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Glorious Custom Gaming Keyboard - GMMK 85% Percent TKL Barebone - USB C Wired Mechanical Keyboard Kit - RGB Hot Swappable Switches & Keycaps - Black Metal Top Plate
GLORIOUS

Glorious Custom Gaming Keyboard

Bottom line: The Glorious Custom Gaming Keyboard: Hot-swap sockets: change 3-pin switches with no soldering; main trade-off: barebone kit: you buy switches and keycaps separately.

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By , Founder & Editor-in-Chief · Listing data updated

Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014. For keyboards, mice, headsets and other PC peripherals, synthesises manufacturer specs and independent reviews rather than first-hand lab testing. Core beat: GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ Hot-swap sockets: change 3-pin switches with no soldering
  • ✓ Per-key RGB with 16.8 million colors, lighting presets set by hotkey
  • ✓ Standard ANSI bottom row fits Keychron, Akko and Epomaker keycap sets
  • ✓ Aluminum top plate over ABS bottom for tuning a clacky or thocky sound
  • ✓ Works on Windows, Mac and supported PS4, PS5 and Xbox consoles

Cons

  • ✗ Barebone kit: you buy switches and keycaps separately
  • ✗ 5-pin switches need their plastic legs trimmed to fit
  • ✗ Wired USB-C only, with no wireless or Bluetooth mode
  • ✗ Bottom plate is ABS plastic, not aluminum

Manufacturer description

The Glorious GMMK TKL Barebone is a mechanical keyboard kit for building your own board without a soldering iron. Its hot-swap sockets take 3-pin plate-mounted switches, so you can pull one switch type and fit another in minutes. You can choose linear switches for a quiet office, tactile for typing feedback or clicky for sharp actuation. It is a barebone kit, so you pick the switches and keycaps yourself. The tenkeyless layout is a standard ANSI layout with a standard-size bottom row. That means third-party keycap sets from brands like Keychron, Akko, Royal Kludge and Epomaker fit without…

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SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Glorious Custom Gaming Keyboard using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the gaming peripherals category. GLORIOUS's gaming peripherals lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.

Common buyer scenarios for gaming peripherals of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the GMMK TKL Barebone come with switches and keycaps?

No. This is the barebone version, so you supply your own 3-pin plate-mounted switches and keycaps. Check the product listing to confirm exactly what is in the box.

Can I use 5-pin switches in the GMMK?

The hot-swap sockets do not support 5-pin switches out of the box. Glorious says you can cut off the two extra plastic legs on a 5-pin switch to make it fit the 3-pin sockets.

Which switch brands work with this keyboard?

It works with most 3-pin plate-mounted Cherry, Gateron and Kailh switches, whether linear, tactile or clicky. Switches built for SMD RGB LEDs give the brightest per-key lighting.

Will standard aftermarket keycap sets fit the GMMK TKL?

Yes. It uses a standard ANSI layout with a standard-size bottom row, so OEM-profile and other standard sets from brands like Keychron, Akko, Royal Kludge and Epomaker fit.

Does the GMMK work with Mac and game consoles?

Yes. Glorious lists support for Windows and Mac, plus PS4, PS5 and Xbox consoles that accept keyboards. It connects by wired USB-C and has a 1-year limited manufacturer warranty.

Key Features

  • Fully Modular Keyboard: As the first Hot Swap RGB gaming keyboard, GMMK features hot swap switch sockets so you can plug in and out switches as your DIY preference (Does not support 5 pin switches, you can cut off the plastic legs of the switch to make it compatible). No need to solder for hours. Featuring per key 16.8 million RGB, fully customizable with our GMMK Software, and major RGB patterns can be set from the keyboard hotkeys directly without software.
  • Compatible Mechanical Switches: GMMK is compatible with a wide range of 3-pin plate mounted Mechanical switches. You can use linear, clicky or tactile switch to make a quiet office setup as well as your setup. The barebones keyboard is compatible with backlit RGB SMD LED compatible switches like most Cherry, Gateron and Kailh Switches so transparent keycaps legends become extra bright full of RGB and easy to read. You can swap any 3 pin Mechanical clicky, linear, or tactile switches with GMMK.
  • OEM Layout: A standard ANSI layout with standard sized bottom row makes GMMK widely compatible with 3rd party standard keycaps available in the current marketplace - with brands like Keychron, Akko, RK Royal Kludge, Epomaker, etc and with a wide range of colors like white, black or pink keycaps make the RGB keyboard pop out. The full aluminum metal top plate and ABS plastic bottom plate make the build perfect for fine sound tuning - be it clacky or thocky.
  • Superior Ergonomics and Compatibility: With the in built stand, angle of the keyboard can be changed to match a more ergonomic typing experience. This keyboard kit is compatible with OEM sculpted keycaps so your fingers and hand joints can preserve the jelly like substance and do not become stiff over time. GMK Keyboard is compatible with a wide range of operating systems like Windows, Mac and keyboard supported consoles (PS4 PS5 XBOX).
  • Warranty: GMMK has a free and included 1 Year Limited Manufacturer Warranty.

Full Specifications

BrandGLORIOUS
ColorBlack
Themegaming technology
LanguageEnglish, English
WarrantyGMMK has a free and included 1 Year Limited Manufacturer Warranty.
Model NameGlorious PC Gaming Race GMMK TKL - Barebone, ANSI-Layou
Style NameBlack
Unit Count1 Count
Switch TypeLinear, Tactile, Clicky Compatible
ConnectivityUSB-C
Model NumberGMMK-TKL-RGB
Power SourceUSB
CompatibilityPS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch, Mac
Built-In MediaKeycap Puller
Item Type Namemechanical Keyboards
Number of Keys87
Button Quantity87
Connection TypeWired
Keyboard LayoutQWERTY
Mfr Part NumberGMMK-TKL-RGB
Full listing titleGlorious Custom Gaming Keyboard - GMMK 85% Percent TKL Barebone - USB C Wired Mechanical Keyboard Kit - RGB Hot Swappable Switches & Keycaps - Black Metal Top Plate

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Glorious Custom Gaming Keyboard - GMMK 85% Percent TKL Barebone - USB C Wired Mechanical Keyboard Kit - RGB Hot Swappable Switches & Keycaps - Black Metal Top Plate is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.

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Glorious Custom Gaming Keyboard - GMMK 85% Percent TKL Barebone - USB C Wired Mechanical Keyboard Kit - RGB Hot Swappable Switches & Keycaps - Black Metal Top Plate
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