Syntech Chronos68 is a magnetic keyboard that has been available at Bic Camera and other electronics retailers since early July 2025.
It comes in three colors: black/white/yellow, and the retail price is 22,800 yen (tax included).
In addition to 0.1-3.5mm actuation point (AP) settings and 0.01mm rapid trigger (RT) detection, it supports 8,000Hz polling, as is typical of modern gaming keyboards.
The case has an aluminum bottom case and is equipped with sound-absorbing material for a great typing feel.
On the other hand, some of you may be thinking, “This is kind of a cool keyboard, but can I use it outside of the gaming scene?” On the other hand, there are those who may be thinking, “It’s kind of a cool keyboard, but can I use it outside the gaming scene?
In this article, we dare to review the Syntech Chronos68 from a “normal point of view” that differs from the gaming perspective.
Representative of GreenEchoes Studio
He launched his own media as a site operator and web writer, and now plans and manages multiple corporate media. He often types heavily in his work, and in his search for greater efficiency, he became addicted to the keyboard swamp and established “GreenKeys”.
Syntech Chronos68 specs details
Product Specifications
- Product name: Syntech Chronos68
- Total keys: 68
- Main body material: Aluminum bottom case
- Keycap material: PBT keycap (shine-through)
- Backlight: RGB
- Supported systems: Windows (presumably)
- Connection: USB TYPE-C,.
- Polling rate: 8000 Hz
- MCU: Syntech Original (details unknown)
- Battery: None
- N-key rollover (NKRO): not listed
- Size: 310 x 117mm x 29mm front height (41mm rear height (including keycap)) / approx. 850g
- Default key switch: Outem Magnetic Sealed (pink)/Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro (green)
- Coloring: black, white, yellow
- Magnetic effects: AP setting, RT (Rapid Trigger), SnapTap
- Sound absorbing material: 4 layers (Poron/PET/Poron/PVC)
- Mounting method: Tray mount
- Accessories: main unit, instruction manual, wrist rest, spare key switch, key cap/key switch puller, and Type-A to C cable
- Price: 22,800 yen (tax included)
- Place of purchase: Bic Camera, etc.
[Photos] Syntech Chronos68 Review
Let’s take a quick look at Chronos68.
It comes in a fairly solid box.
The reverse side is a list of contents.
The exterior of the product has a very luxurious feel, as evidenced by the provision of a cord to pull it out.
Main unit, instruction manual, wrist rest, spare key switch, key cap/key switch puller, and Type-A to C cable.
The keyswitch in this offering was Outem.
All instruction manuals are in English.
The palm rest is made of resin on the back and probably synthetic leather + urethane foam on the surface.
As one would expect from a dedicated product, the keyboard and the keyboard are in perfect alignment.
Personally, I was able to type comfortably without the palm rest.
Let’s take a look at the exterior of the unit.
This time it is a yellow-colored model.
The case color and keycaps are white, with yellow accents for the ESC, Enter, and space keys.
You can see the “Syntech” logo from the side.
The keycap material is made of PBT and is double-shot molded except for the accent key.
The material used for DoubleShot is a light-transmitting material, giving it a translucent appearance.
Accent keys are probably sublimation printing.
The profile of the keycap is not specified, but it is probably a Cherry profile-like step-sculptured cylindrical design.
The typing angle is fixed at approximately 6.3 degrees, with no tilt leg.
The back is simply rubber feet and stickers.
Since this is a wired connection model, there is no technical certification logo.
There is nothing on the side of the unit except Type-C for wired connection.
There are three indicator lights in the upper right corner of the unit.
There is no mention of what specific signals are displayed, but it seems that they probably glow in dedicated modes such as Fn+Space.
The switches use Outemu magnetic switches.
The Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro seems to be the choice at the original store, but there is no switch option at mass retailers in Japan.
Perhaps this Outemu is installed.
The switch plate is made of aluminum and is tray-mounted, so the keys are slightly harder to hit.
Magnetic keyswitch settings are made via a dedicated web application
Setting up actions for the magnetic keyswitches of Chronos 68 is performed via a dedicated web application.
When you access the site, you will see a screen like this.
KawamuraI opened it on a Mac, so the Mac part is (recommended).
It seems to be available when a special driver is installed on the computer, but I could not use it on macOS.
If you are using Windows, after installing the driver, you can access the change screen by accessing the above URL while the keyboard itself is connected.
Unfortunately, Japanese is not supported, and Chinese or English is used as the browser translation, which is not clear what it refers to.
The keymap itself cannot be changed, and it is only a kind of customization of specific keys.
Other magnetic effect settings are made from the following screen.
Calibration by changing keyswitches is also possible, and it appears that Gateron/TTC Magneto switches are supported in addition to Outemu.
The settings seemed to be saved automatically, and there was no save button.
Advantages of Syntech Chronos68
- Compact and cool looking
- Key feel is similar to a mechanical keyboard
Compact and cool looking
What I found most attractive was the look.
The 65% layout without function keys is compact and fits well on a desk.
The PBT keycap legend also has a gaming-like angular gothic style, and the accent keycaps have a nice taste.
The aluminum bottom case has a good texture and moderate weight, making it a satisfactory quality for a first “slightly better” keyboard.
Keystroke feel and sound are similar to mechanical keyboards
For some reason, keyboards with magnetic keyswitches tend to have a “clicky” sound and are not very pleasant to type on.
In this respect, Chronos68 has been thoroughly tuned, with four layers of sound-absorbing material.
KawamuraGaming keyboards are largely dependent on response speed, so they tend to use hard switch plates and top mounts, resulting in poor keystroke sound and feel.
It is wonderful that it was designed with those considerations in mind.
Disadvantages of Syntech Chronos68
- Difficult to use the settings in the web app.
- Unable to change keymap
- No customization such as MOD-TAP
Difficult to use the settings in the web app.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is this.
Mac users may not be able to use the web app, as it is currently accessible only on Windows in my environment.
(Although few people might use a gaming keyboard on a Mac in the first place.)
It would still be easy to read if it were at least Japanese compatible, but with browser translation in Chinese and English, it is very difficult to understand.
Unable to change keymap
It did not appear to be possible to change the keymap, only to do combinations with the mod key of the target keyswitch, turn it off, or replace it with a specific key.
For those who normally use custom mechanical keyboards, this may feel strange.
No customization such as MOD-TAP
Additionally, features such as MOD-TAP are not supported.
These apps seem to be designed exclusively for magnetic effect adjustment, and even though they allow macro settings, they do not seem to have the same feel as custom keyboards in general.
Summary｜Recommended as a normal ANSI keyboard
This is a review of Chronos 68.
Although we felt that the software aspect of the keyboard needs to be brushed up, we have the impression that it is well thought out as a keyboard.
If you do not change the keymap, or if you use software to change the keymap in the software section, this keyboard will give you a satisfactory keystroke feel.
In Japan, they should be on display at places like Bic Camera, so if you are interested, please feel them in the stores.
