A bit less than a year ago (in August 2019), I reviewed HyperX’s Double Shot PBT Keycaps (in White). I praised them in form and function, considering them a non-essential, but reasonably priced, step up in quality as well as presentation. This year, HyperX has revisited these keycaps and has come out with an upgraded version. In this review, I will be comparing the old and new versions, giving a score for the new version, and providing a verdict as to whether I think you should run out and upgrade your keycaps.
For clarity, I will be referring to the new version as the “2020” keycaps, and the old version as the “2019” keycaps. Both versions of the keycaps came with the same materials: 104 full keyset, keycap removal tool, and short paper manual to help with key replacement. Both were compatible with all HyperX keyboards (as well as other mechanical keyboards featuring Cherry MX switch stems), they were priced the same ($24.99), and they both came with a limited two-year warranty. They use the same double-shot construction out of PBT material, which is oil-resistant and optimized for durability and reliability.
For 2019’s keycaps, I reviewed the White keycaps whereas for 2020’s keycaps I reviewed the Black ones (though it should be noted that the White color for 2020 was released at the same time). As far as I can tell, the changes between the 2019 and 2020 versions are mostly cosmetic. 2020’s keycaps use a signature HyperX font, whereas 2019’s used a more stylized font (loops for characters like O, D, etc. were not completely enclosed). In line with the style of 2019’s characters, those keycaps also used symbols (usually arrows) for the Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, and other keys, whereas 2020’s keycaps display clipped words. I believe these font and style changes were made to provide even better “shine-through” capabilities and anecdotally, I do find them to be brighter (I turned down the brightness level of my keyboard a bit after installing the 2020 keycaps, which I didn’t end up doing after installing 2019’s).
Font and style choices will always be subjective, but I find I slightly prefer the straight-forwardness of 2020’s style. I certainly enjoy the extra luminosity options more - the shifting colors behind the words “ENTER” and “SHIFT” look pretty darn sleek. All in all, I think 2020’s keycaps are a smart iteration on 2019’s, which further capitalize on the strengths the pudding keycaps bring to the table. HyperX has never been a brand to rest on its laurels (something I deeply respect), and again we see them moving forward and improving on something tried and true. If you have 2019’s keycaps, should you run out and buy 2020’s to replace them? I wouldn’t, since those keycaps serve just as well in terms of functionality. However, if you are looking for some snazzy new keycaps as a luxury upgrade for your keyboard, I don’t think you can go wrong with these new 2020 Double Shot PBT Keycaps.