Focus Lab CTRL87 vs Velocifire Virtual 87
Get the Focus Lab CTRL87 for the 8,000 mAh battery and the 8,000 Hz polling rate. Get the Velocifire Virtual 87 for hot-swappable.
KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.
![[In Stock] Virtual 87 80% Mechanical Barebone Keyboard Kit](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0549/0262/0278/files/10_14bb0130-90bb-4fcc-be2e-c4203e171f93.jpg?v=1756892707&width=3840&quality=75)
Which one should you get?
Get the
Focus Lab CTRL87
Battery
- Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Get the
Velocifire Virtual 87
Hot-swappable
Build quality in the top 10% of 80% boards at any price.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No numpad.
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.
Focus Lab CTRL87
Velocifire Virtual 87
Layout size
87%
80%
Connection
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Hot-swappable
No
Yes
Switch changes without soldering
Battery
8,000 mAh
5,000 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Max polling rate
8,000 Hz
1,000 Hz
Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing
- Focus Lab CTRL87
- Velocifire Virtual 87
- Performance
- 8172
- Build quality
- 5782
- Productivity
- 5877
- Customizability
- 5291
- Portability
- 5870
- Case material: Aluminum
- Plate material: FR4
Focus Lab CTRL87 vs Velocifire Virtual 87 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
14 of 21 specs differ
Focus Lab CTRL87
Velocifire Virtual 87
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
Released
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Focus Lab CTRL87
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Velocifire Virtual 87
Listed on the product, not split by store: ISO.
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.
- Check on Amazon
Amazon
Check price
- Check on Amazon
Amazon
Check price
Not sold on either?
![[Extras] Class 1800 Southpaw Keyboard Kit](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0607/5351/0626/files/class-1800-barebone-kit-754652.jpg?v=1727321750&width=3840&quality=75)
![[In Stock] Sirius Manta Low switch 40% Bluetooth Dual Mode Mechanical Keyboard Kit](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0549/0262/0278/files/untitled.159.jpg?v=1761717751&width=3840&quality=75)
![[Limited In-stock]Aurora x Mizu (Aluminum Edition)](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0403/9809/4489/files/1_e14b45fe-7be5-4caa-b72f-265eba2417a4.jpg?v=1732694060&width=3840&quality=75)
![[In Stock] Space80: Apollo’s Cyber Armor keyboard kit By Gray Studio](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1674/0405/files/1_4d86d13f-7c25-48e7-94cf-6d54f2055385.png?v=1793260456&width=3840&quality=75)
![[In-stock] Lotus80 Mechanical Keyboard Kit Extras - Image: 3](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0109/9182/9049/files/20251119215250_128_335.webp?v=1763560683&width=3840&quality=75)
Still torn?
Answer a few quick questions and the keyboard finder ranks 2,000+ boards by how you will actually use yours.