Keychron Q5 Ultra vs V1 UltraAluminum 96% vs Plastic 75% Choice
Choose the Q5 Ultra for a premium aluminum build and a full number pad, or the V1 Ultra for a more affordable, compact, and portable design with similar core performance.
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Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron Q5 Ultra
Aluminum 96%
Build quality in the top 35% of 96% boards under $300.
- Full CNC aluminum case for a premium, solid feel.
- 96% layout includes a full number pad for data entry.
- Double-gasket mount design with multiple foam layers (IXPE, Latex, PET) for sound dampening.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Missing ISO-FR. The other board is sold in those layouts.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Get the
Keychron V1 Ultra
Plastic 75% Choice
Build quality in the top 10% of 75% boards under $100.
- Much lighter at 770 grams and more compact 75% layout.
- Explicit support for QMK and VIA firmware for advanced programming.
- Includes multiple acoustic foam layers (EPDM, PET, Sound Absorbing Foam).
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No numpad.
Your primary need dictates the choice. If a number pad and a premium, heavy aluminum build are non-negotiable for your desk, the Keychron Q5 Ultra is the clear pick. If you value a lighter, more portable keyboard with advanced QMK/VIA programmability at a lower cost, the Keychron V1 Ultra offers nearly identical performance in a more compact form.
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.
Keychron Q5 Ultra
Keychron V1 Ultra
Layout size
96%
75%
Case material
Aluminum
ABS, Plastic
Switch options
Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Linear, Tactile
Mount style
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount
Gasket Mount
Weight
2,098 g
770 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
- Keychron Q5 Ultra
- Keychron V1 Ultra
- Performance
- 8991
- Build quality
- 7484
- Productivity
- 9198
- Customizability
- 7794
- Portability
- 5679
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Battery: 4,000 mAh
- Max polling rate: 8,000 Hz
- Knob
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The V1 Ultra wins in scenarios prioritizing portability, deep firmware customization, and a space-saving layout. The Q5 Ultra is the choice for stationary workstations requiring a number pad and a premium metal construction. For pure gaming performance, both are equally matched due to their shared high-speed wireless technology.
It's a tie
- Both offer an 8000 Hz polling rate in wired and 2.4 GHz modes for minimal latency.
- Both feature N-key rollover and hot-swappable sockets for switch customization.
- Both use the same Keychron Silk POM switches and south-facing RGB.
Keychron Q5 Ultra vs V1 Ultra specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
10 of 27 specs differ
Keychron Q5 Ultra
Keychron V1 Ultra
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Keychron Q5 Ultra
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-ES
In stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron V1 Ultra
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-FR, ISO-ES
In stockDoes not ship to you
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
Keychron Q5 Ultra vs V1 Ultra: your questions
The core differences are the layout and case material. The Q5 Ultra is a 96% keyboard with a full aluminum case, while the V1 Ultra is a 75% keyboard with a plastic case. Both share the 8000 Hz wireless polling, ZMK firmware, and 4000mAh battery.
Yes. Both the Q5 Ultra and V1 Ultra support 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3, and wired USB-C connections. Keychron states both can achieve an 8000 Hz polling rate in 2.4 GHz and wired modes.
The V1 Ultra is generally better for programming due to its compact 75% layout that saves desk space and its listed support for QMK and VIA firmware. This allows for extensive key remapping and macro programming that many developers prefer.
Yes. Both keyboards are hot-swappable, allowing you to change the Keychron Silk POM switches for other 3-pin or 5-pin MX-style switches without soldering, as confirmed by the manufacturer's description.
Both keyboards are listed with the same 4000mAh battery and are advertised by Keychron to offer up to 660 hours of use with the backlight off. Their wireless battery performance should be very similar.
Yes, the Q5 Ultra is very heavy at 2098 grams (over 4.6 lbs) due to its all-aluminum construction. It is designed as a stationary desktop keyboard, whereas the 770-gram V1 Ultra is far more portable.
Yes. Both keyboards include a system toggle switch and extra keycaps for both macOS and Windows, according to their product descriptions. They are listed as compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux.
The Q5 Ultra comes with KSA (Keychron Spherical-Angle) profile double-shot PBT keycaps. The V1 Ultra comes with OSA (OEM Spherical-Angle) profile double-shot PBT keycaps. The shapes and typing angles differ slightly.
The provided metadata and vendor descriptions do not specify warranty information. You should check Keychron's official website or your retailer's policy for detailed warranty terms at the time of purchase.
Yes. Both keyboards feature south-facing per-key RGB lighting and are programmable via the Keychron Launcher web app. The manufacturer states you can create custom lighting effects, including per-key colors and split-zone Mix RGB modes.
Both are heavily foamed. The Q5 Ultra description lists Sound Absorbing Foam, IXPE Foam, PET Film, Latex Bottom Foam, and Bottom Case Acoustic Foam. The V1 Ultra lists Sound Absorbing Foam, PET Film, EPDM Foam, and Bottom Case Acoustic Foam. The Q5 may have a slight edge in layered materials.
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