Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Review - Versatile and Compact

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

When it comes to productivity, low-profile keyboards are generally preferred by those who love a sleek, minimal, and discreet design. Low-profile keyboards are, in many ways, more like laptop keyboards versus traditional full-sized boards. However, with the arrival of low-profile mechanical switches and modular designs that incorporate all of the principles found in the best mechanical keyboards available today, you could easily pick up a low-profile board and have that be your daily driver for gaming and everything else.

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The Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL Wireless Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard is an exciting release because it sports a low-profile design aimed at PC gamers. The physical design is reminiscent of the iconic Logitech G915 low-profile keyboard, right down to the circle-shaped buttons above the F1-F12 keys, albeit with a much more wallet-friendly price point. Now, looking like an existing popular product that's already established is not uncommon in the hardware space, and to be honest, Logi's G915 is one of the slickest-looking low-profile boards out there. And with that, the Hexgears Immersion A3's design feels more like an homage than a copy.

A short video demo of the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL Wireless Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard

That said, looking like one thing doesn't mean it will perform like that - and this is where you need to separate the homages from the knock-offs. The good news is that the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL is a solid performer and is a worthwhile alternative to the more expensive Logi board. It arrives with some great customization options. You get to choose from Kailh's lineup of low-profile, hot-swappable switches. Plus, adding a display is always interesting (and sought after) - even if functionality is limited. Let's dig in.

Specifications & Close Up

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Kosta's Test System

Design & Software

Design

As mentioned in the introduction, the overall design of the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard is very similar to Logitech's G915 series in that you've got black keycaps and floating keys over brushed metal. As a TKL design, the Hexgears Immersion A3 leaves ample room for arrow and primary function keys. Where other TKL designs omit dedicated keys like Home, End, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and others, all you're missing here is the Numpad.

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The wide design also leaves enough room for custom circle-shaped buttons, including a dedicated button for wired and wireless USB modes and three separate Bluetooth buttons to switch between multiple devices seamlessly. This also includes buttons for navigating the display's modes and options alongside a dial next to the screen. It's worth noting that none of these buttons are customizable or configurable, which is a shame, as having four buttons for the somewhat limited display is overkill. I would have liked to have used them as audio controls or for triggering macros, but it's not a deal breaker.

All default secondary functions are printed on the translucent keycaps, which is always lovely. Everything from audio controls to switching between Windows and Mac layouts is here, and a Fn key press away. If there's one critique I could give the keycaps, it is that the Polycarbonate material is prone to picking up fingerprints and finger grease (yeah, that's a thing), so that pristine brand-new look doesn't last very long.

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The Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL ships with three different low-profile options from Kailh: the linear White Rain, the tactile Black Cloud, and the clicky Hide Mountain switches. For this review, we were sent an A3 keyboard with tactile Black Cloud switches, which deliver that 'bump' you feel at the actuation point, even in low-profile form. The switches are hot-swappable, too, which is excellent for those who want to mix and match or potentially change the keyboard's feel somewhere down the track.

The Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL is highly versatile; it supports wired, wireless, and Bluetooth connectivity and is compatible with Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android devices. At 762 grams and just 31mm in height, it's portable and lightweight enough to be taken on the go. On that note, you also have a dedicated spot for the USB dongle. Wireless is where the A3 shines, especially when you factor in the large 5800 mAh battery - which supports up to 50 hours of use with full RGB lighting.

Software

The Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL is a plug-and-play keyboard with many features that are available and accessible directly from the board. These include switching between all the different connectivity modes, pairing up to three different Bluetooth devices, controlling your device's audio playback, and changing the RGB lighting. Outside of showcasing animated GIFs and the current time, the display offers various settings and options for adjusting the RGB lighting, from selecting various effects to changing the color to adjusting the speed. You can also fire up the dedicated HexDrive Software for this and other in-depth customization tools and features.

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Weighing only a few MBs, the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL's official software for Windows PCs hardly takes up any system resources and is super lightweight for its offerings. Remapping keys (split into Top Layer and Fn Layer) is straightforward: select the key on the keyboard image and then select the desired functionality or alternate usage from the layout underneath. With three profiles to work with and the ability to save, export, and import different ones, it's powerful but also limited. Having a key perform an app-specific or non-traditional task is limited to the options you see. As mentioned earlier, the four buttons dedicated to controlling the display are off-limits for customization.

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Regarding lighting options for the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL, the HexDrive Software gives you various options. There are over a dozen different presets or effects to choose from, with the option to adjust colors, brightness, and the effect speed. There's also a dedicated window for creating a custom lighting profile that lets you adjust per-key lighting, one for the more animated modes, and one for syncing up the lighting with your device's audio. The good news is that any changes you make instantly apply to the keyboard.

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You'll also need to fire up the HexDrive Software to upload a custom GIF to the keyboard, which seems to be the only practical use for the display. The software has a section where you can import and edit GIFs before uploading the final animation to the keyboard. This is a feature for those who love customizing keyboard lighting, giving them an additional way to personalize the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL. Rounding out the customization tools you have, the software also includes a dedicated Macro Manager.

Gaming Performance and Productivity

Gaming Performance

Using a low-profile keyboard for gaming is not as strange as it sounds. With the tactile switch option, firing up a first-person shooter like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or DOOM Eternal feels great with the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL. Actuation points and travel distances for low-profile switches are generally the same as their full-sized counterparts, with the difference in overall feel coming mainly from the low-profile keycaps. However, there is a slight difference between this keyboard's wired and wireless modes, with the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL delivering its lowest latency when connected via USB.

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Using the keyboard's highest connectivity mode, the wired latency is listed as 2-3ms, wireless 5-6ms, and Bluetooth 12-13ms. Playing DOOM Eternal in both wired and wireless modes makes it hard to tell the difference, which is a good sign. However, competitive gamers looking for the best performance would probably want to stick with wired.

Productivity

Outside of the missing Numpad that comes from picking up a TKL board, the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL is an impressive productivity keyboard thanks to its versatility and long-lasting battery that lets you connect and switch between multiple devices. As a relatively lightweight unit with a low height, it's a great option for pairing with a laptop, as it can sit comfortably in front of it while offering an infinitely more comfortable and satisfying typing experience. Unfortunately, not being able to use the dial for anything other than cycling through the display's RGB options is notable, as having access to a programmable dial is excellent for productivity tasks or simply having that tactile volume control while using your PC.

Keyboard Click Sound Level

To test a keyboard's overall sound level, we use the Ozito Digital Sound Level Meter, capturing the sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" multiple times and recording the maximum dB level. This indicates how "loud" the switches used are for everyday usage. The following chart showcases where the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL Wireless Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard sits.

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Final Thoughts

Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL Wireless Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard is being marketed as a low-profile keyboard for gamers, and that's true. Still, it excels as an all-rounder that can support multiple devices and setups - whether sitting on a desk next to your gaming PC or on a table in front of your laptop while you work remotely. Stylish, lightweight, and comfortable to use, the versatility is commendable, as are your customization options - from choosing from three different switch varieties to being hot-swappable for additional customization down the road. Plus, it can be paired with just about any device: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

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That said, there's room for improvement. The display functions as an animated GIF dispenser and RGB lighting tool, meaning you've got four dedicated display buttons you'll barely use. Also, even though the stability of the keys and switches is consistent, the dampening and cushioning lack the premium feel you get when multiple layers of foam and other elements are under the hood. Ultimately, though, a lot of this can be overlooked when you factor in the overall impressive performance, design, and features of the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL.