Arbiter Studios is a new company but aims to land with a splash with its new magnetic keyboard the Polar 65. This keyboard uses a compact layout designed to maximize mouse space while offering magnetic switches for enhanced responsiveness and rapid trigger capability. At $150, it is relatively expensive compared to other 65% keyboards, but is well built, well tuned, and performs quite well.
Specifications
- Current Price: $150 (Arbiter Studio) <
- Form Factor: 65% (Number of Keys 68)
- Layout: ANSI (US) Layout
- Key Switches: Fuji - 36g Linear, Hall Effect Magnetic Switches, Hot swappable
- BACKLIGHT RGB - 16 Modes of Preset Lighting Effect
- Connectivity: Detachable Wired USB 2.0 (USB-C to A)
- Frame: CNC Aluminum
- Dampening: PCBA Silicone, Bottom Case Silicone
- Keycap: 1.3mm Thick Dual-shot PBT, KOP Profile
- Mounting Plate: Anodized Aluminum
- Stabilizer: 1x PCB Mounted with Screw-in Stabilizer (Spacebar 6.25u), 3x Plate Mounted Stabilizer (Shift, Backspace, Enter 2u)
- Polling Rate: 1000 Hz
- OS Compatibilit: Windows 11, 10
- Weight: 990g (Keyboard Only)
- Cable: 1.8M Braided USB
Arbiter Studio - Polar 65 - Design and Features
The Arbiter Studio Polar 65 Is the latest magnetic switch keyboard in a year that seems poised to make them the hot new trend. It's no surprise why. Magnetic switches allow for custom actuation points, physically enhanced responsiveness, and rapid trigger technology that allows for a dynamically adjusting reset point which can increase your fluidity in game.
The Polar 65, in particular, takes things up a notch with a custom inspired design that utilizes an aluminum case with a frosted polycarbonate bottom. This Not only adds half into real perception of quality to the product but also enhances its sound profile. It's also clear that the designers have put an emphasis on the sound of the keyboard as it lacks the usual lightweight in somewhat rattly sound magnetic keyboards typically carry.
The keyboard utilizes a 65% design, which maintains arrow keys into navigation and editing cluster along the right but removes the function row. This allows it to have a more minimalist look, be easier to travel with, and maintains more space for large sweeping Mouse movements that are prevalent in first person shooters.
It comes with doubleshot PBT keycaps, that are quite nice. In the box, you'll also find that there are alternates for the arrow keys, the Space Bar, Enter key, and Return key. These have an almost hand-drawn look to them, which gives the keyboard a bit of unique flair. They use a KOP profile, which is about Cherry Profile in height, so will feel familiar right away, but have rounded edges. The legends are centered but are crisp and look good.
You won't have difficulty finding a look that appeals to you either. The keyboard is available in a wide array of colors with both silver and black cases and multiple different themes, both light and dark, for the key caps. Two of them, Ronin Red and Kumo Blue, remind me distinctly of the GK68 models that were popular a number of years ago when custom mechanical keyboards first came back into vogue, but there’s also white and black, green and black, lilac in both light and dark themes, and teal and black. They all look pretty stylish and it’s good to see so many options out of the gate.
Underneath the key caps you will find the magnetic switches. Arbiter has outfitted these with extremely lightweight (36g) magnetic switches. They are factory pre-lubed and very smooth and have a light sound profile that is quite appealing. You shouldn't expect the level of sound quality you would receive from a higher end, and more expensive, custom keyboard, but for a magnetic switch keyboard it is quite good. One of the better ones I have tried in fact.
I have to admit that I was initially quite worried about how lightweight these switches are. They are also tuned to have a 1mm actuation point right out of the box. Put another way, they are a speed switch on steroids. But one of the high points of a magnetic switch keyboard is that you can set a custom actuation point. They were indeed too sensitive out of the box, but by using the web configurator I was able to adjust the actuation point to be low enough where this wasn't an issue. Then the lightweight springs can actually become a benefit, slightly increasing typing speed when you are really pushing to go as fast as you can.
