MageGee Sky87 review: cheap but not so cheerful

Mechanical keyboards have certainly increased in popularity. I type for a living and play video games in my downtime, and using one of the best mechanical keyboards has definitely improved my life. But you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a decent keyboard. Enter the MageGee Sky87.

With a retail price of $29 / £39, the MageGee Sky87 is one of the cheapest gaming keyboards I’ve seen listed on Amazon. But what this keyboard offers at this price is impressive. I was taken aback by the great typing experience, and it even offers a satisfactory gaming performance. It’s hot-swappable too, making it a great choice for modding beginners. Of course, the low price tag means there are a few things wrong, such as the cheap build quality and keycaps, temperamental keys, and more.

Read my full MageGee Sky87 review for all the deets.

MageGee Sky87 review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A budget hot-swappable keyboard with red, blue, yellow or brown switches
• Who is it for? Casual players and typists on a tight budget
• How much does it cost? The MageGee Sky87 is available for $29 / £39
• Anything wrong? Its plasticky construction and temperamental keys 

MageGee Sky87 review: The ups

For $29, I didn’t expect the MageGee Sky87 to blow me away, so I was pleasantly surprised by its best qualities: a good typing and gaming experience, sturdy feet, fun backlighting, and more.

Hot-swappable

Hot-swappable keyboards are great because you can change the switches as and when you like without de- and re-soldering them to the PCB, so you don’t need to be an expert modder. The MageGee Sky87 is hot-swappable which, at $29, could attract a lot of keyboard beginners and enthusiasts. If you’re only just getting into modding and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on one of the best mechanical keyboards, the Sky87 could serve as a good starting point.

Typing experience

I won’t lie, typing on and hearing the MageGee Sky87 took me back to my school’s computer lab where 11-year-old me was typing away on whatever keyboard was available. The keycaps are made of double-shot ABS which isn’t as durable or wear-resistant as PBT keycaps — such as the ones on more expensive keyboards like the Keychron V1. They also aren’t as dense as PBT keycaps so they sound hollow. Our review unit came with blue switches which provide noticeable tactile feedback while sounding very loud. But the Sky87 provides a great typing experience at this price.

Before the space bar stopped working properly (more on that later), I took a typing test on 10fastfingers.com and lo and behold, I got my best type test speed yet. You can see my top four results above.

Gaming performance

There are two things to consider when checking whether a keyboard is ideal for gaming or not: the polling rate and the switches’ actuation points. Actuation points determine how much force is required to press down on a key, and they’re typically between 1.5 and 4mm. The lower the actuation point, the more sensitive the key which makes it good for gaming. Unfortunately, MageGee doesn’t specify the Sky87’s polling rate nor does it mention the switches’ actuation point.

Even without all the technical information to hand, I tested the Sky87 and I have to say, for a $29 keyboard, its gaming performance is surprisingly good. It’s not exceptional (it’s not the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 after all) but it does the job. I played Lies of P, F1 2017, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive on my MacBook Pro M1 to test the Sky87’s gaming capabilities. Across the three games, I was satisfied with the Sky87. My key presses registered well, especially in F1 2017 where I had to quickly press A or Z to accelerate or brake to turn at sharp corners. 

Sturdy feet

While the MageGee Sky87 isn’t built particularly well (more on that later), its feet are really sturdy and are probably the best built part of the keyboard. On its underside, there are four plastic feet to prop up the keyboard at two different angles. Both angles offer good height, and have rubber lips which keep the keyboard in place on plastic, glass and wooden surfaces.

Credit where credit’s due, the Sky87’s feet feel better than the Keychron K11 Max’s ($94) whose feet felt loose and the rubber lips weren’t grippy enough to keep the keyboard in place. Even the $329 HHKB Studio’s feet pale in comparison to the Sky87’s.

Blue backlighting

The MageGee Sky87 features blue-only backlighting which might not be as flashy as the fancy RGB effects we’ve seen on the likes of the NuPhy Halo75 V2 ($129), but it’s nifty nonetheless. This is a plug-and-play keyboard which means you don’t need special drivers or software to use it, and there isn’t any companion software to remap keys, program macros, and change backlighting. No worries, the keyboard shortcuts are enough to do the latter. I counted 20 different lighting modes when cycling through them — that’s a lot for $29! There’s something for everyone.

MageGee Sky87 review: The downs

While the MageGee Sky87 does have some redeeming qualities, it’s difficult to overlook a few issues which made it difficult for me to work as normal.

Don’t expect the world

The MageGee Sky87 is a very cheap keyboard so (to manage your expectations) you shouldn’t expect the world for $29. This extends to the keyboard’s build quality, compatibility, key and switch behavior, and more. I don’t see this keyboard lasting very long, especially if you plan on using it heavily for gaming and work.

Sold as macOS compatible

While the MageGee Sky87’s product page mentions it can be used with macOS machines, it’s important to note that not everything will work as you’d like it to, as there are no separate key binding modes that you’ll find in higher-end dual platform boards like the Keychron V6 or the NuPhy Halo75 V2. This means you won’t be able to use basic command shortcuts.

That shouldn’t, and likely won’t come as a  shock to you, given almost all PC gaming takes place on Windows, and this is a gaming keyboard. If you’re a user of both platforms, though, and want a keyboard that can flick between the two, know that the macOS compatibility MageGee lists simply refers to the fact that it will technically power up and type when connected to a Mac.

Build quality

The MageGee Sky87 feels very plasticky, and the ABS keycaps don’t feel the best under your fingertips. Speaking of keycaps, while you can easily swap them, I’d advise being careful with the keycap puller that comes in the box. Unlike other pullers I’ve used which are flat and nestle the keycap to lift it up — such as Keychron’s and Nuphy’s — the Sky87’s has a 2-in-1 keycap and switch puller which has sharp ends. We unintentionally scratched the H keycap while pulling it out to look at the switch.

Malfunctioning keys

The MageGee Sky87's poor construction impacts how the keys and switches behave too. In my testing, on both macOS and Windows, the space bar regularly stopped responding — refusing to register a keypress. I was able to solve this with the oldest trick in the book: unplugging it and then plugging it back in. The space bar would then work fine but stopped registering my presses again after just a few hours. Rinse and repeat. This really had me pulling my hair.

MageGee Sky87 review: Verdict

I would have loved to like the MageGee Sky87 more than I do. I was satisfied with its gaming performance and I got my best type test speed score on it, so why shouldn’t I love it? Simply because I can’t tolerate malfunctioning keys, as typing is my bread and butter.

Of course, that isn’t to say the keyboard sucks. It’s hot-swappable, so if you want to get into modding keyboards, it could be a great starting point as you won’t be spending over the odds. Also, I like its customizable icy blue backlighting. But you’d be better off spending a little more money and getting the RedDragon Elise Pro ($54) instead, which will offer better build quality and reliability. The Sky87, alas, is definitely not one of the best budget gaming keyboards.

If you need something a bit more reliable for long gaming sessions or typing sprees, it’s worth investing a little more in one of the best mechanical keyboards. Ultimately, the Sky87 is a decent starting point but not without its compromises.