting feature is its tri-mode connectivity. The keyboard supports a wired connection via USB Type-C (which is what you’ll have to use to program the keyboard with the Akko Cloud Driver software). In addition, it supports Bluetooth 5.0 across three devices when the wire is disconnected. You can swap between devices on the fly with a quick Fn key combination. Changing devices does take a second, but it’s only a second. There’s no long delay that will leave you wondering if it will connect or not. Battery life is decent but not the best with a moderate-sized 1800 mAh battery; if you used RGB, you’ll need to plug it in every few days depending on your use.
For gamers, I was also very happy to see that the keyboard supports 2.4GHz wireless using an included USB dongle. This allows the keyboard to connect with a 1ms response time, putting it on par with most wired gaming keyboards. You’ll need to keep an eye on the dongle, however, as there’s nowhere to store it on the keyboard itself which is a shame.
When it comes to customization, the board supports per-key RGB lighting, key remapping, and macro support through the included software package. There are a ridiculous amount of built-in lighting effects (twenty!) you can swap between with Fn key combinations, but the rest of your programming will need to be done in the software.
Unfortunately, it’s still rough around the edges. Getting programming done is simple enough, but the software isn’t as polished as other suites that have had more time in development (the Cloud Driver is still relatively new). This is especially true if you’d like to create your own custom lighting scheme. Since there’s no way to select multiple keys at a time, you’ll need to click each individual key and manually set the color. Programming a whole keyboard with a static scheme can easily take 15 minutes or more. Thankfully, many presets can be color customized, so I found it simpler to simply tailor one of the built-in effects to my taste.
Akko 3068 V2 Wireless Gaming Keyboard - Impressions and Performance
The Akko 3068 V2 Black & Pink Edition is an impressive keyboard. The Jelly CS Pink switches are surprisingly great to type and game on. I had never used an Akko switch before but these are easily some of my new favorite budget linears due to their exceptional smoothness and clacky sound profile.
Typing as a whole is sublime. Between the smooth switches, clacky sound, excellent stabilizers, and dampened case, Akko has knocked it out of the park. For $89, it doesn’t get much better than this. Take it from me — I’ve reviewed somewhere around 150 gaming keyboards now. This is impressive stuff.
To test it in gaming, I used it in a mix of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 wirelessly. The 3068 V2 never missed a beat. If I hadn’t set it up myself, you could have told me it was a wired keyboard and I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. When connected over Bluetooth, you definitely can tell. There’s the usual Bluetooth latency, so I wouldn’t use that for competitive gaming, but for casual titles, it will work fine. The connectivity stayed rock solid no matter what method I was using.
Final Thoughts
I’ve used several Akko keyboards over the last two years. This year seems like a turning point. The brand was always decent, especially with the unique aesthetics they would deliver. Akko was nothing if not unique. But, first with the MOD003 and now with the 3068 V2, I’m seeing the brand evolve. Now we’re in a place where enthusiast-grade features are being married with that excellent sense of style. It’s a winning combination. The 3068 V2 is a winner, but I’m even more excited to see what’s coming around the corner for the brand.
