Review: NZXT Function keyboard and Lift mouse are solid and customizable [Video]

Expanding from PC hardware and services, today NZXT is announcing a whole line-up of peripherals. From the Function mechanical keyboard to the lightweight Lift wired mouse, NZXT is offering plenty of customization along the way. We got our hands on a MiniTKL Function keyboard along with the Lift mouse. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

NZXT Function quick specs: 

• Price: $150 Full size, $129 TKL, $120 MiniTKL
• Standard bottom row
• Left-side volume roller
• Hot-swappable switches
• Detachable USB-C cable 

Function Keyboard

Rather than starting with a single keyboard design, NZXT has spread the options out over three size options. The starting price is listed above for all of the boards. All of them feature a standard bottom row, which makes customizing with aftermarket keycaps much easier. NZXT has options for chassis color, keycaps, switches, and even offers aftermarket cables and mousepads for a unique setup. 

NZXT Function: Design

Despite the size difference, much of the design and features will be similar between all three keyboards. The Function MiniTKL keyboard that we have here is the smallest in the line-up. Often referred to as a 75% layout design, the MiniTKL retains the F-key row across the top, arrow keys in the bottom right, and navigation buttons along the right side of the keyboard but is significantly shorter than the standard TKL layout. 

We took a look at a similar setup in the budget Vissles V84 and Glorious also offers a customizable 75% keyboard with the GMMK Pro, but with pricing starting at $169 for just the chassis and no switches, the cost starts to climb quickly. 

Personally, I’ve been really enjoying 65% keyboards lately, like the Drop ALT. Occasionally, though, I’ve found myself missing that F-key row, and 75% layout keyboards have been hitting that itch for me. 

NZXT Function and Lift: Video

NZXT is offering a retail version of the board in a black or white chassis that features linear Gateron red switches, but for those who want to customize things, users can build a custom combo on NZXT.com. It also claims 48 hour turn-around time on shipping customized boards, which is pretty impressive. 

In addition to the black and white chassis, the gunmetal gray we have here is also available when building out a custom keyboard. 

The body is relatively low profile with two-stage risers to get the board at a higher angle for typing. 

NZXT keeps branding pretty subtle with a small logo on the back of the board along the right side. It’s a similar color to the body and blends in pretty easily. 

Along the left side of the keyboard are additional controls. There is a clicky volume roller, a mute button, a game-mode button that will disable the Windows key, and the third button controls the brightness of the RGB lighting. With this placement, I occasionally would accidentally hit a button when moving the keyboard around my desk, but I never found it to be much of an issue. I also appreciate the left-side placement. When gaming, it’s easy to quickly find the volume wheel. 

For the most part, construction looks pretty good on the body. It’s a simple design that avoids a lot of the crazy design language that is often associated with gaming keyboards in favor of a sleek look. It will easily fit in at the office or battlestation.

Optional keycaps

For the retail version of the board, NZXT is offering black ABS keycaps with an optional gray PBT colorway for custom boards. 

We opted for the gray keycaps with a red accent color. If I were to do it again, I would probably go for the black keycaps which feature a shine-through design. I’m just used to keycaps with shine-through and I do find myself missing that on this keyboard. 

I’m also a little surprised that the accent keycaps look as thin as they do. There isn’t shine through, but you can still see an area around where the legends are that glows a bit more than the rest of the keycap. I’m not sure if this is an intended feature, as I can see the outline of the legend, but I can’t help but think it looks a little cheap as I can also see a bit of the structure of the rest of the keycap. 

NZXT Function: Switches

NZXT has a nice variety of switches available as well – all from Gateron. The standard red, blue, and brown were familiar to me, but it also offers a 60g silent black and a new tactile option. 

I opted for the Aliaz Silent tactile switches. They say they are 60g, but they feel much lighter than that to me. They’re a little bit quieter than the Gateron browns that I typically have in my Drop Alt with a little more of a squishy feel at the bottom of the switch. Overall, I’ve been enjoying them so far. 

Red, blue, and brown switches won’t cost any more besides the $10 BLD service fee for a custom setup, but the Silent black and Aliaz will set you back an additional $70 for the TKL and MiniTKL, and $80 for the full-size custom boards. Quite a bit of an upgrade there. 

The stabilizers sound a little rattly, but for the price, I’m not too surprised. Even the Drop ALT has rattly stabilizers.

Other features

Through NZXT’s Cam app, the function keyboard also has per-key RGB lighting. There are layers for the base color as well as a reactive layer if you want the keyboard to react to inputs. The low-profile design of the keyboard makes the lighting easy to see from most angles. 

Both the full size and the tenkeyless feature a magnetic wrist rest, but the MiniTKL that we have here does not come with one. 

Lift Mouse quick specs: 

• 67g
• Ambidextrous shape
• 5 buttons
• Omron switches
• PixArt 3389 sensor
• Low drag paracord cable 
• RGB
• Multiple colors 
• $60

Lift Mouse

In addition to the Function keyboard, today NZXT is also offering its new lightweight Lift gaming mouse. Weighing 67g, it’s right in line with lightweight mice from other manufacturers, but we’re also seeing wireless mice around those numbers. For instance, the Model O Wireless from Glorious PC Gaming Race is just two grams more and costs $20 more. 

Back to the Lift, though, it features a five-button ambidextrous design that is right in line with the shape of the Model O Wireless. It has a very comfortable and familiar shape for me. Measuring roughly 127mm long x 61mm wide in the middle, and 38mm tall, the dimensions are very similar to the Viper from Razer and the Glorious Model O.

NZXT Lift: Design

The example we have is in white but the Lift is also available in black. Additionally, the mouse can be specced out from NZXT with yellow, cyan, violet, red, or blue accent colors. Just like the keyboard, there is a subtle NZXT logo on the back of the mouse. 

Along the bottom of the mouse on the left and right is a subtle strip of RGB. Colors and reactive modes can be set from the NZXT Cam app. It’s reminiscent of the rear underglow lighting from the Razer Viper Mini that is pretty understated. Most of the light goes down towards the mousepad. On my black Razer pad, this makes the RGB more difficult to see. 

Sensor

For hardware, NZXT is using a PixArt 3389 optician sensor and Omron mechanical switches that are rated to 20 million clicks. 

Low-drag cable

Though the NZXT Lift is wired, the cable is a low-drag paracord that has plenty of flexibility when in use. It was very rare that I noticed the cable when I was gaming. Adding a bungee can help with the cable as well, but even without one, I think NZXT has a great cable on the Lift mouse. 

NZXT Lift: In-Use

At the $60 price point, there is plenty of competition out there. But, if you do end up going with the NZXT, I don’t think you will be disappointed with the performance. While I usually prefer a wireless mouse, I’ve had no issues using the Lift for productivity and gaming. It’s light, the cable moves easily, and the shape is exactly what I’m used to in an ambidextrous-shaped design. 

9to5Toys’ take

NZXT has entered the peripheral market with some solid products. The MiniTKL design is something unique that stands out against the stiff competition from other name-brand manufacturers. There is the GMMK Pro from Glorious but with a bare chassis starts at $169, so the NZXT is much more affordable. And then you can take the keyboard from there and customize it further with new switches, keycaps, and cables. To me, at that starting price, the MiniTKL is a nice entry point into hot-swap keyboards.

Buy NZXT Function keyboard

Buy NZXT Lift mouse

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