Smackape Impact80 Review｜TKL Mechanical Keyboard with Stylish Coloring and Excellent Cost Performance

This keyboard is truly a “high-impact” keyboard at this price.

The Smackape Impact80, which went on sale on July 22, 2025, is an 80% TKL-sized mechanical keyboard sold by KIBU Corporation as an authorized distributor in Japan.

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is a keyboard that really has a big impact in many ways.

What a deal, In addition to the ultra-low price starting at 7,990 yen (tax included), the company plans to offer a lineup of Japanese-language layouts.

The key feel is perfect, and it is an excellent cosmetic keyboard.

This article reviews the Smackape Impact80.

Smackape Impact80 was provided by KIBU Corporation for promotional purposes. This article was written solely from our own perspective, and no modifications or adaptations were made by the supplier. This is a genuine and raw review.

Smackape Impact80 Overview

Eight variations of Impact80 exist.

• Arrangement: Japanese or English
• Coloring: mint, sunset, forest, black
• Model: Standatd/Pro/Ultra
• Switch: Porlar /Cheese/Frost
• Switch plate: PC or FR4

array (programming, programing)	color	model	writing	Plate material	battery	switch	Price
US	Mist	Impact 80 Standard	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Polar Switch	7,900 yen
US	Sunset	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	9,900 yen
US	forest	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	9,900 yen
US	Black	Impact 80 Ultra	RGB	FR4	8000mAh	Frost Blue Switch	11,900 yen
JIS	Mist	Impact 80 Standard	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Polar Switch	8,900 yen
JIS	Sunset	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	10,900 yen
JIS	forest	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	10,900 yen
JIS	Black	Impact 80 Ultra	RGB	FR4	8000mAh	Frost Blue Switch	12,900 yen

[Photos] Smackape Impact80 Review

Let’s take a look at the actual Impact80 photos.

It has a gorgeous exterior with black letters and gold letters like this.

It is manufactured by “HuiZhou Huami Intelligent Technology Co.,LTD”.

After all, katakana seems to be popular overseas, and “smack ape” was found.

The one you provided this time is a Forest model, so it is a “Pro model” with PC plate and Cheese switch.

Upon opening the package, you will find the accessories on the top side and the keyboard on the bottom side.

There were also instructions on the bottom of the box, showing consideration for usability.

Contents include the main unit, spare key switch, key cap/key switch puller, USB Type C-Type A cable, and instruction manual.

The instruction manual is written in Japanese and English.

Now, let’s take a look at the exterior.

This time, “Forest” is a classic look based on retro gray.

The look is reminiscent of the M0110 of yesteryear, and the retro green accents do a very nice job.

The key profile is Cherry, making it a very classic and basic keyboard.

The frame is made of resin, not metal.

The keycap and the case in the same color go very well together.

As described below, the keycap material is PBT and the printing is double-shot.

Printing accuracy is also fine.

The height of the front side of the keyboard is standard at approximately 1.8 mm.

At this height, a palm rest would be more comfortable for typing.

From the side.

The side view is a bit special due to the LED diffuser.

The way it glows like this is very stylish.

The back of the keyboard has a Type-C port and two switches.

The left side facing you is the OS switch (Win↔︎Mac) and the right side is the wired, 2.4GHz, and BT switch.

As described below, this keyboard has four layers, with layer 0/layer 2 for Windows and layer 1/layer 3 for macOS. It is possible to use all four layers on a single OS if you do not switch between them.

Let’s look at the bottom.

The bottom is quite simple, with rubber feet and tilt legs.

The tilt leg can be adjusted in two positions.

Without the tilt leg, the slope is about 6.7 degrees, which is standard, but when the tilt leg is taken out, the slope is about 10 or 13 degrees, which is much steeper.

Then let’s look at keycaps.

Keycaps are Cherry profile, PBT double shot.

It is with a fairly thick interior wall.

The molding accuracy of the cross stem is also high.

Then we will look at the key switches.

The Pro model’s keyswitch is a “Cheese switch,” a linear switch with 45gf of pressure.

Total travel is slightly shorter at 3.5 mm.

As for other key switches, there are manufacturer names such as Kailh and BSUN, but not so for this one.

However, the switch is also very precise and has a pleasing bottoming sound.

Pre-lubricated.

All models except Ultra have polycarbonate switch plates for a soft typing feel.

The LEDs face south (South Fetch).

Let’s look at LED lighting.

In addition to the normal backlight, the upper portion of the arrow key and the side diffuser portion can be adjusted independently.

This is what it looks like when placed on a desk.

I like the classical look.

Advantages of Smackape Impact80

The following are four advantages of Impact80 that I have found in actual use.

Cospa is the best!

