Between Analogue Pocket and the proliferation of game emulators on Apple’s App Store, retro gaming is no longer fashionable in 2024. Amazingly, AM RGB 65 inspired by Game Boy.
But the real surprise is that what at first glance looks like a nearly $600 parts bin hack of an existing circuit board is actually Angry Miao’s best mech yet.
The RGB 65 is a 65% layout keyboard, but its large dot matrix LED forehead means it takes up almost as much space as most 75% keyboards. It looks a lot like a shrunken web tablet, but thankfully it takes more design cues from one of the most popular handheld devices in human history rather than the oft-mocked rolling bin.
The retro vibe is most obvious on the white and purple versions, but all of the RGB 65 colors pay homage to the industrial design of Nintendo’s original “DMG-01” Game Boy. These include a curved lower right corner with six slats that mimic the speaker grille, a negative embossed D-pad cutout around the USB-C port, and simulated B and A buttons at the bottom that replace wireless charging on other AMs Model model. Another aesthetic flourish is caraga The plastic antenna window is decorated with pixel art graphics and enables Bluetooth 5.1 and 2.4GHz wireless connections through the all-metal chassis.
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Typing on the RGB 65 is a breath of fresh air compared to previous Angry Miao boards. The marble-like sound signature is still there, but the new Icy Silver V2 linear switches with their nylon casing and improved internal design give the RGB 65 a deeper, “thicker” sound than any other AM keyboard I’ve tried.
It’s gratifying to see AngryMiao making great strides in sound and typing feel. While I personally like the sound of most previous AM keyboards, this is all very subjective. The popular “meta” in custom mechanical keyboards continues to evolve. I think Angry Sprouts does a great job of keeping up with trends, and it needs to. This is a very expensive keyboard that feels good and sounds great right out of the box, especially when you consider that it redesigns important design elements of the Cyberboard.
The 200-LED dot matrix panel on the Cyberboard always looked stunning, but while it’s been recycled in RGB 65, it’s implemented better and is more practical. Rather than being angled toward you and upside down like the Cyberboard, it sits flat on the main deck and is easy to see. The RGB lighting display beneath the keys is still a flashy novelty, but you can use Angry Miao’s website for some deep customization or download fully baked presets from the community. It was fun to mess around with, even if I ended up using it as a big desk clock most of the time.
But the most impressive thing about RGB 65 is this “cyber gray” color combination, at least compared to the white and “Purple Fury” options. Sure, it looks slick on its own, but the other two feel like they have the biggest Game Boy vibe. Maybe if the gray model used opaque light gray or charcoal keycaps, it could channel a little more of the Game Boy Advance SP or Game Boy Pocket.
Regardless, the RGB 65 is in dire need of some transparent Atomic Purple or Jungle Green action (another ongoing trend), so I hope Angry Miao considers a cheaper all-plastic version in the future. I’d even be willing to sacrifice a little if Angry Miao could allow myself not to over-engineer every little thing made of aluminum.
The Kickstarter campaign for the AM RGB 65 launches today, with prices starting at $449 for a bare metal kit (no keycaps or switches) and going up to $598 for a full, pre-built Violet set. Angry Miao is offering an early bird discount of 8% within the first 48 hours of the event.
Photography: Antonio G. Di Benedetto/The Verge
