FUN60 Ultra Keyboard Review – Niche Gamer

A classy design, tri-mode connection, creamy magnetic switches and an aluminum shell. It couldn’t be anything other than the FUN60 Ultra.

That’s right, today we are talking a look at MonsGeek’s latest release, the FUN60 Ultra, a premium keyboard at an affordable price with a surprisingly long list of features. If you have any interest in PC gaming or simply want to be more comfortable in your office work, then this might be the keyboard for you.

FUN60 Ultra
Manufacturer: MonsGeek
Price: $29.99 to $89.99

Before fully getting into the review, take a look at our typing and sound test for the FUN60 Ultra:

As someone who spends most of the day using a keyboard, be it for gaming or writing, it really can’t be overstated just how important it is to have quality hardware to work with. Surely you can buy a $20 dollar keyboard, but how many failed keystrokes does it take to chip away at your soul until you regret not having purchased something better?

Both remote work and PC gaming have seen a steady increase in popularity these past years, so there is a high demand for quality products at affordable prices, which is where MonsGeek steps in with the FUN series.

The FUN60 comes in three different models, with a good amount of customization between them. Users can pick and choose their preferred features amongst the Pro, Max and Ultra models, each with their own connectivity methods and build differences.

For today, we are taking a look at the FUN60 Ultra, specifically the version with tri-mode connection and included TMR magnetic sensors and switches. Yeah, we’re not messing around here.

The FUN60 Ultra opts for a sleek 60% design with just the necessary keys for basic functions, featuring nothing else on its frame and using the FN key for various shortcuts and system function. This is a popular layout for PC gamers, not only because of the increase in ergonomics that comes from not having to move your hands as much, but also because of its aesthetics.

Since the entire frame is taken up by its keys, the keyboard instead delivers most of its info through RBG. The esc key changes colors when the keyboard is low on battery, while the caps lock key turns white whenever activated, which are pretty smart ways of getting around the limitations that come with designing a 60% keyboard.

The FUN60 comes equipped by default with the 5-pin Akko glare mechanical switches, which feel incredibly smooth to use. The glare are a set of pre-lubed creamy switches that offer a good amount of travel and tasteful resistance by default, which can also be further customized through the online software, allowing for different resistances, toggle commands, and so much more.

The keyboard is compatible with a wide variety of 5-pin switches, and fully differentiates between them on a key by key basis. The Windy, Jade, Jade Pro, Jade Gaming, Uranus, King and any set of generic mechanical switches are recognized by the software and can be mapped out to deliver different feels and functions where they are needed.

This feature is a must-have for any hot-swappable keyboard, since it allows for true mixing and matching without forcing users to deal with a uniform set of settings. It’s quite clear that MonsGeek understands how particular gamers are about their hardware, and they show it through their continuous effort to support customization through modularity.

One of the ways to access the FUN60 Ultra’s configuration software is through an online driver, which opens through a web page. This is the first time I’ve encountered software like this, and it makes me wonder why MonsGeek pushes this online driver while burying the more conventional one behind a download page.

The interface is confusing at first, but houses a surprising amount of features, from the basics like setting up macros and shortcuts to more advanced things like turning keys into mouse commands and even SOCD, a feature that is really useful for fighting games and that we previously saw on QRD’s leverless fight stick.

Despite being filled to the brim with customization options, the software isn’t great, as it’s very common for settings to not be applied or for the driver to simply hang and require you to connect the keyboard in some other way to reset it properly, which feels disruptive when you’re trying to explore the options.

The FUN60 Ultra manages to deliver ultra-fast response times thanks to its 8K polling rate, something that is incredibly desirable for competitive gaming, although that feature comes with its own downsides, specifically when it comes to the keyboard’s battery life.

The keyboard lasts somewhere between 3 to 5 hours on average through Bluetooth, and 2 to 3 hours on 2.4GHz, making it clear that the 8k polling rate shortens its battery life significantly whenever it’s being used.

Most of the time I spent with the FUN60 was using it wirelessly through the included 2.4GHz receiver, but I found myself having to charge the device so often while I used it that it essentially became a wired keyboard with extra steps.

I recommend users to stick with the Bluetooth mode when using the keyboard wirelessly, and if you really feel like the 8k polling rate is required for competitive play, then use it in wired mode.

The reason I don’t recommend using the 2.4GHz receiver, aside from the battery drain, is that it seems to have conflicts with the online web driver, which usually hangs when the user isn’t connected through either Bluetooth or wired mode. It’s rare that I got the online driver to even load up when using 2.4GHz, making it the least consistent connection method during my testing.

Don’t get me wrong, having a receiver included by default is definitely great, especially since Bluetooth is not as widespread on motherboards as it should be, but it just doesn’t feel worth the hassle for the most part.

Now, for the most important part of the review: The FUN60 features 500hz ARGB LEDs for all of its keys, with a lot of different lighting modes to choose from, as well as individual control over every key.

The lighting is very vivid and compliments the shape of the default keycaps quite well, but the lights struggle with producing certain shades. Red, green and blue are solid by default, while more complex colors require some tweaking, as they rarely match what you picked on the color wheel.

The easiest way to check how accurate a keyboard’s lights are is to make everything white. You’ll rarely actually get white, but whatever shade it produces will clue you in on what primary color to decrease in order to get more accurate results.

Overall, the FUN60 Ultra is an impressive keyboard as far as its specs go, but it fails to stick the landing when some of its features are also the root of its problems. MonsGeek is hard at work when it comes to fixing these issues, however, so I do have hope that this will be a better product given some time.

Something to note is that even though I have my complaints about the online driver, it’s nice to see that there’s a little community built around it, since it allows for users to share their macros, configurations, and RGB settings through the app, which can be loaded onto your own keyboard with a single click.

The FUN60 is a great-feeling keyboard with a staggering amount of customization options, backed up by a ridiculously in-depth software. Its issues are noticeable blemishes on an otherwise quality product, but they don’t ultimately discourage me from recommending it as a premium and affordable keyboard for enthusiasts.

You can find the FUN60 and all of its variations on the official MonsGeek store.

The FUN60 Ultra was reviewed using a unit provided by MonsGeek. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here.