Part of the fun of building your own computer is the ability the personalize it. There are a wide variety of mice, tons of keyboards, countless options for parts, honestly too many mousepads and even things like wrist rests. Among the most underrated elements is keycaps. For some mechanical keyboard personalization is a lot of fun, whereas others view it as a way to make their workspace their own. Among the many options is Aukey’s Fortnite keycap collection. With a wide variety of fun designs and accessories, is it a must for fans or is it trying to ride on a gimmick?
At first glance, Aukey kept with their simple and to the point packaging. This time it’s a box with their logo on it in all black, but inside, it’s oddly well presented. Having seen offerings from Ducky and reviewed multiple keycaps from HyperX, both of which largely use tight plastic on cardboard to hold things in place, Aukey put every keycap in fitted foam. Not only does this present really well, it makes it super easy to know where each cap is, put them on a keyboard and more. They also included all the accessories you could want below, making it really stand out.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the keycaps. While the set is only $20 for the full 104 keys needed to replace a full size keyboard, only 30 have a top facing design. All designs match what you’d expect from Fortnite and mimic the default functionality in-game. For the remaining 73 keys, you get a black keycap that has the function on the front facing bottom of the keycap. Enough to see the function, assuming you need to actually look at your keyboard to know said function, though not as attractive for anyone using a nice RGB or wants their keyboard to really stand out.
It goes without saying you can get around this by simply opting to use the keys you like. It’s just a shame for anyone trying to minimize clutter or just want to replace specific keys for their Fortnite board.
As for the designs, they manage to be charming without being overly complicated. Even without the spacebar it’s obvious these keycaps were designed with Fortnite in mind and it stands out in a fun way that, given the price, stands out in terms of novelty.
Unsurprisingly, given how the keycaps were made, they’re ABS over PBT, meaning they’re less durable and can get things like shine. Because of the way they’re made, keycaps with a design have a certain feel to them. It won’t bother everyone but it is something I would be aware of before considering. They also feel very cheap and lightweight. Not enough to be a dealbreaker, just something to consider if you’re concerned with longevity.
Aukey Fortnite Keycap (KM-A2) Verdict
This is a niche product that honestly delivers a lot of fun without costing a lot. I could easily see this being a delightful gift for a fan or just using them to make a keyboard standout. For the price they’re hard to beat, assuming you want designs, though if you want something to make your keyboard standout, better quality or last longer, I’d suggest something else.
[Editor’s Note: Aukey Fortnite Keycap (KM-A2) was provided to us for review purposes.]
