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Zack Freedman’s MiRage is an experimental modular keyboard project, not a finished, build-ready product. Its original GitHub repository warns, “THIS PROJECT IS INCOMPLETE. DO NOT MAKE IT.” A 2022 report described a substantial Mk2 redesign, including a clickable e-paper touchscreen, but the available reporting does not establish that a later Mk3 or a supported commercial kit launched.
What is the MiRage keyboard?
The original MiRage is a 60% ortholinear keyboard concept: a compact layout with keys arranged in a grid rather than the staggered rows common on many keyboards. Freedman designed it around three clickable OLED displays, Kailh Choc low-profile switches, custom CircuitPython firmware, and a Seeed Studio XIAO RP2040 controller. Those are specifications for the original design, not necessarily later revisions. The project repository describes the board as configurable in several ways:
- As one unified keyboard, or “plank.”
- As a split keyboard by separating its two halves.
- With the right-hand section used alone as the Rage Pad, intended for number-pad, macro-pad, or stream-deck-style functions.
The project is copyrighted by Zack Freedman of Voidstar Lab and carries a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 license notice. That license does not grant commercial reuse; consult the repository’s license text for its exact terms.
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Is the original MiRage finished or safe to build?
No. The repository’s warning is explicit: “THIS PROJECT IS INCOMPLETE. DO NOT MAKE IT.” Publicly available design files should not be mistaken for a validated, reproducible kit. The README says the PCB, firmware, keymaps, and models have major issues; it also describes assembly and keymap documentation as material to provide once the project was ready for release.
#1 Best Overall
- ✅【QMK/VIA Customization】 Full support for tailored key mapping,macros,and backlighting to optimize your workflow and gaming experience. With VIA Programmable Custom funtion, you can easily program each key to work exactly the way you want.
- ✅【Hot-Swappable Mechanical Switch】The custom BOYI GMK67 keyboard kit is equipped with hot swappable terminals,which you could install the switches directly without soldering. It’s compatible with 3 pin or 5 pin Mechanical switches.You can easily build up your own mechanical keyboard with this kit. (Please note:This kit only suitable for Mechanical Switch and not suitable for Optical Switch or magnetic Switch by now)
- ✅【Triple Mode Connection GMK67 Keyboard】It supports triple mode connection, including Bluetooth 5.0/2.4G/Wired Type-C Tri-Mode,offers more choice for you. The 4000mAh bulit-in long life battery don't worry games and office work.
- ✅【RGB Presets Varied&Pro Software Customizable】South-Facing RGB is such a cool element while playing games. This custom kit fully know your needs and thus this model is equipped with RGB SMD light. More than 16.8 million lights are available.You can also remap your kit by your willing on VIA Software.
- ✅【Gasket-mounted Barebones Keyboard】This 65% Layout Customized mechanical keyboard uses a gasket material on the keyboard plate's top that reduces the occurrence of vibrations within your keyboard case,complemented by gaskets, significantly minimizes cavity sound, enhancing your typing sounds. Offering a very satisfying typing experience!
The repository identifies problems in each major part of the design:
PCB and assembly problems
- PCA9505 I/O expander supply pins are reversed, and reset pins need pull-ups.
- The board has too few keys, lower-row screws are blocked, split alignment is misplaced, and connector spacing is problematic.
Enclosure problems
- Boot/reset buttons and LEDs lack access holes, and the USB opening is undersized.
- The magnetic attachment is weak, while buttons can crack under hard presses.
Firmware problems
- Rage-board mode is unimplemented; disconnecting the left half during runtime can crash the firmware.
- The README also reports slow performance, keymap and event bugs, parser failures, and poor error feedback.
These are the project owner’s documented limitations, not a checklist of problems a reader should try to fix as part of a build. The repository itself advises against reproducing the current design.
Rank #2
- keycap puller tool:5g lube for keyboard switches,switch puller x 1, lubricating pen x 1, cleaning brush x 1, tweezers x 1, 4-jaw gripper x 1, and key cap puller x 1, making it easy to clean and maintain your mechanical keyboard.
- High-Quality Tools: Each key cap remover tool in this kit is made with high-quality materials for durability and reliability, so you can use them for a long time without experiencing wear or damage.
- Easy Keycap removal: With the keycap puller included in this kit, you can easily remove the keycaps from your keyboard for deeper cleaning.
- Improved Keyboard Performance: By using the keyboard lubricant included in this kit, you can reduce friction and noise on your keyboard and improve its performance and response time.
- Versatile Tools: This 7-piece tool kit is not only suitable for mechanical keyboards, but can also be used to clean and maintain other types of keyboards and computer peripherals.
What changed in MiRage Mk2?
