Ultimate Hacking Keyboard 80 (UHK 80)
- 2025-10-20 ultimate hacking keyboard 80 arrived.
- Xah Talk Show 2025-10-20 Ep704 Ultimate Hacking Keyboard UHK 80 unboxing
- Xah Talk Show 2025-10-30 Ep707 Ultimate Hacking Keyboard UHK 80 Review in Depth
UHK 80 Intro
The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard 80 (UHK 80) came out in 2024-12.
It is high-end, bluetooth, split, keyboard, and completely customizable and programable keyboard. Also, every component is replaceable, including battery and hot-swappable switches.
Backlight
Backlight Functional Coloring
key light color differ by the key's function.
- white → means normal keys such as letters and numbers.
- cyan → means system modifier keys such as Shift Ctrl Alt ❖ Window ⌘ command
- orange → means UHK modifier keys such as mod Fn mouse.
- By default, light turns off after a few seconds when in wireless mode.
- Back light can be turned off.
- Light intensity can be adjusted.
- Light color for the keys can be programed.
back light configuration is done via the UHK Agent Software
USB Wired Use
- Battery is optional buy.
- If you plan to use the keyboard wired always, no need battery.
USB ports
Two USB-C ports, one on each keyboard half.
- As of today (2025-10-25), you must plugin USB to the right-hand-side to use the keyboard wired. (firmware update may allow you to plug into left-hand-side.)
- The USB port on left-hand-side is for charging battery. (if you bought the optional battery.)
Left-Hand-Side
Right-Hand-Side
Palm Rest (cannot be removed)
Back
Riser (tenting prop)
the Riser is optional buy.
the riser is solid, made of metal, sturdy, well-designed.
Addon Modules (Trackball, Trackpad, Trackpoint, Key-Cluster)
Addon Modules are optional buy.
Key Switch
Many switch choices. Check their website.
I got Linear 35 gf (Silent PINK). I recommend this.
Hot Swappable Key Sockets
yes.
it means you can change the key switch yourself.
Key Caps and Key Labeling Tech
- UHK 80 uses double-shot injection molding for key lable, so it never wears off. (it is essentially two plastics merged into one. One is the keycap, the other is the key label.)
- It uses PBT plastic, so it does not develop ugly wear-shine.
Display
256x64 pixels, 16 grayscale, OLED display.
- top left.
→ The bridge cable is connected. The two parts talking wired.
→ The bridge cable disconnected. The two parts talking wirelessly.
→ UHK is advertising via bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mode.
- top middle
- ⚠ means warning. Install UHK Agent Software to see detail.
- 🄰 means capslock on.
- ⇭ means numberlock on.
- top right: 100% 100%. battery status for left and right.
- Center, middle line: e.g. “Dvorak for Mac”. The name of current keymap.
- Center, bottom line: e.g. “New Bluetooth Device”. The name of current connected device.
Special modifier indicator
when you press any Mod, Fn, mouse, Fn2, it is shown on the display, to the right of the layout name.
Programing the Keys (UHK Agent Software)
- UHK Agent Software allows you to config the keyboard in all aspects.
- Available for Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- Installing the software is not required.
it allows you to:
- Remap keys.
- Program the keys to do keyboard shortcuts.
- Create key macros.
- Create layers.
- Program the backlight.
- Program the add-on modules.
- Mouse mode speed.
- And much more.
The UHK Agent is one of the best software, i would say it is the best among all keyboard software i've used in past 20 years. (second place would be Vial software.)
Wired Connection
- Connect USB the right-hand-side.
- Connect the left-hand-side and right-hand-side via the spiral cable. If your UHK has batteries, the spiral cable is unnecessary. The left-hand-side and right-hand-side talk wirelessly.
Bluetooth Connection
If the battery is empty, you need to charge first. Battery status is shown on the display, upper-right.
- Press a key to activate the keyboard.
- On host device (Windows computer, Mac, phone, etc), select "UHK 80". it will show a pairing code.
- On UHK, enter the pairing code.
If "UHK 80" doesn't appear in the Bluetooth devices list, you may have an older host that only supports the older Bluetooth Classic standard instead of the newer BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) standard. Only BLE is supported by the UHK 80.
Chosing a bluetooth connection
hold Fn2 then press any one of
y u i o p or the rest of keys on this row.
USB Dongle Connection
you need to install the UHK Agent Software . see
Sleep mode (Turn Off) and waking from sleep
there is no on-off switch, but there is sleep mode to basically turn the keyboard off.
- Put to Sleep: press Fn2+Pause
- Wake right-hand-side: press j+l
- Wake left-hand-side: press s+f
Battery
Battery is optional buy
- left-hand-side is 3500 mAh Lithium Polymer battery
- right-hand-side is 5000 mAh Lithium Polymer battery
UHK 80 supports 3A fast charging
Charging Battery
- Plug in USB to right-hand-side to charge it. (takes about 1 hour for full charge.)
- Plug in USB to left-hand-side to charge it.
if bridge cable is connected, it charges the other side slowly. (takes maybe 4 hours.) Direct USB connection charges much faster.
Battery Status
shows on the upper-right of the display.
Cable
- One USB cable, USB-C to USB-C.
- One USB-C to USB-A adapter.
- One bridging cable, for connecting the 2 parts.
Builtin Layouts
By default, press the following keys to switch to a keymap
- Fn+1 → display as QWR, Qwerty for PC (default)
- Fn+2 → display as DVO, Dvorak for PC
- Fn+3 → display as COL, Colemak for PC
- Fn+4 → display as QWM, Qwerty for Mac
- Fn+5 → display as DVM, Dvorak for Mac
- Fn+6 → display as COM, Colemak for Mac
to customize, install UHK Agent Software
UHK80 Manuals
- UHK80 manual
- https://uhk.io/manuals/uhk80
- Riser 80 manual (Tenting Prop)
- https://uhk.io/manuals/riser80
Conclusion
I recommend it. Been using UHK by now for 10 years, ever since the first version in 2015. Ultimate Hacking Keyboard (UHK 60 V1) and Ultimate Hacking Keyboard (UHK 60 V2)
UHK is utmost quality keyboard.
UHK 80 is very expensive. That is the downside.
i'll add more info here on the UHK80 as i use it in coming months.