Wooting 60HE+ Review

The Wooting 60HE+ pulls out all the stops to dazzle PC enthusiasts with game-changing features. Full motion analog lets you customize what each key does based on how far you press it, and rapid trigger technology makes it so you can activate a key again and again before it even tops out. To determine what constitutes a true innovation and what is just a fun gimmick, we put the 60HE+ through a gauntlet of analytical tests alongside over a dozen other outstanding gaming keyboards.

Performance Comparison

Performance

The Wooting 60HE+ is a high-end gaming keyboard that deserves a place at the top of the class in terms of performance.

It has a remarkably fast single-key latency of only two milliseconds. There is no chord splitting when you try to register multiple keys, which means that even pressing eight keys at once will only add a delay of up to seven milliseconds.

The 60HE+ features Lekker L60 linear analog hall effect switches, which are force-sensitive switches that contribute to just how smooth the performance feels. This keyboard also has “Rappy Snappy” and “Snappy Tappy” technology, which means that it will prioritize the functions of whichever key is pressed farther or the one pressed most recently, giving you the power to make lightning-fast changes in gameplay without even needing to fully release a key.

As expected of a high-end product, this gaming keyboard perfectly registers any number of key presses with anti-ghosting technology and N-key rollover. We managed to press 40 keys at once with no issue, including some combinations that usually cause conflicts on other boards. As an added bonus, you can even toggle it down to 6-key rollover so that it will be perfectly compatible for use with gaming consoles like the PlayStation 4.

For a gaming keyboard that seems to have it all, some power users on the highest end of the competitive spectrum might be disappointed to see that the 60HE+ is limited to a polling and scan rate of 1000 Hz. This is perfectly responsive for 99.9% of gaming scenarios, but the 0.1% might have reason to search for an 8000 Hz option.

Comfort

The 60HE+ is a keyboard that does its utmost to outdo as many other gaming keyboards as it can, but not necessarily in the comfort category. It's a standard profile keyboard that actually feels slightly tall in relation to its compact size. Without any dedicated features to help facilitate comfort, you're likely to experience a bit of weariness in the hands or wrists after long gaming sessions.

While the form factor of this keyboard lets you get your hands nice and snug with the keys, its profile really demands a palm rest. We prefer a palm rest to be built-in or packaged with the keyboard by default, but Wooting does have a proprietary option that you can bundle with your purchase for an extra cost. It's a hygienic silicon mat that feels nice and smooth and is 100% washable. Just keep in mind that this option, despite being designed for use with the 60HE+, is practically the same size as the keyboard itself.

It's also worth mentioning that this keyboard does not have an adjustable angle. It sits at six degrees, which our testers found to be suitable for most needs, but the option to go higher or lower would likely benefit many gamers.

Hardware Options

There's a decent amount of choice available to you if you find the Wooting hardware to be appealing. We tested the 60HE+, but Wooting also offers 80% and full-sized models that look and function nearly identically with only minor changes. Unique to the 60% board we tested is the carry strap, which you can use for added portability or replace with your own strap of choice for some personal flair.

You can also order the 60HE+ module kit directly from Wooting. This includes the PC plate, silicone or poron pad, screw-in stabilizers, PCBA, and all the necessary screws. It does not include keycaps, switches, or a case. In other words, you get the foundation and functionality of the 60HE+ but with the freedom to build exactly the keyboard you want from there. At checkout, your only switch option is the Lekker L60 analog switches. Not everyone is a fan of these sorts of linear switches, though, but you do have the option to fully hot-swap the switches and keycaps on this board.

Typing Noise

The 60HE+ shows that magnetic hall effect switches tend to be quieter than those of traditional mechanical keyboards. We were surprised by how discrete this keyboard was even when we made an effort to perform hard taps. Our tester commented that he “didn't notice it much while playing” in regard to the sound, meaning you can count on minimal distractions in any environment.

However, the spacebar is noticeably noisy in comparison. One of our testers notes, “It can get pretty loud if you're slapping it around.” The keys don't rattle, though, and have a fairly rich sound overall. Another tester described the typing noise as gentle or mellow, like a watery pitter-patter, saying, “Anyone who has used a regular, non-custom gaming keyboard will think this sounds pretty great.” With our decibel reader positioned two feet away, we found the average volume of the 60HE+'s keystrokes to be 43 dBa. This certainly places it on the lower end of the spectrum in this category, especially considering that many gaming keyboards can approach 50 dBa or above.

Type Experience

Using the 60HE+ is a great experience, both for gaming and productivity. Key presses feel smooth and it bottoms out nice and soft. There's no tactile bump, which may dissuade some would-be buyers, but even our tactile-loving testers enjoyed this keyboard more than most with linear switches.

We used our force-displacement machine to precisely measure the effort needed to use the 60HE+. Suffice it to say, it only requires the lightest touch. Reaching the actuation point takes 36.06 gram force. A standard keyboard typically requires an average of 45 gram force, but magnetic switches like those in the 60HE+ often provide a more sensitive experience. We appreciate how “magnetic” the switches actually feel — you can sense the push of polarity as you approach the bottom of a keystroke, giving it a satisfying firmness.

In our experience, adjusting the actuation point to be further down will likely be preferable for most gamers. It's all too easy to accidentally actuate these sensitive keys at the default operating point of 1.12mm. The keys have nice spacing between them, especially for a compact keyboard, but there's still the possibility of grazing other keys and making a crucial gameplay mistake.

Lighting

This is a keyboard that prioritizes function over flashiness, but there's still a decent enough array of options for expressing yourself. The 60HE+ is compatible with Wooting's Wootility software, which you'll have to use if you're a fan of RGB lighting because there are no onboard presets out of the box.

Using the software is easy enough, but customization feels somewhat limited compared to gaming keyboards from other brands. There's no option to layer various lighting effects, and the quality of the light itself leaves something to be desired. The color isn't particularly crisp, and multiple different colors will blend into each other.

Even so, you have the full RGB spectrum at your disposal and the option to customize your lights on a per-key basis. We also noticed that there are five lights dedicated to the spacebar to ensure it lights up appropriately, which not every RGB keyboard bothers to do.

Should You Buy the Wooting 60HE+?

The Wooting 60HE+ is a specialized keyboard for gamers who know exactly what they want. Do you prefer a smaller keyboard that feels compact and saves space without sacrificing performance? Do you like the idea of intricately customizing your experience with features like Dynamic Keystroke, Mod Tap, and Toggle Key? Even if you're merely curious about what these features can do for your gameplay, this product is worth your consideration.

What Other Gaming Keyboards Should You Consider?

If you're sold on getting a Wooting keyboard but not wild about something so small, check out the larger options in the same lineup. There's a full-sized model, as well as the 80HE, that features an 8k polling rate that can make a difference for high-end rhythm game players. We also recommend the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 as a premium option for hardcore gamers who are willing to go all-in on their hardware investments. On the other hand, the MageGee Portable 60% is a fully competent compact keyboard that can be a budget alternative to the Wooting 60HE+.