HyperX Alloy Origins 60 review: Size matters

HyperX is a prominent name in the gaming industry. While the brand’s claim to fame is its versatile headsets, the company’s line of Alloy gaming keyboards is nothing to sneeze at — with its Alloy Origins 60 standing out proudly in the (RGB) spotlight.

The 60% keyboard market is booming thanks to the peripheral’s compact size, which takes up a small portion of desk real estate. They are also lightweight for maximum portability for the gamer on the move, and it is hard to ignore the way they make RGB lighting effects pop beneath the keycaps. HyperX’s Alloy Origins 60 excels at all these things, and if the claimed 16.8 million colors don’t grab your attention, its unique spacebar certainly will.

A snazzy spacebar, however, can only go so far. While this petite keyboard is one of the best gaming keyboards for its size, some may find it difficult to adjust to a 60% form factor — especially if it’s similarly priced to keyboards with a full layout. Read on to see if the Alloy Origins 60 is up your alley and if the flashy spacebar is worth an investment.  

HyperX Alloy Origins 60 price and configurations  

The Alloy Origins 60 is not a budget mechanical gaming keyboard, but as far as 60% keyboard goes, it’s competitively priced. On HyperX’s official website, the gaming keyboard is priced at $99.99 or £87.99 (originally priced at £109.99). On Amazon, the keyboard costs around $109.99/£109.99, so it’s worth scouting around for better prices.

A majority of the best 60% gaming keyboards, including the Corsair K65 RGB Mini keyboard, are priced over the $100/£100 mark. 

HyperX Alloy Origins 60 design 

This is HyperX’s first 60% mechanical gaming keyboard (if we’re not counting the HyperX x Ducky Limited Edition One 2 Mini), and like all keyboards in this category, the Alloy Origins 60 ditches everything around the alphanumeric keys to achieve a clean, compact design.

Instead of having conventional arrow keys and an extra top plate for the function keys, the Alloy Origins 60 assigns shortcuts to different keycaps. Each function is visible because the keycaps feature easily identifiable side-printed secondary functions.

While these keys are customizable to match a user’s personal preferences, I appreciate HyperX placing the function key and the assigned keys with secondary functions on the right-hand side of the keyboard. It felt natural reaching for the function key to access the arrow keys, volume control, delete key, and everything else.

A 60% form factor means all there is to look at is a matte-black rectangular layout with rows of double shot PBT keycaps. However, the Alloy Origins 60 stands out in a number of ways, with its head-turning replaceable spacebar cap stealing the spotlight. Interestingly, the beguiling marble-like spacebar is the only key made from ABS plastic, and I adore it. The keyboard also ships with a standard spacebar flaunting the HyperX logo, but that’s now stuffed in a dark place that I’ve forgotten about.

The Alloy Origins 60 also comes with a replaceable ESC keycap featuring a swish HyperX logo. Combined with the uniquely designed spacebar and dazzling per-key RGB lights it makes for one eye-catching keyboard.

The keys are encased in a solid “full aircraft-grade” aluminum frame, with sturdy collapsible feet that allow for three adjustable keyboard angles. Being able to change how the keyboard is angled to suit different surfaces is a fantastic design perk.

Despite weighing only 1.72 pounds, the Alloy Origins 60 isn’t the featherweight most 60% keyboards strive to be. Compared with Corsair’s K65 RGB Mini (1.2 pounds), HyperX’s petite keyboard is 0.5 pounds heavier. It is common to associate heavier items with higher quality, and HyperX’s compact keyboard strikes the right balance between portability and feeling like it’s crafted with a touch of luxury.

With dimensions of 11.6 x 4.15 x 1.45 inches, this is a keyboard that won’t take up much real estate on your desk, and can easily be slipped into a backpack or laptop bag for those who are constantly on the move and enjoy having a personal keyboard to rely on. 

HyperX Alloy Origins 60 connectivity and support 

The Alloy Origins 60 uses a detachable USB Type-C-to-USB Type-A braided cable to connect to devices via a USB 3.0 Type-A port. The supplied 1.8m (5.9 ft) cable is long enough to reach anywhere it needs to, and since it’s detachable, it can be swapped out for one that’s either longer or shorter. It also boasts a simple plug-and-play setup.

