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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 30, 2026

KBDFans Cat vs Pulsar Xboard QS

Get the Pulsar Xboard QS for hot-swappable and knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

KBDFans Cat

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
  • Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or numpad.
Check on Amazon

Get the

Pulsar Xboard QS

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 25% of 80% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • No numpad.
$290 at MK

What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

KBDFans Cat

Pulsar Xboard QS

  • Layout size

    60%

    80%

  • Hot-swappable

    No

    Yes

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

  • QMK

    No

    Yes

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

  • VIA

    No

    Yes

    GUI remapping without compiling firmware

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • KBDFans Cat
  • Pulsar Xboard QS
Performance
43
74
Build quality
54
71
Productivity
41
86
Customizability
49
88
Portability
63
60
See every spec side by side

Full specs

KBDFans Cat vs Pulsar Xboard QS specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

10 of 18 specs differ

KBDFans Cat

Pulsar Xboard QS

Typing & switches

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

—
Plate Mount

Layout

Layout size

60%
80%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

—
Wired

USB passthrough

No
Yes

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

—
Aluminum

Plate material

—
Plastic

Keycaps

—
PBT

Backlight

None
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

No
Yes

VIA

No
Yes

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2024

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

KBDFans Cat2 stores
Pulsar Xboard QS2 stores

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