Editor’s note: This is one of our articles from the archives. We were given this board by Pulsar for review months ago, but due to our hiatus, we are only publishing it now.
In 2021, the gaming mouse market was firmly in the grip of industry giants like Logitech, Razer, and Zowie. These brands dominated professional esports, equipping players with tried-and-tested designs. Among them, Logitech’s G Pro series stood out, with the G Pro X Superlight making waves as an ultra-lightweight successor to the already popular G Pro. By shedding 20 grams and coming in at just 60–63 grams, it became an instant favourite, setting a new standard for competitive play.
Finalmouse may have kick-started the ultra-lightweight trend, but it was Logitech that brought it into the mainstream. Together, they set the expectation that anything above 70 grams was too heavy for serious competitive play. This shift was especially felt in the Counter-Strike scene, where many players still preferred ergonomic shapes. Zowie responded by offering a range of well-balanced ergo mice weighing between 80 and 90 grams, which helped suit this new whole ideology of “lighter is better.”
Then came Pulsar, a small Korean brand built to cater to the professionals, and with something to prove. Their debut gaming mouse, Xlite, pushed down the weight of their ergonomic mice to a light 48-49 grams. With this, Pulsar turned heads, proving that there was still so much more room to grow within this industry.
The Xlite followed a similar shape to Zowie’s EC2 lineup, with a few key differences that improved its weight. They achieved this by putting pill-shaped holes throughout the top shell and sides of the mouse, and parts of the bottom shell were cut out to resemble an X-like shape. Later on, they released a wireless version of this mouse, which was incredibly light for its time.
Over the next few years, Pulsar released every new entry boldly, with the intent of changing the state of gaming mice for the better. From the very beginning, their approach was clear: identify what professionals demanded, strip away excess, and push performance boundaries faster than established brands were willing to.
The success of the Xlite, and later the refinement shown in the X2 lineup, proved that Pulsar wasn’t a one-hit wonder. They weren’t simply copying what worked, they were iterating aggressively, responding to feedback, and filling gaps the market had overlooked. Lightweight ergonomic shapes, multiple sizes, competitive pricing, and rapid revision cycles became part of their identity. By the time the X2 landed, Pulsar had earned credibility not just among enthusiasts, but among competitive players who trusted their gear on stage.
And it was at this point, Pulsar faced a natural question: Could that same philosophy translate beyond mice?
Up until 2024, Pulsar was known mostly for gaming mice. But the mechanical keyboard market, much like mice, had grown stagnant in its own way. Big brands leaned on familiar layouts, adopting Hall effect switches, while enthusiasts were navigated toward custom experiences.
The release of the PCMK keyboard marked Pulsar’s answer to potentially solve that problem.
Rather than trying to outdo other gaming keyboards that were on the map, Pulsar approached keyboards the same way they approached mice. Focusing on fundamentals. Layout, switch adoption, latency came first. The PCMK HE wasn’t meant to be flashy. It was meant to be correct for the targeted audience, but how does that translate for my use case?
Rather than trying to do gimmicks or become the flashiest HE board you can buy, the PCMK 2 feels like Pulsar’s “do the essentials, well” keyboard. What that means for its use case in gaming, is right. It’s straightforward in both layout and design with its mostly plastic construction and an aluminium, top-integrated plate.
The PCMK uses a magnetic switch that was made in collaboration with Gateron. It is a light switch, with an initial force of 30g (deviation of 7) and a total travel of 4.1mm (deviation of 0.2). They are well tuned, and feel quite good out of the box. The board also is hotswap, which allows you to change the switches to other compatible HE switches if you need.
The software that Pulsar provides is fortunately a web-based driver, and all of the typical features you see in its competitors are available here: Full remapping, RGB customisation, adjustable actuation, “Quick Tap” (SOCD), and of course, Rapid Trigger, which adjusts the actuation and release points.
For my use case, the PCMK 2 HE is genuinely enjoyable in competitive titles like Apex Legends, Overwatch, and even Osu. The ability to fine-tune Rapid Trigger behaviour makes a tangible difference in how responsive the keyboard feels, especially in games that reward fast, repeated inputs. While I couldn’t realistically distinguish the effect of the included 8K polling rate in moment-to-moment gameplay, it’s still reassuring to know that the board isn’t a limiting factor.
That said, I’m not a professional player, and that’s where the PCMK 2 HE presents an interesting dilemma. On the surface, it doesn’t immediately separate itself from other Hall Effect keyboards currently on the market. If you strip away the branding and spec sheet, it can feel familiar, almost understated, compared to more aggressively marketed alternatives.
But that’s exactly why this board lands with the right audience.
The PCMK 2 HE isn’t trying to overwhelm you with features or visual flair. It’s built for an audience that already knows what they want, which winds back to their mice. For enthusiasts and competitive-minded players who value control over spectacle, Pulsar’s approach makes complete sense.
What’s interesting is what this reveals when a hobbyist or enthusiast-driven company steps into a more consumer-facing product category. Instead of chasing mass appeal, Pulsar brings its niche values with it. The PCMK 2 HE doesn’t try to teach you why Hall Effect switches matter or overwhelm you with presets and visual drama, it assumes you already care. In doing so, the board risks feeling understated in a market obsessed with first impressions, but it gains something more valuable: trust from users who prioritise function over form.
This is where the PCMK 2 HE succeeds as a consumer product without abandoning its enthusiast roots. It’s accessible enough to be picked up and used immediately, yet deep enough to reward those who want to fine-tune every aspect of their input. Pulsar doesn’t dilute their identity to reach a wider audience. Instead, they invite that audience to meet them on their own terms. And much like their mice before it, the result isn’t a product that shouts for attention, but one that quietly earns it.