The keyboard is compatible with the biggest gaming platforms, including PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Xbox One. While it works with Windows 10, the Alloy Origins 60 is not compatible with macOS or Linux. 

HyperX Alloy Origins 60 keys 

The Alloy Origins 60 is an extremely comfortable mechanical keyboard to type and game on. It uses linear-style HyperX Red Switches, which is better suited for gamers than typists due to their consistent actuation without any feedback. Though it takes time to adjust to, I enjoyed using it for work. In fact, I’m using it to write this review. 

HyperX’s Red key switches don’t make the resounding clickety-clack of other switches, such as Cherry MX Red key switches. Instead, there is a satisfying “click” with each keystroke, which gamers will appreciate. The keyboard has a 45g actuation force and 1.8mm actuation distance, making keys sensitive to touch. The keyboard also has a comfortable 3.8mm of total travel distance.

When I put my typing to the test using 10fastfingers.com, I averaged 67 words per minute. It takes time to adjust to the low actuation force, so I kept accidentally pressing other keys. However, it didn’t take long until I went slightly beyond my standard 71 wpm, reaching 73 wpm.

As much as I would enjoy parading the Alloy Origins 60 around in the office since its key switches aren’t very loud, I couldn’t effectively use it. The inability to simply press the delete button or reach the directional keys is inconvenient in a professional space. However, as a personal keyboard, it’s a delight to use when chatting on different messaging apps or typing a simple article. But this keyboard has been built first and foremost for gamers. 

HyperX Alloy Origins 60 gaming 

Gamers will be happy to know the Alloy Origins 60 excels as a gaming accessory. The keyboard comes equipped with full N-Key rollover (NKRO), which means no matter how many keys are pressed, it will register each one, along with 100% anti-ghosting so the keyboard doesn’t mistakenly register another key. You’ll find professional esports players are keen to have these features on their keyboards, too. 

To put the 60% keyboard to the test, I played the highly competitive Valorant to see if the keyboard could help me rack up my kill count. I switched agents from Cypher to Jett to make the most out of the keyboard. Being able to accurately dash through my smoke grenades to surprise the opposition was a breeze. And thanks to the keyboard’s low actuation force and key travel distance, I nabbed more first kills; the keys felt responsive enough to activate skills the moment I needed them.

As an extra test, I also played Risk of Rain 2, which requires a lot of key inputs (especially the spacebar). It was a pleasure to jump, dodge and roll around each environment. Although there wasn’t a huge boost in my gameplay performance (curse you, electric jellyfish), I would use the Alloy Origins 60 over a laptop keyboard any day. 

HyperX Alloy Origins 60 software 

HyperX uses its own NGENUITY software as an easy way to customize the Alloy Origins 60. After a quick install, I could change the keyboard’s variety of hypnotic RGB lighting effects (breathing, confetti, swipe, solid, twilight, sun, etc), remap keys, and program different macros. A personal favorite is the unique “Flame” trigger effect, which produces a deep red flame-like pattern in the keys above each key you press. If a keyboard can make me feel like a twisted firestarter while typing, it’s doing something right. Better yet, lighting effects can be mixed and matched, meaning I could light up the confetti patterns in flames. 

The Alloy Origins 60’s onboard memory can fit up to three profiles. This isn’t much compared to Corsair’s 50 onboard profiles. But for users like myself who mainly use a keyboard for work, FPS PC games, and a few other gaming genres, being able to customize three profiles is enough. Profiles can easily be switched by pressing the secondary function keys, too. 

Bottom line 

If I had to pick one keyboard to strut down the catwalk of the gaming keyboard equivalent of New York Fashion Week, I’d turn to the HyperX Alloy Origins 60. Its 60% form factor isn’t ideal for professional use, but it functions perfectly as a personal keyboard for the traveling gamer. While it has been beautifully designed and sturdily built with the average gamer in mind, the Alloy Origins 60 also makes for a comfortable keyboard to type on. And while it features everything a gamer would want in a keyboard, it could use more onboard memory to support more than three profiles.

The Alloy Origins 60 may be set at a competitive price compared to some of the best 60% gaming keyboards, but it’s still expensive when compared to mechanical gaming keyboards that don’t sacrifice keys for shortcuts. As I ponder whether keyboard fashion week would be a raving success or a dud, check out our list of the best gaming keyboards on the market today.