Dygma Raise: splitting the difference between gaming and ergonomics

Photo by Alice Newcome-Beill / The Verge

The term ergonomics gets thrown around a lot, and it's most often applied to keyboards. It's fairly easy to find split keyboards from a variety of manufacturers. There are few keyboards that have features that appeal to enthusiasts. The Dygma Raise bucks the trend with features that are enthusiast-customizability.

The basic model of the Dygma Raise costs $319.00 and is only available on the company's website. The high price point is not uncommon in the split keyboard community, but the Raise is a cut above.

Buy for $319.00 from Dygma

Reducing the amount of repetitive movement performed by your fingers and hands is what ergonomics in keyboard design is all about. You can tent the keyboard to relieve your wrists, or position your hands farther apart to relieve strain on your shoulders. The raise was designed to accommodate both aspects.

The Raise has a split layout with a keyboard with backlighting. The split layout keyboards are exactly what they say they are, with the available keys divided down the middle. This will allow you to rest your arms at 90-degree angles.

These aren't the features that set the keyboard apart, but what really makes this keyboard special are the customization options, thanks to its open-source software, hot-swap PCB, and small but enthusiastic community. It has something of a following and you only need to visit the server dedicated to this keyboard to find it.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Luis Sevilla, the founder and CEO of Dygma, was once the coach for the Fnatic League of Legend team. Luis had a unique perspective on the challenges faced by the players. repetitive stress injuries are typically reserved for people twice the age of the 18-year old player. This inspired him to develop the Raise.

It is clear from the box that no expense was spared on this keyboard. The Raise ships in a hardened carrying case that holds the keyboard, cables, and a weird-looking cable splitter. The enhancement kit that ships with the keyboard includes samples of the additional switches that Dygma offers, as well as a selection of rubberized o-rings, a combination switch and keycap puller.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The Raise has a very lean aesthetic thanks to its 60 percent layout. There are no keys for function row, number pad, or text navigation. There is no visible branding, just a brushed aluminum body with a pair of wrist rests attached to either side. If you need to clean the wrist rests, they can be removed and reapplied.

The Raise is easily separated into two parts by pulling on either side. The boards are secured with pins. The hardware is very sturdy and can be held up by one side. Impressive, given the weight of the keyboard.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The Raise is unique. While it's marketed as a gaming keyboard, you won't find many of the typical trappings you'd expect from other brands, like dedicated media controls and extended key layout. You can use the split design to run just one half of the board as a gaming pad and move your mouse hand closer to the middle.

The Raise can be configured with eight different 3rd party switches, with options ranging from Cherry MX Reds to the Kailh Speed Silver linear switches. You can swap in any three or five-pin switch you want. Currently it ships with PBT keycaps for six region-specific layouts. You can swap in custom sets with all of the basic keys. The Raise ships with a black aluminum backplate, but can also be ordered with a silver backplate and white keycaps for an additional charge.

The tenting kit costs an additional $89. You can angle the board upwards in steps from 10 to 45 degrees. It can be returned to its previous position. The tenting kit is the same build quality as the rest of the keyboard, being composed almost entirely of aluminum with the exception of its rubber feet. The Raise doesn't have a way to be tilted like a regular keyboard, even with the tenting kit.

Photo by Alice Newcome-Beill / The Verge

The Raise uses a pair of cables to connect to your PC and a terminal called the "Neuron" that connects to it. If you prefer custom cables for your setup, the Raise cables can be easily replaced.

Dygma uses its own proprietary software to remap keys. This software can be used on PC, Mac, and Linux. The interface is easy to use and encourages you to make your own Raise. Bazecor allows you to control the lighting on a per-LED basis, but it doesn't offer any animations aside from the lighting effects baked into the keyboard.

Image: Alice Newcome-Beill

Image: Alice Newcome-Beill

If you switch the keyboard between different computers, everything will remain the same, because your macros, layers, and other custom configurations are stored in the Neuron. You don't need to keep Bazecor running in the background to keep your settings in place.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The keyboard has a couple of features that are essential. The keyboard has layers that allow it to store secondary key functions under the 60 percent layout. This gives access to things like media controls and arrow keys.

The eight-bar is a cluster of eight keys, which is where you would normally find the spacebar. By default, these keys are used to shift between layers. In addition to unique functions, each layer can be assigned its own lighting, allowing you to highlight the keys you need, a clever and helpful touch.

Getting the Raise set up and configured was easy, but getting used to its layout was more difficult for someone who uses full-size keyboards. It wasn't the split design that tripped me up, it was the 60 percent layout. I lost count of how many times I reached for my number pad and realized there was no one there. My first couple of days with the Raise were spent tripping over keys and reaching for functions that were no longer there, eliciting more than their fair share of frustration and groans. I still ended up looking at my keys more than I would have liked, even though I eventually got used to it. The Raise isn't unique in this respect, many split ergonomics boards take weeks to get used to, depending on your typing style and use cases.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

There is a steep learning curve for this keyboard, but the skill ceiling is high. You can get a feel for what's possible if you visit the macros page of the Dygma Wiki or the thread on the internet.

Here is how the Dygma Raise sounds.

For some users, the keyboard is a match made in heaven, but for me, it felt more like a wedding. I'm not sure if the Dygma Raise is a good keyboard for most keyboard users. You have to commit to the ergonomics and quirks of the 60 percent layout to enjoy using this board.

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it. It is impossible for us to read and analyze all of these agreements. We started counting how many times you have to agree to use devices when we review them.

The open-source software for the Dygma Raise doesn't require you to agree to a EULA before you use it. There are all of the files associated with Bazecor on the Dygma page. Dygma doesn't recommend changing the firmware, but instructions can be found here.

If you're interested in the design of the Dygma Raise but don't want to spend a lot of money, there are a number of less expensive options out there. The Moonlander keyboard from ZSA is the closest analog, but still has a high price. The Kinesis Freestyle Edge is one of the less expensive options.

Dygma launched a campaign on the crowd funding website to fund a project that builds on the foundations of the Raise keyboard by adapting and refining it into an ortho linear design. I'm excited to see what they come up with next, given the amount of care and attention that went into their initial design.

The cost of this keyboard may be prohibitive for many, but the Raise brings a different take to the keyboard world. The Dygma Raise is worth considering if you are a 60 percent keyboard enthusiast and looking for your next obsession.