Of course, if you don't like these switches, it is also possible to swap them out simply by unplugging them using the included tool. This selection of available magnetic switches is quite limited at this time, but there are other options out there from companies like Akko. I honestly don't think this is worthwhile, however, because the fix only takes a couple of minutes at most.
The keyboard also comes with layers of sound dampening silicone and foam. This shows that the company has been listening to the custom keyboard community, and what's become popular in that space. While you don't need to be a custom keyboard enthusiast yourself, this is a benefit because it makes the keyboard sound much better in practice. For example, the improved sound seems to be related to the silicone pad in the bottom of the case. This adds heft as well, making the keyboard seem more premium. The stabilizers are also pre-lubed, so the larger keys, which tend to be the loudest, fall right in line with the others, making for a more consistent typing and gaming experience.
So the typing experience is quite good but it's important to note that it's also very firm. This is very usual for magnetic switch keyboards because they are calibrated to accurately track travel from 0-4mm. Too much movement can result in the sensors missing fractions of a millimeter which can throw off the actuation between switches and cause problems with gameplay. As a result it uses a metal plate without much movement at all.
Even still, it delivers a customizable typing experience that I wish were possible with typical mechanical key switches. The keyboard uses an online configuration tool that right now allows you to adjust a custom actuation point, per-key or for all of the keys on the keyboard, from 0.1mm to 3.8mm. You can also set the reset point independently for each key, allowing you to flutter buttons and have them respond without needing to go all the way back up first.
The software is still in development and isn’t ready for prime time yet. You can adjust the settings above, as well as choose from an array of preset lighting effects, but there’s currently no way to remap keys. There’s also no Dynamic Key mapping, where you can tie different functions to different points along the travel distance. Key remapping is planned for the future but I haven’t yet heard the multi-action keys are on the way and will update this review to reflect if they are. Right now, you have access to all of the physical keys, as well as secondary functions for media controls, the F-row, Home, End, Print Screen, and programming in the actuation point.
Put another way, the software isn’t done but you don’t really need to use it at the moment anyway. Using key combinations, you're able to adjust the actuation point across 20 levels for individual keys or the whole key set. You can also cycle back and forth between the different lighting presets, color customize, indigest brightness and speed. Essentially, everything that the software currently offers also has a physical counterpart on the keyboard itself.
Arbiter Studio - Polar 65 - Should You Buy It?
So, the big question is whether or not you should choose this keyboard over the competition, especially since there's going to be a growing number of magnetic switch keyboards in the near future. It's a shame that the complete version of the keyboard‘s software wasn't ready for release, as it holds the potential to add value to this already good package. With that in mind, I think you're getting a decent package nonetheless. The heavy metal case and polycarbonate bottom lend this keyboard a very satisfying sound profile when compared to most of the competition in this space currently. The core functionality of adjustable actuation point and rapid trigger is also in place. This is a strong start that will only get better in time.
There's also value in the fact that this is a 65% keyboard, as opposed to the 60% layout used by Wooting. It's a more practical layout that better blends gaming with productivity, and has a significantly lower learning curve.
Overall, Arbiter Studios Has a solid product on its hands. It's great for gaming and the quality Keys make it nice to type on for work and school too. It's a bit too expensive at $150 in my opinion, and the market seems poised to challenge that price point in the near future, but many of the options I've heard about behind the scenes don't have this level of build quality either.
This will be a review that I revisit in the future. As it stands, the lack of supporting software does hinder its overall value, especially at this price point, but we know it's in development right now and even has placeholders in the existing online configuration tool. In a way, you are buying into the promise of what's to come, and whether you're comfortable with that, or if you even need remapping ability, is a personal call. Still, what's here is very good and will only get better with time.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Some articles may contain affiliate links and purchases made through this will result in a small commission for the site. Commissions are not directed to the author or related to compensation in any way.
