Mode just revealed the starting price of its premium Mode Eighty (2021) custom keyboard. Set to retail from $459 (about RM1,905), the new Eighty is more affordable than the previous model. On top of that, the configurator for the TKL keyboard is now live too, so you can customise your very own Eighty before the pre-orders start on 19 November.

The reason why the Eighty is slightly more affordable now is due to its new isolated top mount system, which doesn’t require the PORON base. If you want a more muted, stiffer typing experience, you’ll need to get that base (for the stack mount system) as a $20 add-on, increasing the price of this TKL keyboard to $479 (about RM1,990).

Compared to the Mode SixtyFive, the Eighty’s configurator doesn’t have quite as many options, though you do have a fair number of colour options. You can customise the colour of the top and bottom case, a hotswap or solderable PCB, as well as plate material.

As mentioned, the Mode Eighty will be available for pre-order next month on 19 November 2021 with a $459 starting price. Fulfilment for the Eighty will begin as early as March 2022, so that’s only a four-month lead time – a very short waiting time in this hobby.