Glorious GMMK 2 first impressions after a 40s user mained it for a week
Here are my first impressions and review of the new Glorious PC Gaming Race GMMK 2 65% in Pink including the introduction to the exclusive-to-the-GMMK-2 Glorious Fox switches. All photos are taken by me.
Spoiler alert: It wasn’t bad and now I’ve found my new travel board.
Full disclosure: Glorious provided me the GMMK 2 in Pink with Glorious Fox switches, and coiled cable, Aura keycaps in Pixel Pink. You can find out more about the GMMK 2 and order it on the Glorious website here.
Let me take you back to a time: the year was 2015 and I joined a subreddit called /r/mechanicalkeyboards and owned a Logitech gaming keyboard. By 2018, I purchased my first hot swap keyboard. This keyboard was a Drop ALT.
Now I made a lot of mistakes when I first started getting into the hobby. I won’t even list said mistakes because they’re so embarrassing and due to the popularity of keyboards, it would be next to impossible to avoid those expensive errors today.
Today there are so many options for entry custom keyboards akin to that Drop ALT I bought eons ago:
- NovelKeys NK65 Entry Edition
- CannonKeys Bakeneko65
- C3Equalz Portico sold by TKC
- KBDFans KBD67 Lite
- Keychron K6
I’m probably missing a whole lot of them too, there’s so many. But out of an ocean of options for 65% entry custom keyboards — Why would I choose the GMMK 2 ahead of the rest?
… Let’s take a look.
The unboxing experience
I’m a big fan of utility, but I am also a fan of not having any clutter so with that said, I really enjoy the box the GMMK 2 came in. Glorious uses their signature orange accents and there’s some holographic features, but the packaging is concise and doesn’t necessarily need to be kept around.
For the Pre-Built Edition GMMK 2 in Pink, the box contains:
- Pre-built GMMK 2 with stabs, switches and caps already installed
- Plastic keycap puller
- Switch puller
- Matching pink cable with Glorious orange accents
They don’t specify it as something that can be used, but I really don’t mind having the plastic cover that fit over the keycaps. I personally use mine as a mild dust cover which can be useful if you have any pets, or live like a gremlin like I do.
GMMK 2, the stock experience
Exclusive to the GMMK 2 Pre-Build Edition, Glorious has introduced their latest switch: the Glorious Fox, their newest linear switch with the following specs:
- 45 g Operating Force
- Fast Linear Style
- Pre-Lubed Parts
- Clear Housings for Bright RGB
- 2.2 mm Travel Distance
- 60 g Bottom Out
For comparison, I mostly type on lubed Gateron Giants with a 45g spring and 62g C3Equalz Machos. I personally don’t think the Fox switches feel lightweight, but I do think feel crisp enough.
I took a lot of issue with the GMMK Pro’s Glorious Goat stabs being pre-lubed, feeling that they were over-lubed. The GMMK 2 has Glorious Plate Stabs that are also pre-lubed. Despite being pre-lubed, there were some rattles on the left side of the spacebar, but in my opinion it doesn’t matter too much if you type using the same thumb over and over. I personally use my right thumb to use the spacebar and there were no wobbles or rattles that were prominent enough to grief me.
To say things sweet and plainly: I don’t mind it stock.
If you’re into RGB lighting, I would say that the GMMK 2 has a very satisfying bright and vibrant glow. (It elevates even moreso with the Aura pudding keycaps!) I personally just like a little bit of RGB on the case, so the option to just have the side panel lighting similar to the GMMK Pro is a nice touch.
The stock ABS keycaps feel alright. I typically type with PBT and like that kind of slight texture, but the brightness of the pink and the handiness of the side legends for stock functions of the board are pretty useful.
I absolutely love the two-toned case — I typically prefer high profile boards, but for use as a travel board, I don’t mind this at all especially when the aesthetic quality is there. The bottom half of the case is a polymer, and the top part is a CNC machined aluminum frame. The result is a nicely balanced weight that is lovely to take around. The butt of the board also has flip out legs that change the typing angle from 7 to 14 degrees (if you like that kind of thing; sometimes I do if the mood strikes).
I love how sturdy the GMMK 2 feels. I live out of a bag a lot of the month and being able to toss it in my backpack back and forth between places without worrying about breakage feels good. Reliability is really important to me here. I feel if I bring another board like the C3Equalz Portico in particular, I would worry about breakage of the USB-C port, or having to open up the case and needing to have a screwdriver with me.
Modding the GMMK 2
I think Glorious gets a lot of flack for some of the modding experiences with their boards (you know how I feel about that GMMK Pro), but keep in mind that I do firmly believe that their goal is to provide a good stock experience and as a secondary goal, allow modding to be accessible and optional.
With that said: I had to try right?
Here’s my order of operations:
- Remove keycaps
- Remove switches using switch puller (it comes with a serviceable one)
- Remove stabs (push in little tab and gently lift)
- Unscrew screws (x 11)
- Lift top frame from bottom
- Detach PCB from daughterboard (note that there is a piece of tape keeping them together)
You’ll notice on the PCB that installing screw-in stabilizers is an option, which I think is great and I’ll probably move into screw-in stabilizers once I find the time. Note that my PCB had a piece of tape covering up one of the holes. It seems fine to gently detach and move.
I really wanted to give the Glorious Fox switches a decent go, so instead of swapping out the switches right away for some of my go-to choices, I decided to lube the Fox switches with some Krytox 205g0.
I admit that I over-lubed a couple of the switches and I got a couple of double inputs, but the real grief came from my lubing the pre-lubed Glorious plate stabs. You can’t really fully remove lube without a special cleaner, so I just wiped it off. Ultimately I ended up messing up my Glorious plate stabs and gave up and used some Durock plate stabs, lightly lubing them.