First, please look at this table again.

array (programming, programing)	color	model	writing	Plate material	battery	switch	Price
US	Mist	Impact 80 Standard	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Polar Switch	7,900 yen
US	Sunset	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	9,900 yen
US	forest	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	9,900 yen
US	Black	Impact 80 Ultra	RGB	FR4	8000mAh	Frost Blue Switch	11,900 yen
JIS	Mist	Impact 80 Standard	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Polar Switch	8,900 yen
JIS	Sunset	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	10,900 yen
JIS	forest	Impact 80 Pro	RGB	PC	4000mAh	Cheese Switch	10,900 yen
JIS	Black	Impact 80 Ultra	RGB	FR4	8000mAh	Frost Blue Switch	12,900 yen

What’s more, four of the eight types can be purchased for “less than 10,000 yen”.

Frankly, it is extraordinary that a keyboard of this quality can be purchased for less than 10,000 yen.

As one would expect, price tends to be proportional to build quality and key feel, but this is not the case at all with the Impact80.

It will never hurt to buy one.

Pleasant keystroke sound

First, listen to the sound of this keystroke.

It produces a pleasant sound.

This is still a well-calculated keystroke sound due to the gasket mount and sound-absorbing material.

This time, polycarbonate plates are used, which tend to be relatively low-pitched, but the Ultra model has FR4 plates, which are expected to produce a slightly higher percussion sound.

There is a Japanese sequence.

Many of these custom keyboards are “English layout (ANSI),” which is fundamentally different from the Japanese layout most commonly used by Japanese people, and the key positions are fundamentally different, making the purchase hurdle higher.

This time, with the entry of KIBU Corporation, our Japanese distributor, we have also realized a lineup of Japanese-language sequences.

Now you will be able to enjoy typing to the fullest with your “usual layout”.

Wide range of colors

Impact80 has a very stylish color lineup.

The “Black” is a side print with a full gaming color theme, the “Mint” has a cool white look, the “Sunrise” has a salmon pink legend that is very pop and eye-catching, and the classic look will match any desk.

Disadvantages of Smackape Impact80

The following are four disadvantages of Impact80 that you should be aware of before purchasing.

Changing the keymap requires a step.

Currently, a firmware update was required to change the keymap using VIA on the Impact80 that we have on hand.

The firmware rewriting itself is easy if you follow the procedure below, but it is a disadvantage in the sense that it takes a lot of time and effort.

See how to change the keymap and update the firmware ▷▷▷

As for the Mac, an error occurred when I tried to update the firmware in QMKToolbox in my environment.

Possibly an entry-level gaming keyboard.

The polling rate of Impact80 is 500 Hz (about 2 ms) for the fastest wired connection.

This is half the speed of a typical gaming keyboard and may not be suitable for competitive gamers or for applications where response time is critical.

Reference｜Relation between polling rate and delay

Pauling rate	1 polling interval (theoretical minimum delay)
125Hz	8ms
250Hz	4ms
500Hz	2ms
1000Hz	1 ms
4000Hz	0.25ms
8000Hz	0.125ms

Keycaps for macOS not included.

As is the case with all keyboards, replacement keycaps for Macs are not included.

Therefore, as for macOS users, there is no other way but to recognize them by replacing the following.

• Win→⌘
• Alt→Option

Not suitable for quiet environment due to rather loud typing noise

The Impact80 probably has a louder keystroke sound on all models, not just the Pro model with Cheese switches that I reviewed.

Therefore, it is by far not suitable for use in an office or other environment where typing noise must be carefully monitored.

However, this is not a disadvantage, but rather an aspect of “a keyboard to enjoy the sound of typing,” and should be discounted as a product not intended for such needs in the first place.

About changing the keymap

Impact80 is keymap changeable and can be changed using the “VIA” mechanism.

However, this cannot be changed with the factory firmware.

Follow the procedure below for updating the firmware.

Firmware burning only works on Windows in our operating environment; we cannot update the firmware in QMKToolbox in the Mac environment. However, once the firmware is burned, the keymap can be changed regardless of OS.

Make sure the “Use V2 definitions” slider on the Design tab is turned off.

Click the Load button on the Design tab and specify the file with the “.json” extension that you downloaded earlier.

Click “Autorize device” from the leftmost tab and specify “RS8 (Impact80 board name)”.

Once this is done, the keymap can be changed.

Summary｜Recommended for an introduction to mechanical keyboards

This is my review of the Smackape Impact80.

Once again, I have never encountered such a phenomenally cost-effective product.

You probably won’t find a keyboard with such specifications at such a low price anywhere else.

For gaming use, the polling rate is a concern, but otherwise it is a very good keyboard.

It is the best “first mechanical keyboard” in terms of price.

If you are interested, please try it!