Keychron Q5 Ultra vs V5 UltraAluminum vs Plastic Build Choice
Choose the Q5 Ultra for a premium all-metal build, or the V5 Ultra for nearly identical performance and features at a significantly lower cost.
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3.0 · 1 reviews
from$119at MK
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron Q5 Ultra
Aluminum
Build quality in the top 35% of 96% boards under $300.
- Full CNC aluminum body for a premium, solid feel.
- Double-gasket mount design, per the vendor description, for enhanced acoustic tuning.
- Includes multiple sound-dampening layers like IXPE foam, latex bottom foam, and PET films.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
Get the
Keychron V5 Ultra
Plastic Build Choice
Build quality in the top 15% of 96% boards under $150.
- Significantly lighter weight at 983g.
- Lower cost while retaining high-end features like 8K polling.
- Explicitly supports QMK and VIA firmware for advanced customization.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Missing ISO-DE. The other board is sold in those layouts.
Your decision hinges on budget and material preference. If you value the heft, acoustics, and prestige of a full aluminum chassis and are willing to pay more, the Keychron Q5 Ultra is the choice. For everyone else, the Keychron V5 Ultra delivers the same high-performance wireless connectivity, 8K polling, and programmability in a much lighter and more affordable package, making it the smarter buy for most users.
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 V5 Ultra
Case material
Aluminum
ABS, Metal, Plastic
Mount style
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount
Gasket Mount
Weight
2,098 g
983 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
QMK
No
Yes
The deep option when you want to remap every key
VIA
No
Yes
GUI remapping without compiling firmware
- Keychron Q5 Ultra
- Keychron V5 Ultra
- Performance
- 8991
- Build quality
- 7483
- Productivity
- 9098
- Customizability
- 7794
- Portability
- 5656
- Layout size: 96%
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Battery: 4,000 mAh
- Max polling rate: 8,000 Hz
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
What will you mostly use it for?
The keyboards are tied for most productivity-focused uses like gaming, office work, programming, and content creation due to their identical core features. The V5 Ultra is the clear choice for travel due to its significantly lower weight, and for modding due to its explicit QMK/VIA support and lower cost. The Q5 Ultra's advantages are not tied to a specific task but to its material premium.
It's a tie
- Both offer an 8000 Hz polling rate in wired and 2.4 GHz modes for low latency.
- Both feature N-Key Rollover and hot-swappable sockets for switch customization.
- Both include a knob for media control and multi-media keys.
Keychron Q5 Ultra vs V5 Ultra specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
8 of 27 specs differ
Keychron Q5 Ultra
Keychron V5 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 V5 Ultra
Keychron (DE)
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 V5 Ultra: your questions
The core difference is the case material. The Q5 Ultra has a full CNC aluminum body, while the V5 Ultra uses a plastic construction with some metal elements. This makes the Q5 Ultra much heavier (2098g vs 983g) and more expensive.
Yes. According to their vendor descriptions, both the Keychron Q5 Ultra and V5 Ultra support an 8000 Hz polling rate in both wired and 2.4 GHz wireless modes. This is a key high-performance feature they share.
They likely sound different due to their materials and foam. The Q5 Ultra's aluminum case and double-gasket design with IXPE and latex foams may produce a deeper, more muted sound. The V5 Ultra's plastic case and EPDM foam will produce a different acoustic profile, often perceived as slightly higher-pitched.
The V5 Ultra explicitly lists QMK and VIA support in its metadata. The Q5 Ultra's vendor description states it uses ZMK firmware and is configured via the Keychron Launcher web app. For open-source QMK/VIA flashing, the V5 Ultra is the confirmed choice.
Both keyboards have a 4000mAh battery. Their vendor pages claim up to 660 hours of use on a single charge with the backlight turned off, which translates to several months of typical use.
No. The Q5 Ultra comes with KSA (Keychron Spherical-Angle) profile double-shot PBT keycaps. The V5 Ultra comes with OSA (OEM Spherical-Angled) profile double-shot PBT keycaps. These are different shapes that affect typing feel.
The Keychron V5 Ultra is far more portable. It weighs 983 grams compared to the Q5 Ultra's 2098 grams. The V5 Ultra's vendor description also specifically mentions its 'lightweight, rigid polymer body for easy portability'.
Yes, both the Keychron Q5 Ultra and V5 Ultra include a knob for media control or other programmable functions, and both are listed as having an 'all new knob design'.
Yes. Both keyboards are hot-swappable, supporting both 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches. This allows you to change switches without soldering.
Both keyboards offer triple-mode connectivity: 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3 (for connecting to three devices), and wired USB-C. This provides flexibility for use with PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones.
No. According to the provided specifications, neither the Keychron Q5 Ultra nor the V5 Ultra includes a screen or display.
Based on vendor descriptions, both offer identical RGB features. They have south-facing RGB LEDs, per-key RGB customization, and Mix RGB for splitting the board into two lighting zones, all controllable via the Keychron Launcher.
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