Review: Cherry XTRFY K5V2

In the world of mechanical keyboards, few names are as notable as Cherry. The company, founded in the United States, moved to Germany in the sixties, and has been in the keyboard business for more than 50 years. 

Cherry is not as known for its own designs in recent years compared to its series of keyboard switches. Cherry was, in fact, the one that decided to use colours to differentiate switches, a system widely used today. Today’s review focuses on the newest addition to the Cherry Xtrfy family, the K5V2.

The K5V2 is the second generation of Cherry XTRFY’s K5 line of mechanical keyboards, featuring some upgrades and changes to the original model. It is a 65% keyboard, meaning that it does not have a dedicated numeric keypad, but keeps the arrow keys, which is what makes for a 5% difference between this board and a normal 60% keyboard. The keyboard is made by Cherry Xtrfy, the company created by the merger of Cherry and Swedish peripherals brand Xtrfy. 

There is a lot to unpack here since the K5V2 is one of the most feature-packed small keyboards on the market today. 

The board features a removable plastic frame that sits above the keyboard’s body and comes in either black or white, depending on the model. You can, however, interchange the frames and make a black keyboard with a white top or the other way around. It’s also possible to use the keyboard with no top frame whatsoever, and Cherry offers several frame colours through its store. The Cherry Xtrfy website offers a surprisingly deep level of customisation, with more than 150 possibilities. This allows users to select different types of switches, frame colours, cables, keycaps and accessories. There is a lot that can be done, resulting in a keyboard that really can be tailor-made to anyone’s taste. Be wary, however, these options, if chosen, can add up to more than £100 to the price. Still, in our opinion, this is very much worth it.

There is a detachable cable shipped with the keyboard, but Cherry Xtrfy also sent us a coiled version which looks better than the original cable and has a circular connector for easy swapping. The original cable is also solid and braided, in line with what you would expect from a gaming keyboard in 2024. No complaints here.

Speaking of customisation, there is a lot of it. In fact, Cherry Xtrfy is proud to point out the customizability often in the marketing materials for the board. Just near the arrow keys is a small magnetised logo that can be removed and replaced with a new one, or a really small fridge magnet if you so desire. An interesting design touch. 

The keyboard is made out of plastic to probably keep the cost down but it does feel as sturdy as other plastic boards, with very little flex. Inside, there are several layers of foam to keep it from having the hollow sound a lot of competitors with less insulation might have. This also makes it weigh perhaps more than you would expect for a small plastic keyboard. Truth be told, a heavier weight is always a good thing, and usually a great showcase of the overall attention to detail.

What is both surprising and very welcome is the fact that both the keys and stabilisers are lubed from the factory. While many might not think of this as something important, lubed switches and stabilisers make for a much better typing experience than those without lube, and so Cherry Xtrfy must be commended for including them. Another very important point is that the switches are hot-swappable, meaning that it is very easy to take one out and replace it with another if it breaks or if you want to have different switches on some parts of your keyboard. Cherry also sells an impressive range of switches through its website during the customisation process, and interestingly, offers other brands in addition to Cherry MX switches.

The switches on our review sample were the MX2A reds, the latest generation of Cherry switches. When compared to Gateron Reds or an older MX model, the MX2A feel better in every way. The stems are well-lubed and every press feels good and more solid. In previous iterations, MX switches tended to be a bit wobbly, but when testing the keyboard, these MX’s felt great, and are a welcome addition to the Cherry lineup. 

What is somewhat disappointing are the keycaps. Made from ABS plastic, they polish quite easily and are simply not as good of a choice as a more premium set of PBT caps. I understand that Cherry Xtrfy needed to make savings somewhere, however, in the end, I’d probably just replace the caps with another set. This can also be done while ordering the board, and Cherry Xtrfy does offer a range of PBT keycaps in different colours.

Below the switches lies one of this keyboard’s party tricks: its RGB lighting. The majority of keyboards on the market have several levels of RGB lighting that peak at a reasonable level for everyday use. The K5V2 has a RGB Boost function that effectively doubles the brightness of its lights. I have to admit that I was surprised at just how much brighter the lights get through the boost function but bear in mind that they also make the keyboard warm after extended periods of use. The boost function can also only be used when the board is connected to a USB port that can provide the power needed, and look much better and brighter in the white model.

Since working at Esports Insider requires quite a bit of typing, the keyboard was put to the test fairly easily. The best test a keyboard can go through is to be a primary tool for writing thousands of words weekly. I plugged the K5V2 in and used it as my main work and gaming keyboard for several weeks during which I tested how it feels in day-to-day use, typing, gaming and comfort. 

When it comes to typing, I was pleasantly surprised with the keyboard. Keyboards created for gaming usually do not feel as good as the custom boards that are mainly aimed at a different consumer base, but the K5V2 does both jobs very well. In comparison with the Ducky Mecha Mini and Keychron boards I have, the K5V2 is better than both at typing, and is a whole other world when it comes to gaming. The board is very sturdy, comfortable to use, and its form factor is perfect for gaming — If you do not need a number pad. 

The board offers something its creators call Super Scan technology, which means that it scans keystrokes every half of a millisecond. This should, in theory, translate to high performance in games. While playing, the board delivered exactly what I expected from it. The new Cherry MX2A reds offered familiar performance, and the board’s form factor was perfect. The board does not offer some of the high-tech features that Razer, Corsair, Wooting or others offer, like Snap Tap and adjustable actuation, but it offers a very solid and dependable gaming experience. Interestingly, Team Vitality uses the K5V2.

The lack of software means that all settings are changed through the board itself, and there are a lot of them. The process is simple enough if you are used to it, but it could be intimidating to a newcomer. The only solution here is to give the user manual a good read and not change the original keycaps before you know what they are used for. 

The rabbit hole of mechanical keyboards is a deep one, and the Cherry Xtrfy K5V2 might be one of the better options to enter it. Despite being made by a brand that is not as popular as Logitech or Razer, this keyboard more than makes up for it with great features and a very affordable price for what it offers. If you are looking for a great-looking and well-made keyboard that will check most of the boxes, look no further.

The board walks a fine line between being a dedicated gaming tool and an all-rounder, with more hits than misses. The exceptional RGB, a lot of customisation options, a good build quality and typing experience make this board an interesting pick in a very saturated market. This board tries to do it all and mostly succeeds in doing it. It will be a perfect piece of hardware for those who spend equal amounts of time working and gaming. It has more gaming features than a custom keyboard, and more custom features than a gaming keyboard, which makes it ideal for a very small group of people — myself included.