Overview

Play 1800 Mechanical Keyboard is a versatile keyboard for gamers and office use, featuring aesthetic customizable RGB lighting and versatile wired/wireless mode, compatible with PC and mobile devices, making the keyboard highly versatile for gaming and office use. In this article, we will cover all you need to know before getting the keyboard.

What’s Tri-mode connectivity?

With traditional keyboards, it’s often connected with Cable or Bluetooth exclusively. This model offers three different modes to connect. It’s hard to connect with your crush, but not for this model. Let’s break down what each of the modes does:

Wired Mode: Highest performance, Plug & Play

Simple Plug-and-Play, the keyboard is connected via USB to Type C cable. This mode offers the lowest latency, suitable for competitive gaming.

Bluetooth: Highest versatility, Compatible with most device wirelessly

The connection is established wirelessly, allowing for any device with Bluetooth support including Laptop, PC, Android, IOS and Mac. Play 1800 model allows for multiple devices to be connected at once via Bluetooth (more detail in instruction manual), with hotkey to swap between devices for use.

2.4Ghz Mode: Lowest latency wireless mode, requires a dongle

This mode requires a dongle (a small USB wireless receiver is provided) to establish a connection to the device wirelessly. This mode features best wireless performance with minimum latency. This mode is perfect for gamers looking for wireless setup, with latency indistinguishable from wired mode. For more details, check here for the comparison between 2.4ghz and Bluetooth in-depth. (https://www.corsair.com/us/en/explorer/gamer/headsets/24ghz-vs-bluetooth-which-is-better )

TIP: The keyboard can be switched to any of the wireless modes while it’s being connected with a cable. This allows the keyboard to be connected automatically via wireless connection once the cable is detached.

Wait… A display on the keyboard?

You heard that right, Play 1800 features a tiny display that shows information about the system such as battery life, time and date, cap lock etc. which makes user experience more friendly. And for those looking for styles, there’s also Thekapco signature animation for the display. What a time to be alive where the display on your keyboard has higher resolution than a Nokia 3310.

What can you do with the RGB Customization?

Whether you are a gamer or not, you can’t deny RBG on a keyboard is cool. And this model did not disappoint with the number of customizations straight out of the box. Adjustable color, brightness, and patterns make it feel more alive. My personal favorite has to be the wave pattern, which makes your keyboard a nice visual candy.

It also comes with VIA (https://www.caniusevia.com/docs/specification) support, for those keyboard enthusiasts looking to push the customization to its limit, this keyboard is perfect for you. It’s one of those “party” tricks if you’re cool enough to bring a keyboard to one. Of course, you can always turn off the lighting, so your co-workers do not fidget with your keyboard.

How’s the build of the keyboard?

Play 1800 features a 90% key design, totaling 96 keys. All keycaps from Thekapco are compatible with the keyboard. It’s packed with Gateron G Pro 2.0 Yellow Linear switches (https://www.theremingoat.com/blog/gateron-g-pro-3-yellow-switch-review ). The keys are very quiet, smooth and consistent, making it ideal for office work, and midnight gaming, if noise is a concern to you. Each of the switches is fully swappable too to suit your preferences and needs.

The keyboard is built with high-quality polymer, easy to clean and resistant to fingerprint smudges. Overall, the model feels premium, with the only minor caveat being a slight flex in the middle when keys are pressed forcefully.

Who should get it?

Play 1800 offers amazing versatility, it is perfect for both gamers and office workers. With its customizable RGB lighting, quiet linear switches, and multiple modes of connectivity, it makes it a product that shines with style whilst not compensating for its functionality.

TL; DR

The Play 1800 is a versatile keyboard with features for both gamers and office users. It offers:

Tri-mode connectivity: Wired, Bluetooth, and low-latency 2.4Ghz wireless.

Customizable RGB lighting: Great personalized tool for your setup with VIA support.

Quiet linear switches: Ideal for both work and play without disruption.

Hot-swappable switches: Easily customizable switches to your own need.

96-key layout: Saves desk space without compensating functionality.

Built-in display: Shows battery life, time, and miscellaneous info.

Caveats: Slight flex in the middle of keyboard with forceful presses.

Overall, Play 1800 Mechanical Keyboard offers tons of features for any workers who value versatility and style.