Keychron R3 vs PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2
Get the Keychron R3 for qmk. Get the PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2 for hot-swappable and the 8,000 mAh battery.
KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron R3
QMK
Build quality in the bottom 30% of 80% boards under $100.
- Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
Get the
PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2
Hot-swappable
Build quality in the top 25% of 80% boards under $150.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
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 R3
PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2
Hot-swappable
No
Yes
Switch changes without soldering
Battery
4,000 mAh
8,000 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Switch options
Linear, Tactile
Linear, Silent, Tactile
Display
None
LED
A case display rather than a typing feature
QMK
Yes
No
The deep option when you want to remap every key
- Keychron R3
- PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2
- Performance
- 4478
- Build quality
- 5269
- Productivity
- 4673
- Customizability
- 4879
- Portability
- 5087
- Layout size: 80%
Keychron R3 vs PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
11 of 23 specs differ
Keychron R3
PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
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.
- Check on Amazon
Amazon
Check price
Not sold on either?
Still torn?
Answer a few quick questions and the keyboard finder ranks 2,000+ boards by how you will actually use yours.