CannonKeys BakenekoGO Affordable Custom Keyboard Kit Review

mmorpg.com:

The original Bakeneko60 from Cannon Keys hit the market two years ago and helped spur on the wave of affordable custom mechanical keyboards. Now, the company is back with its latest release, the BakenekoGO, a cheaper, wireless, and overall improved version of the keyboard coming in at only $80. You’ll need to provide switches and keycaps, but in my estimation, it’s one of the best and most unique 60% keyboards you can buy right now. 

Specifications

• Current Price: 
• Frosted Polycarbonate Clear: $80 (Cannon Keys)
• Powder Coated Polycarbonate Black: $75 (Cannon Keys)

BakenekoGO — Design and Highlights

Believe it or not, the original Bakeneko, named after the ghostly, sometimes-feline Yokai, was an open source project. Based on the TGR x Singa Unikorn, a decidedly high-end keyboard with a similar design, KKatano developed his own case and released it to the public, a project which is still available on GitHub. 

Seeing an opportunity to provide an affordable yet high quality option to its fans, many of which were first discovering the custom keyboard hobby at the time, CannonKeys introduced its own Bakeneko60, followed by the Bakeneko65. These kits delivered everything you would need to build a compact keyboard (60% and 65%, of course), including a cast aluminum case. They were quite popular at the time and I imagine they still are. In my own review, I remarked at their value proposition, especially with modding.

Well, that’s even truer today than it was then. The BakenekoGO is a modified version of the Bakeneko60, carrying through the same overall design but in a “scaled back” package. Except, that’s not exactly true because the BakenekoGO isn’t what I would consider scaled back at all. The biggest difference is that instead of using a cast aluminum case, it uses polycarbonate, available in frosted clear or powder-coated black colorways. In fact, I think the design is undeniably enhanced, yet the shift in case and accessories allow CannonKeys to offer it much cheaper.