Glorious GMMK 3 Pro review: keyboard modding made easy
Your entry point into keyboard modding
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The Glorious GMMK 3 Pro is a powerful, highly customizable wireless keyboard that attempts to bring the art of modding to the mass market. It’s the latest in the brand’s modular mechanical keyboard series and is being labelled as “1 billion keyboards in 1” thanks to its list of customizable possibilities.
It features 7 uniquely-customizable design traits that allow the user to change not only the aesthetics of the keyboard, but also the performance, feel, sound, and typing style too. It will follow on from the brand’s already popular GMMK 2 series, offering an entry point for individuals that want to start their journey into keyboard modding.
But does the latest mod-friendly keyboard from Glorious offer enough versatility, functionality, and customization to warrant its relatively steep price point? We take a closer look at the GMMK 3 Pro 100% keyboard to see just how intuitive keyboard customization can be and decide whether or not this premium-feeling, stellar-looking board stands up against the competition.
- Form Factor: 100%
- Key switches: Glorious MX Fox / Panda / Raptor / Lynx / Fox Heavy / Fox Ultralight / Mako / Mako Ultralight | Glorious HE Fox HE / Lynx HE / Panda HE / Raptor HE / Lynx HE Silent / Panda HE Silent
- Actuation: 0.1mm – 4.0mm
- Dimensions: 462mm x 152mm x 44mm
- Connections: USB Type-C, 2.4GHz Wireless, Bluetooth
- Massive customization options
- Fantastic build quality
- Entry point into keyboard modding
- Sturdy design
- HE switches for competitive response
- Enthusiast model will cost around $350-$399
- Too heavy for some use cases
Models & pricing
The Glorious GMMK 3 is currently available in 4 prebuilt/barebones options, with each offering a unique list of features that tailor them towards a specific use case. As far as pricing is concerned, the range features boards that hit each financial demographic, with the GMMK 3 being your entry-level option ($119-$139), while the GMMK 3 Pro HE is the flagship model ($299-$369).
Below is the full pricing list for the available models on launch:
- Glorious GMMK 3: $119.99 – $139.99
- Glorious GMMK 3 HE: $179.99 – $199.99
- Glorious GMMK 3 Pro: $239.99 – $299.99
- Glorious GMMK 3 Pro HE: $299.99 – $369.99
- Custom GMMK 3 (fully customizable option)
While pricing is seemingly steep, each board seems to be fairly well priced when compared to some of the market’s like-for-like alternatives. The GMMK 3, for example, is around $20 cheaper than both the Corsair K70 RGB Pro and Razer Blackwidow V4 on their respective launch dates. That being said, with dynamic pricing and deals on keyboards regularly available, you can pick up both Razer and Corsair variants for around $120.
The same story can be found when comparing the GMMK 3 Pro to the ASUS Azoth and Blackwidow V4 75% boards, which puts the brands latest arrival at a slightly uncomfortable price point. Overall, when you look at the market right now, and factor in the respective pricing across various retailers, you’d have to say that the GMMK 3 is a little on the pricey side. That said, when you factor in the various features, design aesthetics, and customization traits of the board, it’s probably still a worthwhile prospect for individuals looking in that price range.
Full specifications & gallery
Below you’ll find a full list of the specifications for the models in question:
| GMMK 3 | GMMK 3 HE | GMMK 3 Pro | GMMK 3 Pro He | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $119-$139 | $179-$199 | $239-$299 | $299-$369 |
| Size options | 65%, 75%, 100% | 65%, 75%, 100% | 65%, 75%, 100% | 65%, 75% |
| Colors | Black, White | Black, White | Black, Silver | Black, Silver |
| Hotswap support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wired | Wired (8K HZ polling rate) | Wired/wireless (2.4GHz & BT) | Wired/wireless (2.4GHz & BT) |
| Gasket mounted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aluminum plate | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rotary encoder | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Swappable frames | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable accents | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Design
Aesthetically, the GMMK 3 Pro looks and feels about as good as it gets – equipped with a design language that is clean, polished, and premium. The GMMK3 Pro is available in three distinct size variations (65%, 75%, 100%) and each is designed using a high-end CNC aluminum case and Doubleshot PBT keycaps. A ‘brushed’ finish has been applied to the aluminum top case we tested, but as we’ll soon elude to, every component of the board’s design is fully customizable through the purchasing process. The Doubleshot PBT keycaps have a slightly textured feel and utilize bold text to give the board an almost clinical aesthetic.
A tactile rotary knob (or volume wheel) can be found in the top right corner of the board alongside a metallic Glorious badge that features a small RGB light strip. The Doubleshot PBT keycaps sit nicely within the top shell of the board, with the base of the caps sitting flush with the top of the case. The caps are not of “low-profile” design, meaning some macOS users will feel slightly out of sorts using this board. For PC users, however, this should not be a problem. Two RGB light diffusers can be found on the sides of the board for a more subtle RGB experience – all of which can be fully customized using the brand’s Core software suite.
The rear of the board is fairly uncharacteristic, with a large Glorious stamp being the only real talking point. Users will find eight rubber stoppers – which act as anti-slide points – that cover the screws used to open the board for further customization. A USB Type-C connection can be found at the top of the board (usual location) for connecting the board to your PC. It sits alongside a MAC/PC switch and a wired/wireless/Bluetooth switch which both feel relatively premium. Users can choose between a number of cable options, but we opted for the rugged-looking coiled keyboard cable that features a double-sleeved braided design with a 5-pin aviator detachable connector.
As far as weight and size go, the GMMK 3 Pro is an absolute beast – weighing in at 2.85 KG (according to my scales). The overall design of the board, once you factor in the hefty weight, feels absolutely rock solid – giving me confidence that this board will likely stand the test of time. It measures in at 462mm x 152mm x 44.5mm, making it a fairly standard size for a 100% keyboard.
