Where is the 80HE?
If you have tried to buy a Wooting 80HE lately, you have most definitely noticed that it is sold out. The reason is very simple, the 80HE+ is right around the corner.
Pre-orders open on 17 September, and the price will be the same as the 80HE.
I have to admit I like Wooting, and this video works as a good illustration of why. I think they show humility and an insane dedication to their audience when the boss himself, Calder Limmen, comes out and explains why the 80HE+ is delayed and what has been difficult about production.
There are many good keyboard makers out there, but this is something we rarely see.
What’s new with the 80HE+
What’s new is tasty Lekker Tikken switches, a new plate, a split spacebar and the option of a “large knob” + some new finish options.
The switches replace the Lekker V2 from the 80HE. According to Wooting, Lekker Tikken are a bit more stable and have a distinct “tick” at the bottom (hence the name), so they are also a little louder.
Lekker Tikken replaces the Lekker V2 in the 80HE+. / Credit: Wooting
The plate has been changed from PC to FR4, which is stiffer and gives a harder bottom-out. Many pro players had already swapped to FR4 in their 80HE themselves, so now it comes from the factory.
The FR4 plate is stiffer than the PC plate in the 80HE and gives a harder bottom-out. / Credit: Wooting
The split spacebar comes in both ANSI and ISO, but only on the module. The module also gets slightly cheaper than before and now ships with a daughterboard, so you don’t need to buy a case to build your own.
The plastic models get new colours too. The all-black one is gone, replaced by a combination. A translucent black top on a black bottom. The popular Frost version, which used to be module only, now comes fully assembled.
The new black plastic model: a translucent Ghost top on a black bottom. This one has the split spacebar too. / Credit: Wooting
The Zinc version comes fully assembled with the large knob, plus the four extra switches and keycaps you would otherwise be missing. In return, it no longer ships with a travel case.
The 80HE+ Zinc with the large knob pre-installed, where the navigation keys sit on the 80HE. / Credit: Wooting
The reason for the delay
When Wooting produced a larger batch of the large knob and tested them at the factory, they found that the torque varied from knob to knob. In other words, it took a different amount of force to turn each one. The cause was the way the ball bearing inside the knob was installed. That had to be fixed, and it has delayed the knob.
The keyboard itself ran into a problem too. Wooting wanted to use a completely new water-resistant coating on the PCB, one that did better in their tests than the coating they use on their other keyboards. But when the PET film was pulled off the PCB, parts of the coating came with it, leaving visible, ugly patches. They haven’t found the exact cause yet, so they are going back to the coating from the 60HE v2.
The problem in pictures: the blue patches on the PET film are coating that came along with it, and the dark areas on the PCB are where it is now missing. / Credit: Wooting
Delivery depends on what you order:
- Plastic models and module without the large knob: around the end of October
- Zinc assembled, or orders with the large knob: mid-December
Wooting says the final delivery dates will be shown when pre-orders open.
The knob Calder talked about in April
Knobs have been rumoured for Wooting’s keyboards for a long time. When I interviewed Calder in April, he said knobs were the next step. Personally I love knobs, even though I mostly end up using them for volume up and down. But maybe this large knob is what gets me to explore more? I think a knob pre-order is coming from me, unless the price turns out way too scary.
I have given the 80HE a top score, and at the time of writing I’m testing the 60HE v2 with the split spacebar. These are good keyboards with a particular focus on quality at every step. Something this video might prove?
Pre-orders for the Wooting 80HE+ open on 17 September at wooting.io.
