The Angry Miao Cyberboard R4 is a boutique keyboard inspired by Tesla’s Cybertruck design, and it’s glorious.
It’s funny when you think about the last few years of having to be bombarded with Elon Musk‘s activities. From buying and continuing to change Twitter (now X), to the multiple fiascos afterward, it’s wild that the the Telsa Cybertruck’s design has been as impactful as it is.
Enter the AngryMiao Cyberboard R4, a boutique gaming keyboard taking direct inspiration from Elon Musk’s Cybertruck, with a wink and a nod to Jolyne Kujoh from JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure.
Ludicrous price – with good reason
Coming in at a whopping $700, the Cyberboard R4 has changed everything for me. Much like the last time we checked out one of AngryMiao’s boards, trying the new Cyberboard R4 has ruined keyboards for me.
Starting with the RGB elephant in the room, this device goes against everything I stand for in tech. I hate RGB, I either find myself turning it off or finding the dullest option available. In a world of an overabundance of sights and sounds, sometimes the need for my keyboard to dance around with little disco lights feels so wrong, yet so right.
Cyberboard’s useful RGB
With the Cyberboard though, the massive, chunky 5-pixel back panel thoroughly dazzled me. While it can be used for a lot of fun, you can even design your own patterns and animations, and I’ve spent hours fiddling around with making silly messages. I’m coming from a Keychron K4, a squished 90% keyboard with an old 1970s color scheme, and it isn’t great at sharing information about the keyboard.
Low battery? Let’s hope the OS you’re on tells you over Bluetooth. Connecting to Bluetooth? Well, the light is flashing, but that’s about it. Here, AngryMiao has outfitted the panel with multiple options, and a favorite is simply having it tell me how much battery is left in the tank.
When connecting to Bluetooth, a giant alien from Space Invaders will pop up with the connection number and flash intently until connected. It’s all so clear, even when transferring new images over.
Editing images
Making your images can be odd though, as it doesn’t transfer anything but lines of Javascript code over. You could in theory code your own, but the web app they’ve made is super simple and can even convert full images into the 5×1 pixel space It all feels a little bit like magic.
Icy Silver Pro switches sound incredible
Underneath all of this are the new Icy Silver Pro switches. These sound sublime. Between those, the keycaps, and the overall design, the Cyberboard might be one of the best keyboards I’ve ever had the pleasure to type on. There are descriptions and words I want to use, but would simply get fired for.
Do you know those viral videos of the people who fall in love with their car or a building? I’m bordering on that.
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Typing on the Cyberboard R4 is probably only beaten by its own AngryMiao brethren. There’s nothing that compares, in all the keyboards we’ve covered, this is like getting a Stand from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. I feel immensely powerful, and I feel I should be locked away.
JoJo’s gaudy nature fits well here
That JoJo reference wasn’t just a throwaway thing either, as the color schemes for the R4 are all based on JoJo’s legendary characters. We opted for the Jolyene Green, and it’s exquisite. The harsh lime green colorway cements the loud, outspoken look confidently.
Did I mention how heavy this thing feels? The Cyberboard is solid. It weighs a tonne, barely moves on my desk and it feels that if push comes to shove, it could even be used as some kind of weapon against a home invader.
Gaming on the Cyberboard R4
There’s this just oh-so-pleasant thunk and click as you tap away or get engrossed in a game. Speaking of games, it’s fantastic for nearly everything. People’s mileage will vary, but in my time spent in Path of Exile and other twitchy games, we had zero complaints. Unless you want some wild optical keyboard for esports, the Cyberboard R4 is more than enough. You can even swap out the switches and customize it further if you really wanted to, but why change (near) perfection?
There are issues, but they’re tiny
The only real complaint I have about the Cyberboard is its penchant for RGB scuppers the very cool keycaps included. AngryMiao has opted to use clear caps so that the RGB shines brightly. However, in certain lighting situations – like late-night Alan Wake 2 sessions – it is impossible to quickly glance down to see where my hands are.
Of course, after a few days of reverting to 75% sized keyboards from Keychron’s tight-fitted 90%, I was back to touch typing. Once the opportunity strikes though, I’ll be replacing the keycaps with something else, regardless of how luscious they feel underneath my fingertips.
Though, that’s fine. AngryMiao seems to be adamant about letting you get all up inside the Cyberboard. It’s easy to take it apart, and there are schematics and diagrams on the website to help you decipher the internals.
If you’ve got the cash to splash, don’t miss out
It’s a shame that most of you reading this won’t be able to touch what is a god-tier keyboard. I also think that unless you are really flush with cash, that most people probably don’t need an AngryMiao Cyberboard. The leaf-spring mounting makes it feel gorgeous, and it feels like you’re typing on a cloud.
So, if you have this kind of money to drop on a keyboard, go for it. It’s a super boutique product filled to the brim with pure quality. You can tell that AngryMiao loves its hardware, as clear thought and consideration have been put into almost every facet of its design.
The Cyberboard R4 goes on sale in limited quantities directly on Angry Miao’s website, November 9.