Overall, the board is quite impressive from a design perspective – especially if you choose a cool pink on green color scheme like we did. Jokes aside, the board feels premium, looks fantastic, and with endless customization, you’ll be able to tailor it to your exact needs. And better yet, if you aren’t happy with one element of the design, you’ll be able to tweak that part with very little fuss.
Feature packed with modding at its core
At this stage, we best talk about the elephant in the room – the GMMK 3 Pro’s endless customization. As the brand state in their marketing materials, the GMMK 3 Pro (alongside the entirety of the range) is designed for users who like to customize every aspect of their keyboard, and that’s exactly what you get here. Users will be able to customize 7 components of the design makeup, including the; top and bottom case, switch plate, cables, keycaps, and accent pieces – making this one of the most customizable boards on the mass market. A variety of options are available for each component of the board, giving the GMMK 3 Pro its unique “1 billion keyboards in 1” characteristic.
For me, the main feature of this board is the customization and “modding” ability it brings to the table. You can change pretty much every aspect of this board, from the switch plate to the gaskets and everything in between. And best of all, Glorious is bringing this to the mass market in a way that is incredibly intuitive and instinctive. Essentially, it’s Lego for the keyboard modding world.
Physically accessing the internal design of the board is incredibly easy. Located on the underside of the board, users will find 8 rubber stoppers that cover the keyboard’s screws that hold the case together. Simply use the supplied screwdriver to remove the 8 screws and voila, you’re in. Carefully remove the top case to reveal the switch plate, switches, and gasket mount. At this stage, you can start your modding journey, changing the switches, adding and removing gaskets for better dampening, and even changing the switch plate all together to better suit your aesthetic requirements. Users will also be able to swap out RGB diffusers, change keycaps, and add little accents to the board’s design.
To test the intuitive nature of the process, we sent the keyboard round the office to some of our least experienced colleagues to see how they faired with the process. While some felt a little nervous about meddling with the innards of a $300 keyboard, most thought the process was incredibly straight forward – even when it came to physically removing the switches and replacing them with something more suited to their needs.
While each of the GMMK 3 options comes with a slightly different switch, we opted for the brand’s flagship Hall Effect switches – which offer a number of cool features. Firstly, the HE switches feature custom actuation that measures from 0.1mm to 4.0mm, giving competitive players the ability to increase the reactiveness of their keypresses. The HE switches also feature a 4 in 1 dynamic keystroke, meaning you can get 4 unique commands from one individual keypress. Not sure how competitive gaming councils will view this feature, but it’s certainly cool for the hobbyist.
The GMMK 3 Pro also features hotswap compatibility with not only proprietary switches, but also 3/5-pin MX options too. Alongside this, users have the option of choosing between Doubleshot PBT keycaps or macOS keycaps – depending on what platform they’re subscribed to.
If you’re using the wireless option like us, the keyboard offers 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections, alongside a max polling rate of 8,000Hz when wired. Battery life is said to run in the region of 22-28 hours on 2.4GHz wireless and 51-67 hours on Bluetooth. All boards will come with Glorious’ 2 year warranty.
All features are powered through the brand’s Core 2.1 software suite which allows you to customize all of the above. The software package is incredibly easy to use and allows the user to set a number of profiles depending on the use case.
Performance
The GMMK 3 Pro really was a joy to type on, especially when working on longer feature pieces – such as this review we’re writing here. The overall typing experience was excellent, with each key perfectly spaced to allow for fast typing accuracy and very few mistypes. The Doubleshot PBT keycaps felt very nice to use during typing sessions, especially with their slightly textured finish that offers low level of grip during typing. When comparing the PBT keycaps to their ABS counterpart, its easy to feel the difference. The PBT caps support a much more pleasant typing style and offer far less wobble during usage. Additionally, the keycaps offered an incredibly premium feel when paired with the brand’s Glorious Fox HE switches, resulting in an wonderfully silky typing experience.
The dampening pad used under the switchplate also helps to give the keystrokes a characteristic thud that is far more enjoyable than that of early MX Red’s or current ‘clicky’ alternatives. Pair that with the customizable gaskets below and you really do have a premium typing experience. Remember, if you want certain areas of your board to be less dampened, simply unscrew the board, remove the gasket, and put it back together.
Sadly, the typing feel wasn’t for everyone in our office, with some low-profile users not totally sold on the “high-profile” design of the keycaps we used. That said, adjustments can be made to the keycaps to better suit a low-profile requirement.
I tested the board over a variety of games but mostly over competitive shooters like Valorant and Counter-Strike. The keyboard responded incredibly well during gaming sessions, however, some adjustments were required to dial in that perfect actuation distance. Upon starting my tests, I had the key actuation set quite low – meaning keystrokes were at their most reactive. While that was great for some situations, trying to stealthily peak a corner was sometimes met with my character simply running into the open before I expected it.
With that said, we tweaked the boards actuation distance on the core “WASD” keys and that solved the overpeeking issue relatively quickly. After this, the keyboard was incredibly nice to use and gave me real confidence in my movement in competitive shooters – a feature that can not be overlooked when you’re looking to achieve the highest levels of performance.
Thanks to the above mentioning dampening pad, the rapid usage of certain keys on games like CS2 was not overly obtrusive – something that is definitely problematic when using more aggressive sounds red switches.
Overall, I really enjoyed the keyboards characteristic feel during gameplay. One downside, however, was the weight of the board. I’m the sort of player that likes to make micro adjustments during gameplay, and trying to move this thing quickly in the heat of battle simply isn’t at option. However, that shouldn’t really be a problem for most, as many gamers actually enjoy the opposite – a rock solid, stable board that will stay put during action.
Glorious GMMK 3 Pro
