Featured Keyboard: Keychron Orca echo — A 49-Key Split With the Trackball Built In
Introduction
This week's featured keyboard is the Keychron Orca echo, a split keyboard co-developed by Gizmodo Japan and Keychron. It puts a 19mm trackball under the right thumb, a horizontal wheel on the left, and vertical scroll pads on both halves, so you can point and scroll without ever leaving the keyboard.
A prototype was shown at COMPUTEX TAIPEI in June 2026, and the GIZMART crowdfunding campaign on CoSTORY ended on September 18, 2026 with more than ¥700 million from over 26,000 backers. It is also one of the most viewed keyboards on KeyLab DB right now. Shipping is planned for late November 2026.
Keychron
The short answer
| If you... | Fit |
|---|---|
| Work from a laptop in cafés or on trips and don't want to carry a mouse | Good fit. The trackball and wheel cover pointing, and the halves stack magnetically |
| Want to try a split keyboard for the first time | Good fit. Split, column-staggered and wireless, at a crowdfunding price in the ¥20,000s |
| Use numbers and function keys heavily (spreadsheets, games) | Takes practice. 49 keys with no number row, so layers are a must |
| Want normal-height switches or a wide choice of replacement switches | Not yet. It uses Keychron's own low-profile switches. The upcoming Valkey Orb (below) may be worth waiting for |
Specs
Based on KeyLab DB data, the CoSTORY project page, and Gizmodo Japan's articles (as of September 24, 2026).
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Layout | Split, 49 keys, column-staggered (custom layout close to US) |
| Pointing | 19mm trackball (right thumb), horizontal wheel (left), two vertical scroll pads |
| Switches | Keychron Apex POM low-profile (linear "Ninja" / tactile "Samurai") |
| Hot-swap | Yes |
| Keycaps | LSA profile, PBT, dye-sublimated |
| Connectivity | Wired (USB Type-C, Y-cable), Bluetooth (3 devices), 2.4GHz |
| Battery | 650mAh per half |
| Firmware | ZMK (configured with Keychron Launcher) |
| Tenting | Two-step tenting stand |
| Size | Left 144×106×22mm / right 144×106×32mm |
| Backlight | None |
| Crowdfunding price | Keyboard only from ¥22,908 (super early bird), set with case ¥27,126 (early bird) |
Highlights
Pointing happens on the keyboard
The headline feature is fitting a trackball, a horizontal wheel, and scroll pads into the keyboard itself. Your thumb moves the cursor, the left wheel scrolls sideways, and the pads scroll vertically. The trackball sits on support balls rather than bearings, and replacement balls come in black, white, red, blue, and yellow.
Until now, pairing a split keyboard with a trackball usually meant building one yourself or placing a separate trackball on the desk. Offering it as a mass-produced product starting in the ¥20,000s during crowdfunding is likely why it drew so many backers.
Built to travel
The halves stack into one with magnets, and a set with a dedicated case was offered. Low-profile switches and LSA keycaps keep it thin, and wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz connections make it a natural companion for a laptop.
ZMK and Keychron Launcher for fine-tuning
The firmware is ZMK, and the keymap, layers, and combos (assigning a separate input to pressing several keys together) can be changed in Keychron Launcher. An "auto mouse layer" that switches to a mouse layer when the trackball moves is also planned.
Things to consider
- The layout takes time: Gizmodo Japan's hands-on with a sample says it was hard to get used to at first, especially the position of the Z key. With 49 keys, numbers are on a separate layer.
- Limited switch choice: It uses Keychron Apex low-profile switches, so regular MX-compatible switches won't fit. Standard-height and silent switch options are planned for later.
- Trackball weight: The same article found the prototype's trackball slightly heavy (to be improved for production).
- Availability: Crowdfunding has ended, and retail timing and pricing had not been announced as of this writing.
How it compares with the upcoming Valkey Orb
Keychron has also announced another split keyboard with a trackball, the Valkey Orb, co-developed with Japanese keyboard shop Yushakobo. Prototypes were shown at TOKYO GAME SHOW and TOKYO KEYBOARD EXPO in September 2026, and crowdfunding on GIZMART is planned to start within 2026 (price not yet announced). Because the product isn't final, it isn't listed on KeyLab DB yet.
| Item | Orca echo | Valkey Orb (prototype / announced) |
|---|---|---|
| Co-developer | Gizmodo Japan × Keychron | Yushakobo × Keychron |
| Trackball | 19mm (right thumb) | 25mm (right thumb) |
| Switches | Keychron low-profile (hot-swap) | Cherry MX-compatible (hot-swap) |
| Keycaps | LSA profile | Cherry profile (per a hands-on report of the prototype) |
| Case | Built for portability | Machined aluminum (prototype) |
| Software | ZMK + Keychron Launcher | Keychron Launcher |
| Status | Crowdfunding ended, ships late November | Prototype, crowdfunding planned within 2026 |
According to green-keys.info, which tried the prototype at TOKYO GAME SHOW, the Valkey Orb uses a gentler column stagger than the Orca echo and a thumb cluster set apart from the trackball, aimed at people used to custom keyboards (its gasket mount was still being tuned on the prototype).
Roughly: pick the Orca echo for portability and availability, and watch for Valkey Orb news if you want normal-height MX-compatible switches and your own keycaps.
Conclusion
The Keychron Orca echo is for people who want a split keyboard but don't want a separate mouse or trackball on the desk. Its 49-key, column-staggered, low-profile design asks for some practice if you come from a full-size layout, but it can clear a lot off your desk and out of your bag. We'll update the KeyLab DB entry when retail details are announced.
Explore more
- Browse split keyboards on KeyLab DB
- Low-Profile Split Keyboards: Six Models Compared in Depth
- Standard-Profile Split Keyboards: Six Models Compared
Sources
- Keychron Orca echo project page (CoSTORY, Japanese)
- Keychron Orca echo FAQ (Gizmodo Japan, Japanese)
- Hands-on with the Keychron Orca echo sample (Gizmodo Japan, Japanese)
- Announcement of the Valkey Orb (Yushakobo, Japanese)
- Valkey Orb at TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026 (green-keys.info, Japanese)
- Keychron Valkey Orb overview (mocchan / note, Japanese)
FAQ
- Can I still buy the Orca echo?
- The CoSTORY crowdfunding campaign ended on September 18, 2026. As of this writing (September 24, 2026), no date or price for general retail has been officially announced.
- Can I work without a mouse?
- It has a 19mm trackball under the right thumb, a horizontal wheel on the left, and vertical scroll pads on both halves, so pointing and scrolling stay on the keyboard. Gizmodo Japan noted that the trackball on the prototype felt slightly heavy, which is slated to be improved for production.
- How does it differ from the upcoming Valkey Orb?
- The Valkey Orb is a split keyboard that Yushakobo and Keychron are developing together, with a 25mm trackball and MX-compatible hot-swap sockets. Where the low-profile Orca echo is built to travel, the Valkey Orb targets people who want normal-height switches and keycaps of their choice. It was still a prototype with no announced price as of this writing.
- How do I type numbers and symbols?
- With 49 keys there is no number row, so numbers and symbols live on layers. The keymap and combos can be changed through ZMK firmware and Keychron Launcher.
