AKKO MOD007B Tokyo review: compact, fun, and all for a great price
Reviewed By: Sebastian Kozlowski
Table of Contents
I’ve tested and used a lot of keyboards in my time, and I always get a little nervy when I see a particularly flashy designed option make its way into the office. Sometimes it’s a case of looking too good to be true, and I find performance is treated secondary to visuals. The Akko MOD007B Tokyo keyboard definitely leapt out at me from a design perspective, so I was keen to see how it performs as a keyboard in its own right. Here’s how I got on with it.
- Form factor: 75%
- Key switches: Akko Cream Yellow Magnetic
- Keycaps: Dye-Sublimation PBT
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz, Wired Type-C
- Dimensions: 333x147x32mm
- Weight: ~1kg
The Akko MOD007B is a great example of something that both the looks the part and delivers where it matters. It has excellent build quality, uses magnetic switches with customizable actuation points, and both sounds and feels great to use. Whether you’re into the Japanese design aesthetic or not, this a brilliant keyboard in its own right, and well worth considering.
- Great magnetic switches
- Solid build quality and feel
- Good sounding typing experience from the box
- Hot-swappable switches
- Reliance on software
- Slippery volume knob and sticky spacebar
- The power switch is in an awkward position
Design and features
The MOD007B custom design is available in Tokyo or Santorini models, with a light pink Sakura or darker blue Greek design. I received the Tokyo model, and I was blown away by the design.
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Featuring iconic images of Mt Fuji and Torii gates, it evokes what you may associate with the country. Kanji characters are included alongside Latin script markings. You also get a handful of replacement keycaps with more imagery if you're confident you know your key placements.
Being smaller than full size, the keyboard loses the numpad, but it still has a complete set of arrow keys, media keys, and function keys you can use, so it’s just shortening it a bit.
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo box contents, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo top right, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo top ports, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo top down and cable, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo standing, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo right side, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo right side, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo box, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo coiled cable, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo front on, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo key switches, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo keyboard and box, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo keyboard, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo left side, Image by PC Guide
Its switches use the Akko cream yellow magnetic options with an adjustable actuation point. Depending on your desired responsiveness, you can choose between a 0.1 mm and 4mm activation point. They are also hot-swappable with compatible 3-pin switches if you want to change them.
Then there is the connectivity, which comes with a coiled USB-C cable for charging or connecting to your PC. However, there is also the option for wireless, either with Bluetooth or 2.4GHz with the dongle. Changing the power mode requires removing a couple of keys to access, while changing connection modes requires just a combination of key switches. It’s best to keep the instructions handy to remember which.
Pricing
On Akko's site, it is available for $149.99 in total price. However, it is cheaper on Amazon and can be found for $134.99 at the time of this review. This puts it in a good position for a 75% scale keyboard that is also wireless and has a stunning design and specification.
Performance
You can download Akko’s software for the setup, which is ideal for getting updates and setting up the Hall effect switches and their actuation points. It offers plenty of other changes, like the RGB, which can be saved to the keyboard’s onboard memory.
You can do a fair bit of customization through the program, although it takes a bit of time to get used to it, as I found. Considering the many tabs and options you must first figure out and work through, and a bizarre method of implementation and calibration when setting the key travel. However, being able to set each key’s travel for the hall effect sensors is impressive and very handy for personalizing the board to your spec.
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo remap, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo actuation control, Image by PC Guide
AKKO MOD007B Tokyo light control, Image by PC Guide
All in all, there’s plenty of customization available on board, so it offers plenty of control. Along with easy updates to the firmware, saving profiles, and even rearranging binds and macros, it has a plethora of capabilities to enjoy.
It had a very satisfying sound and feel when typing on the keyboard. The gasket mount on the board made it sound rather satisfying with dep tones, and along with the small actuation point, it was very responsive to inputs and ideal for gaming situations.
There were some drawbacks, though. The space bar occasionally got stuck if pushed too far forward into the keys in front. Plus, the volume knob was too smooth for its purpose; there was no grip, so just using one finger was too hard with the stiffness and slipperiness.
Verdict
- Form factor: 75%
- Key switches: Akko Cream Yellow Magnetic
- Keycaps: Dye-Sublimation PBT
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz, Wired Type-C
- Dimensions: 333x147x32mm
- Weight: ~1kg
The Akko MOD007B Tokyo certainly impressed me, and I think it works well as a general gaming keyboard. Its customization and general design are fantastic, and it offers a great looking and feeling experience with or without having to be tied to a cable. The aesthetic and design may divide opinion, but I think it really delivers on what it set out to. This is a great looking, well-made keyboard through and through.
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