Happy Hacking Keyboard (HKKB) has made a name for itself among keyboard enthusiasts since its launch in 1996. Today, the brand is synonymous with arrowless 60 percent designs, the use of luxury Topre switches and premium price tags. The 25th anniversary keyboard is no different.
The HHKB layout drops the numpad and navigation keys, including, in bold, the arrows. It targets programmers, engineers and writers with its symmetrical, shrunken form factor that should make it easier for your fingers to reach the keys.
HHKB celebrates its 25th anniversary with a new version of the HHKB Professional Hybrid Type-S Bluetooth keyboard. The new edition is called Snow because of its all-white ABS plastic chassis and stark white PBT keycaps. This differs from the original models that come in “Charcoal” (with or without legends) or “White”, which is actually more off-white, with matching retro-looking gray keycaps. The keycaps on the Snow version are stamped with black legends via dye sublimation, so they are permanent.
That’s good news, because you’ll need those legends to be visible to see what really makes this keyboard so festive. The right Fn key is stamped with the number 25, along with the “th” suffix on the bottom, where some keys have a secondary function printed on them. The HHKB logo is also on the cap and adds a little bit of color.
All things considered, it’s a little twist on the keyboard. There’s not much flash here to celebrate the keyboard maker’s silver anniversary. But it also means that the keyboard doesn’t come at an outrageous price when compared to other Hybrid Type-S keyboards. After all, this is still a HHKB keyboard with Topre switches.
The Commemorative Programmable Keyboard currently costs $350, compared to the $337 of the other colorways. Although a crossed-out suggested retail price listed on Fujitsu’s online store, a distributor of HHKB that announced the keyboard, suggests it will eventually have a suggested retail price of $400. We’ve reached out to Fujitsu about pricing and will update this story if we hear anything.
Like the other Hybrid Type-S keyboards, the 25th anniversary option uses Topre electrostatic capacitive switches, known by enthusiasts for their exemplary tactile feel and high price. The switches here are supposed to be quiet and require 45g of force to operate.
The wireless keyboard has four Bluetooth profiles, so you can pair it wirelessly with four macOS, Windows, iOS and Android devices instead of using the USB-C to USB-A cable. We’re seeing a gradual increase in wireless keyboards with three Bluetooth profiles, like the recently reviewed Razer Pro Type Ultra, but four profiles is rarer.
It’s unclear how long the HHKB Professional Hybrid Type-S Snow will be available, but Fujitsu’s announcement called it a “limited amount” run.