I am personally not a fan of plate stabs due to inconsistency so I’ll prioritize swapping to screw-in stabs for the next round.
Here’s a comparison of stock Glorious Fox switches and Glorious Plate Stabs and lubed Glorious Fox switches and lubed Durock Plate Stabs:
While it’s not perfectly tuned to where I want it to be, I still really enjoy using the board and it’s been good to me for the last week while I’ve been traveling back and forth between different places.
Comparing the GMMK 2 to the Drop ALT
The Drop ALT will always hold a special place in my heart because it was one of my first keyboards that got me into the hobby. At the time, I thought it was all I needed and great. Today, I don’t use my Drop ALTs at all (yeah I own not one, but two of them!)
If I knew then what I know now and was looking for a budget keyboard, I would 100% choose the GMMK 2 over the Drop ALT. Here’s why:
- GMMK 2 supports 5 pin switches, Drop ALT only supports 3 pin (have fun clipping your precious ZealPC and JWK switches)
- GMMK 2 supports screw-in stabilizers, Drop ALT only supports plate mounted stabs
- GMMK 2 comes with serviceable foam, Drop ALT sounds really hollow and needs aftermarket solutions for dampening
- GMMK 2 is $80 USD barebones, Drop ALT is $140 USD barebones
I do love that the Drop ALT has USB-C ports on the left and right, as someone who fancies using aviator cables, I always found that showing off aviator parts was nicer on a board that has the port on a far side of the board.
Out of all my 65% boards, here’s how I see their strengths and weaknesses:
- Drop ALT hi-profile Laser: My prettiest 65%, but worst sounding and too heavy to bring around
- Glorious GMMK 2: My well-rounded durable board, but needs modding
- C3Equalz Portico: Best sounding and fun to put together, but most likely to break or fail
- TM680: Cheapest board and very lightweight, but most likely to never get it to a place of satisfaction after modding
When I look for a board to bring around with me, I want a board that will not fail on me, is fun and satisfying to use to keep me productive and sparks joy. The GMMK 2 in Pink is honestly a pleasure to see easily available for those who also like cute aesthetics.
Alongside other Glorious accessories
Once upon a time Glorious released a Model O in Pink, which I picked up (of course I did as I collect other “cute coloured” mice such as the Logitech G203 in Lilac and White, Razer Viper in Quartz, and the Model O in Pink and White)… As soon as I saw that the GMMK 2 was available in Pink, I had to compare it to the Model O.
How does it compare?
While the pink of the stock keycaps doesn’t perfectly match the Model O in Pink, the cooler toned aluminum frame in pink better matches the original pink used in the Model O. As far as that pink Model O coming back, we’ll never know but due to the popularity of keyboards and pink accessories, I wouldn’t put it past them if they brought it back.
I am pretty picky about my cables and tend to be “a little 2018” here but I prefer my cables not coiled but with an aviator. I like heat shrink accents as well. The Glorious Coiled Cable gets half of it right. If I did have to have a coil in my cable, I would prefer the coiled to be smaller and not have a right angle where the aviator is away from the keyboard. Again, these are all preferences.
What I do like is that beautiful pink aviator connector though. Nice.
If you are looking for a readily available coiled cable with an aviator that operates at that right angle, this is a fine choice.
Although I don’t use RGB lighting anymore, I do hold a soft spot in my heart for it after so many years in a dark office when I worked in IT. If you’re a big fan of litty lit RGB boards, pudding keycaps are a must in your collection.
“Full 145 key set” is kind of a confusing way to describe the set because when I think “full”, I just b-line to thinking about a 1800 layout. What I think this really means is that it accommodates a full sized keyboard with numpad, and also has support for compatibility like the 65%.
It comes with THREE spacebars.
I was confused but then I remember how I broke the stems off my EnjoyPBT Sushi set eons ago and thought it would have been awesome if I had another one to replace it with. With that said, I appreciate the back ups!
The keycaps are beautiful if you enjoy RGB lighting, and the pink looks great during the day too.
GMMK 2 final verdict and thoughts
In an ocean of entry-level keyboards, the GMMK 2 holds its weight. A big part of the mechanical keyboard hobby is being able to change components and making a board that truly feels like your own in terms of feel and look. The GMMK 2 comes in a Pre-Built Edition and Barebones and intuitive to take apart and mod. It’s perfectly accessible for beginners with a sturdy 5 pin hot swap PCB, allowing folks to try out new switches without needing soldering hardware.
The Glorious Core software still leaves something to be desired: I use a MacBook Pro for work and the software is not available for OSX. (Note: The GMMK 2 is fine without anyway software.) In order to change my mapping, I need to configure things on my PC and then switch over. Not ideal but I think typing on a conventional layout is good for me since my 40s mapping requires some wild muscle memory changes.
The GMMK 2 keeps things pretty simple: it’s a low-profile board, it keeps a modest bezel. If you’re looking for something that will open the gateway to the possibilities without breaking the bank, the GMMK 2 does alright here. If you are looking to tinker more, take things apart, have an aesthetic that better suits your liking, there are plenty of options out there.
Years ago I would recommend the original GMMK for those looking to get into the hobby due to budget and availability .The GMMK 2 is a welcomed refresh and stands as a nice contender for those who feel intimidated by modding, still want to get into the hobby, and stay under budget.
I’m happy that I’ve got a sturdy, well-balanced cute-looking board to bring around with me without worrying about airport security breaking my LazyDesigners Bolt.
Thank-you again to Glorious for sending me all this pink hardware! This is my personal opinion from my own personal experience, and others’ experience may (probably will) vary! If you found this little write-up useful, let me know! You can reach me at @comfythinkies on Twitter, or the same username at Gmail via email.
