Great review of GMBK 75%.

And now for something…membrane? Mem-chanical? What the hell do we call these things? It’s been eons since I last looked at a membrane keyboard presenting itself as a value-oriented gaming option – the Glorious GMBK is the latest keyboard to cross the revolving door of potential disappointment.

OK, I’m starting on a somber note and I apologize for that. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen it all before, but a $50/60 membrane keyboard advertising itself as a value-based gaming keyboard with all the flashy RGB you could want is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

Nevertheless, Glorious GMBK is here and I was hired by hardware overlord Jacob to give you my thoughts and opinions, so here you go……

….It’s okay.

That’s enough, right? …. NO? Ah, I guess I’ll have to elaborate on why I think that.

At first glance, this is standard fare for a cheaper gaming keyboard, membrane or not. A no-nonsense plastic casing that’s surprisingly lightweight and has some flexibility, plus velvety ABS keycaps that will ultimately shine more than this Take That songand they are quite slippery to exploit. PBT keycaps, on the other hand, have a more textured finish that increases comfort and grip, and also have the advantage of being more sturdy and more resistant to shine. It’s also IP57 waterproof, so if you accidentally or intentionally submerge it in water, it will hold up.

The 75% layout is nice to the touch and quite sporadic for this style of product, as is the knob in the top corner. Glorious told me that the volume knob is interchangeable with those found on their mechanical flagship GMMK 3, so if you want to give this humble membrane keyboard the premium treatment, go ahead.

Another way to give this keyboard the premium treatment is to replace those wretched keys. I can already hear you screaming at me-“You can’t replace the keys on a membrane keyboard!” Well, thanks to GMBK it is possible.

Glorious has equipped the actuators under the keycaps with an MX-style cross-bridge, which they say means you can replace the keycaps with any set of MX-style caps you have. This gives them at least a few points for innovation and customization, and is a real advantage of this keyboard over its rivals.

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I try to beat around the bush as much as possible when it comes to describing the feel of the rubber domes under the keys, but I should probably just come out and say it.

Pressing the GMBK membrane key feels massive and laborious. After about a decade of consistently using mechanical and electrocapacitive switches as an enthusiast, returning to the membrane board in any form just seemed wrong. I went back to using terrifying keyboards that came with desktop computers in computer kits when I was at school, except this one was missing half the keys. If schools get their hands on them, they can at least replace them.

Where tactile mechanical switches have a nice tactile feel and smoother keystroke, the domes inside the GMBK provide a stickier and much heavier set of inputs that can become quite tiring after a while. It’s true, these are some of the better domes I’ve used against rivals of this keyboard, such as the Roccat Magma, which can resemble damp newspaper after just a few minutes of exploit, but the fact is that they are still rubber domes.

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Glorious claims that these domes are hushed switches, which unfortunately I cannot agree with. We’re at the point where the hushed mechanical switches are whisper-quiet, and the noise from the electrocapacitors in my HHKB and Topre RealForce R2 is barely noticeable. In contrast, the domes here are quite clamorous and almost clicky, although not in the satisfying way you might expect. It’s more of a rhythmic drone as you gain speed.

When it comes to gaming performance, well, they’re domes. The heavier keystroke means that they are not as rapid and precise in operation as mechanical switches, let alone the Hall-effect magnetic switches that have now appeared in keyboards so far down the price ladder.

The Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 provides Hall effect and rapid triggering in a compact package with PBT keycaps and a high polling rate at a comparable price. If you’re looking for oomph games and are strapped for cash, check out my review on the subject.

Communication? Sure, it’s got something – a wired USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable that’s detachable from the keyboard, so you can at least toss it aside. This is one of the cheapest cables I have come across in a while, it has a sticky consistency that is not very pleasant to the touch.

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And there’s some software! Glorious Core is back and can actually be used with GMBK. It has a decently slick interface that allows RGB remapping, as well as sorting hotkeys and even recording macros. You can also play around with the RGB settings by using the keyboard’s function layer and the arrow keys to browse and sort the brightness.

Where does all this leave us? I’ve often thought that membrane or mechanical gaming keyboards have a entertaining position in the market. Cheap enough to be attractive to budget-conscious gamers, but not as desirable as mechanical products.

GMBK doesn’t do much to move that needle. I can see why the £50/$60 price tag is attractive if you want a cheaper keyboard with RGB lighting, and its interchangeable keys at least set it apart from other membrane products.

However, on every corner I turn, I simply find more reasons to choose a low-cost mechanical keyboard like the Keychron K2 V2. This board has a similar layout, replaceable mechanical switches, and wireless connectivity at a similar cost.

Or, if you want to focus more on gaming, the aforementioned Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 provides more sturdy PBT keycaps and all the power of quick-trigger switches for much faster, lighter, and more precise inputs in high-intensity gaming. And it has RGB.

I kind of appreciate what Glorious tried to do with 75% GMBK, but I’m afraid it doesn’t sit well with me. Sorry, guys.

Best gaming keyboard 2025