Tested: Hator Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima 8K Wireless Keyboard – Magnetic Deal Under €100!

The Hator Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima 8K Wireless gaming keyboard is a wireless model in an 80% format equipped with magnetic Hall effect switches. It positions itself as a serious contender against similar models from brands like Wooting.

Hator has also undertaken significant internal optimization efforts to ensure a truly premium typing experience. Moreover, the Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima can operate wirelessly at 8,000 Hz and also supports Bluetooth for maximum compatibility.

While not the first of its kind, Hator’s new keyboard has a compelling selling point: its price. Despite its enticing specifications, the Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima is available for under 100 euros, easily half the price of some equally equipped competing models.

Technical Specifications of Hator Skyfall MAG Ultima 8K Wireless

Design Elements of Hator Skyfall MAG Ultima 8K WirelessStylish in Black and White

The Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima resembles keyboards from the French brand Designed by GG. It features a robust all-plastic chassis. This material gives it some flexibility and thus a notable sensitivity to twisting, although this does not really affect the typing experience. Despite this, a sense of durability emanates from its internal components, especially given its weight of over one kilogram.

The Ukrainian brand has opted for a two-tone keyboard, combining a white base topped with a black shell. This duality is also evident in the keycaps, which stylishly alternate between black and white, similar to some custom keyboards. The Escape key adds a touch of color with its pink hue sprinkled with lighter details.

If our test unit adopts an 80% layout that eliminates the numeric keypad while retaining the arrow keys, it’s worth noting that the Skyfall range is also available in 65%, TKL, and full-size formats. The keyboard also benefits from a volume control dial, which is moderately high-quality due to significant wobble but performs its function well.

A small, customizable, and ultimately superfluous LCD screen is located on the lower right side of the keyboard. We’ll discuss this more later, but this screen can display various information related to the keyboard’s operation and can also show a personalized image or certain system indicators.

Hator’s premium offering also includes the use of double-shot PBT plastic keys, more durable than the usual ABS. While the lettering is well executed, the RGB lighting does not sufficiently shine through the black keycaps and makes reading difficult on the white ones. Moreover, tertiary characters on the keys are simply not present (e.g., @, , or }).

This lighting is complemented by two customizable light strips located on the edges of the chassis. Their positioning and relative power do not allow for proper enjoyment (the light does not even reflect on the desk). Perhaps it would have been better to not include them, to save a few euros?

With its rather thick chassis, the use of a wrist rest, which is not included, is recommended. The incline of the chassis can then be adjusted to three different angles using the dual retractable pads underneath. This is also where the switch that toggles between different connection modes of the keyboard is located.

Connectivity and Battery Life of Hator Skyfall MAG Ultima 8K WirelessThree Connection Methods and Generous Battery Life at 1,000 Hz

Like the best, the Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima from Hator features triple connectivity. It can be used with the dedicated dongle, which allows, even if the benefit is limited, an interrogation rate of 8,000 Hz. This is quite rare in this price range. Bluetooth is also included since the keyboard can connect to three separate devices using this technology. The switch is made using shortcuts accessible with the Fn key.

Finally, there’s nothing to stop you from using the USB-C port for a wired connection, as well as for charging the internal battery. In terms of battery life, Hator announces up to 24 hours away from a power outlet in wireless mode at 8,000 Hz, and more than 500 hours with the RGB lighting turned off and the polling rate at 1,000 Hz. The battery life is indeed not great at 8,000 Hz since the keyboard barely lasts three days, especially as the integrated battery indicator is really not reliable. Therefore, it is highly recommended to switch to 1,000 Hz to enjoy generous battery life.

Performance of Hator Skyfall MAG Ultima 8K WirelessTyping Experience: Truly Satisfying

Beyond its design, it’s through the typing experience it offers that a gaming keyboard can stand out. This is certainly where the Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima excels, thanks to its magnetic (and linear) Hator Aurum Ice switches and the excellent work done on the internal layout of the keyboard.

Users will enjoy a smooth keystroke, with stable keys, and a genuinely pleasant feel under the fingers. Keystrokes flow effortlessly, without unwanted noise, and with a sound that is ultimately very satisfying. It is simply one of the most pleasant mainstream keyboards we have tested in recent months.

Especially satisfying for writing, the Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima is obviously well-suited for gaming, particularly demanding titles such as FPS and MOBA games. The use of Hall effect magnetic switches allows for the use of Rapid Trigger, but also for assigning multiple actions to each key (up to four). This optimizes gameplay, but it’s worth noting that these features might be considered cheating by some publishers.

Features of Hator Skyfall MAG Ultima 8K WirelessExtremely Comprehensive Features Thanks to Magnetic Switches

Numerous customization options are accessible through the PC SyncHUB driver, also available in a web version that doesn’t require installation. While the web version is translated into French, the Windows installable application is not. Both tools appear to offer the same features. One small downside is that the display of the keyboard is in QWERTY format, so care must be taken when selecting keys to modify.

The RGB lighting can logically be adjusted with a selection of pre-configured effects. These apply individually to the keys and also to the two RGB strips positioned on the edges of the chassis. The LCD screen, which simply displays the time and some information related to the keyboard’s operation, can also be customized with an image or an animation. According to the settings in the application, it should also be possible to display PC stats, but it was impossible to activate this during our test.

All keys, as well as the three actions of the dial, can be reassigned. Keyboard keys, mouse clicks, or multimedia shortcuts can be complemented by macros recorded directly within the software. To go further, several “layers” can be defined for each key with the use of the Fn key.

Above all, the PC SyncHUB ensures the customization of the operation of the magnetic switches that equip the Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima. Everything is there: customization, key by key, of the sensitivity (from 0.1 to 3 mm), but also and especially advanced features such as Rapid Trigger or DKS. These respectively allow resetting the keystroke without having to release the key entirely and defining multiple actions depending on the key height.

And to go even further, Hator adds other features previously seen at Wooting and others. There is the management of SOCD, named SnapKey, which allows setting a priority among directional keys to improve responsiveness in movements, particularly in FPS games. It is also possible to activate automatic toggle features for keys on long presses, to chain actions more effectively. In short, everything is there, and even though it will take a few minutes to fully understand each feature, Hator offers a keyboard that is particularly complete in terms of functionality.

Price and Availability of Hator Skyfall MAG Ultima 8K Wireless

The Hator Skyfall 80 MAG Ultima 8K keyboard is available at a recommended price of 100 euros.