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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 10, 2026

Pulsar Xboard MS vs PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2

Get the Pulsar Xboard MS for the 8,000 Hz polling rate and knob. Get the PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2 for via.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Pulsar Xboard MS

polling rate

Build quality in the top 35% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.

Get the

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2

VIA

Build quality in the top 25% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.

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.

Pulsar Xboard MS

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2

  • Connection

    Wired

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Max polling rate

    8,000 Hz

    1,000 Hz

    Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing

  • Knob

    Yes

    No

  • Display

    None

    LED

    A case display rather than a typing feature

  • VIA

    No

    Yes

    GUI remapping without compiling firmware

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Pulsar Xboard MS
  • PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2
Performance
85
78
Build quality
63
69
Productivity
85
73
Customizability
69
79
Portability
61
87

What they share

  • Layout size: 80%
  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: ABS
  • Mount style: Gasket Mount
  • Plate material: Aluminum
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Pulsar Xboard MS vs PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2 specs

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

9 of 23 specs differ

Pulsar Xboard MS

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Linear, Silent, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

80%
80%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
LED

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

8,000 HzBetter
1,000 Hz

Battery

Wired only
8,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS
ABS

Plate material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Keycaps

PBT
PBT, PC

Weight

—
1,384 g

Dimensions

—
38 x 387 x 179 mm

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

VIA

No
Yes

N-key rollover

No
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2025
2026

Where to buy

Compare prices

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

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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

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