Das Keyboard, makers of excellent mechanical keyboards, have finally released two highly-anticipated devices. The Das Keyboard 5Q Cloud-connected keyboard and the Das Keyboard X50 RGB mechanical keyboard are both available to order through the main Das Keyboard site. These two are the result of a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign that raised more than $500,000. It took a little while and I'm sure a few backers started to hold their breath, but the keyboards are finally out and perform as promised.
These are keyboards that put notifications right at your fingertips. You can customize each individual key from the Escape key to the Tilde and set them to change color based on connected software. Want to be notified when you get an email or someone sends you a Slack message? Make the F key change to a red color. Instead of just an input device where you press a button and something happens on the screen, the 5Q also becomes an output device where something happens on the screen and it tells you. There are plenty of keyboards that play with light, like the Corsair K70 LUX RGB which gives you some pretty advanced lighting controls, but the 5Q is doing something new.
The X50Q is similar to the 5Q, uses the same software, and does many of the same things especially in regards to the notifications and lighting customization. The only real difference is in the design, which is meant to have harder edges and appeal to gamers. The font on the keycaps is bolder and has a matte texture to it. The media controls in the upper right of the keyboard are actual keys on the X50Q and you lose Das Keyboard's volume dial for a knob. The X50Q is currently $199 at Das Keyboard, and the 5Q goes for $249.
Mechanical keyboards don't always have to break the bank, though. If you're on a budget and need some alternatives, you can look at the Cooler Master MasterKeys mechanical keyboards, which usually sell around $80. Or you could look at Aukey's mechanical keyboards, which often go on sale for less than $50.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

We're going to see tons of game delays this year and that's OK
We'll be seeing a lot of games delayed throughout 2021, more than were delayed in 2020. Right now, you should only depend on playing things that were originally supposed to release last year. Here's why that's OK.

AMD's Radeon RX 6000 GPUs have arrived. Here's where to find them.
AMD's Radeon RX 6000 GPUs aren't easy to find, and you might be wondering which models are available where. Check out the retailers and models you can expect to buy when stock normalizes.

These are the biggest PC announcements from CES 2021
CES 2021 was different in that it wasn't held at a physical location. Instead, companies relied on press kits and virtual presentations to showcase all the new products. We've rounded up the best PC-related announcements in case you happened to miss the show.

These are the best GPUs for playing Escape from Tarkov
Looking for a new GPU to play Escape from Tarkov? Here are our top picks for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, from both NVIDIA and AMD.