MADE 68 Review: A Wooting Killer?

Introduction

What’s up y’all, welcome back to YMMV. Today, we’re taking a look at the MADE 68 from MelGeek, a compact keyboard that blends performance and aesthetics in a minimalist package. At the price of $159, this board offers a unique design with premium gaming features. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Let’s get to it.

Form

The MADE 68 is a compact 65% keyboard with a sleek, minimalistic design. One of its standout features is the lightbar across the back of the board, which bears a striking resemblance to a car tail light—adding a clean, modern look to your setup. The board’s plastic construction feels solid and has a textured finish, which helps it avoid the cheap plastic feel that some boards in this price range can have. There’s also the addition of the aluminum side panels which just gives it that touch of luxury. Also, nothing on this keyboard really attracts fingerprints, which is a pretty big plus for someone like me, who wants to keep everything looking very clean.

Function

The MADE 68 offers incredible overall functionality for its price point. If you’ve ever wondered what the hype around Wooting is about but can’t justify the price, this is the keyboard for you. The common consensus is that magnetic HE switches (the ones that MADE 68 and Wooting use) feels about 10-15% faster than mechanical switches. After using the board in some Valorant matches, the difference in responsiveness was very noticeable. It won’t turn you into Faker, s1mple, or Tenz, obviously, but the improvement is very notable.

Something to note is that my MADE 68's stabilizers are exceptional, coming factory-lubed and performing flawlessly out of the box—no rattling, no need for further tuning. Whether you’re typing or gaming, the stabilizers provide a smooth experience for larger keys like the spacebar and enter. Additionally, the keyboard also has arrow keys, something that I sorely missed on the Wooting and is an essential for me.

Sound

In terms of sound, the MADE 68 leans towards the mid-lower end. It’s not overly loud, but the deeper tones offer a satisfying auditory experience with each keystroke. For a stock board, the sound is quite decent. It holds up well in terms of acoustic performance, but probably won’t be a match for any of our mechanical offerings. For how the different switches affect the sound of the board, look forward to next week’s blog on magnetic switches!

My Thoughts

The MADE 68 is a well-rounded keyboard, with its combination of unique design, great performance, and solid build quality. For its price, it’s an amazing choice for those looking for a rapid trigger 65% board that doesn’t compromise on the quality. While I’ll be diving into the switch details in a separate blog post, the overall stock performance is VERY strong. Here’s a table to compare the current king of rapid trigger, Wooting, to the MADE 68:

As you can see, the only real differences in specs between the Wooting and the MADE 68 is the web-enabled software, arrow keys, appearance, and price. Other than that, the technical aspects and quality is functionally identical. I will note that if you want to extensively mod your keyboard (case, foams, switches, etc.), the Wooting is undoubtedly a better choice due to the popularity of the keyboard and the available modification options—see our modding kit, for example.

TL;DR: Is this keyboard for me?

• $159 on TKM
• Same performance as Wooting (magnetic HE switches)
• Compact 65% layout
• 6-degree typing angle for comfort
• Factory-lubed, rattle-free stabilizers
• Mid-low sound profile
• Unique tail light design

Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a time and place for a Wooting, specifically if you like tinkering. However, I believe that as a ready-to-use gaming keyboard, the MADE 68 easily beats out the Wooting for me, and that's why we're so excited to offer it. If you agree, disagree, or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or join our discord. Until next time :)