Contemporaneous 2022 coverage described Mk2 as a modular redesign, not simply a corrected version of the original. Hackster reported sections that could be joined or used as a split keyboard, with modular accessory areas for an e-ink display, knob, or other module. The report also described a XIAO RP2040 on each section, I2C communication between controllers over SATA cables, reverse-mounted per-key RGB, and hot-swappable switch footprints including Cherry MX and other popular switch types. These are reported Mk2 details; they should not be applied to the original board.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Feature | Original MiRage | MiRage Mk2 as reported in 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Three clickable OLED displays, according to the project README. | A large clickable e-paper touchscreen, according to Keyboard Builders’ Digest. |
| Firmware context | Custom CircuitPython firmware, according to the README. | Arduino, which Keyboard Builders’ Digest reported was chosen because of the e-paper library. |
| Board arrangement | Unified plank, split board, or standalone right-hand Rage Pad, according to the README. | Modular sections that could be joined or used split, with accessory areas, according to Hackster. |
| Build or release status | The repository says the project is incomplete and warns readers not to build it. | The cited 2022 coverage does not establish a currently supported kit or a finished commercial product. |
The distinction matters: Mk2 coverage documents how the design evolved, but it does not demonstrate that the original board’s listed faults were fixed or that Mk2 is now a supported build.
Rank #3
- ✅【QMK/VIA Customization】 Full support for tailored key mapping,macros,and backlighting to optimize your workflow and gaming experience. With VIA Programmable Custom funtion, you can easily program each key to work exactly the way you want.
- ✅【Hot-Swappable Mechanical Switch】The custom BOYI GMK67 keyboard kit is equipped with hot swappable terminals,which you could install the switches directly without soldering. It’s compatible with 3 pin or 5 pin Mechanical switches.You can easily build up your own mechanical keyboard with this kit. (Please note:This kit only suitable for Mechanical Switch and not suitable for Optical Switch or magnetic Switch by now)
- ✅【Triple Mode Connection GMK67 Keyboard】It supports triple mode connection, including Bluetooth 5.0/2.4G/Wired Type-C Tri-Mode,offers more choice for you. The 4000mAh bulit-in long life battery don't worry games and office work.
- ✅【RGB Presets Varied&Pro Software Customizable】South-Facing RGB is such a cool element while playing games. This custom kit fully know your needs and thus this model is equipped with RGB SMD light. More than 16.8 million lights are available.You can also remap your kit by your willing on VIA Software.
- ✅【Gasket-mounted Barebones Keyboard】This 65% Layout Customized mechanical keyboard uses a gasket material on the keyboard plate's top that reduces the occurrence of vibrations within your keyboard case,complemented by gaskets, significantly minimizes cavity sound, enhancing your typing sounds. Offering a very satisfying typing experience!
Why did Mk2 replace the clickable OLEDs?
Keyboard Builders’ Digest reported that repeated pressure at the corners could break the original clickable OLED panels. In its 2022 account, the publication attributed this comment to Freedman: “As much as it hurts me to make this decision, the clickable OLEDs just completely suck.” The Mk2’s larger clickable e-paper touchscreen was the reported alternative, and the display library was the reason given for moving from CircuitPython to Arduino.
Has MiRage Mk3 launched?
The cited sources do not establish a Mk3 launch or a currently available MiRage kit. Hackster reported in 2022 that Freedman was planning an Mk3 and suggested it might still be a year or two away. That was an expectation reported at the time, not confirmation that the revision later appeared. The original repository’s incomplete-design warning likewise should not be treated as current product-release information.
Rank #4
- Multifunctional Screen & Volume Knob -- GMK104 barebones keyboard with smart display is an interactive interface that you can update and customize in real time. The display allows customization of the image,the two multimedia buttons on the left side of the screen function to switch the backlight/screen on/off. Equipped with a metal knob for volume control
- 104 Keys NKRO Keyboard with Numpad -- 104 keys full size design with arrow keys, number pads, function keys, all keys no conflicts, ensure that every click is registered, retaining the usual number keys, suit for the office and gaming. Press FN+(F1~F12) keys could quickly active the multi-function keys
- VIA Programmable Keyboard Kit -- As a multifunctional mechanical keyboard that supports VIA software, the GMK104 kit gives you the freedom to customize and personalize each key to suit your workflow and preferences. Full 104 keys programmable, allows you easily create complex macros,remap keys,lighting effects and fine-tune your input experience
- Three Mode Connectivity & 4000mAh Capacity Battery -- This wireless mechanical keyboard supports wireless Bluetooth 5.0/2.4GHz and Type-C wired connection. Bluetooth effectively reduces power consumption, press FN+Q/W/E to switch between three devices, and the detachable USB-C cable can be recharged while in use. The rechargeable keyboard also features a large capacity 4000mAh battery that ensures long hours of use
- Gasket Mount & Hot Swappable Keyboard -- Features gasket structure that the silencing and cotton rubber pad, provides a cushioned typing experience that reduces strain on your fingers and minimizes noise. This custom keyboard with hot-swappable base supports 3-pin or 5-pin switches replacement. Easily DIY your own keyboards without soldering issue
For readers seeking a basic mechanical keyboard, Hackster’s author Cameron Coward put the project’s scope plainly: “If all you want is a basic mechanical keyboard, then this isn’t the project for you — there are many affordable options on the market that don’t require this kind of work.” That is the reporter’s assessment, not a statement by Freedman.
Sources and current-status limits
- Zack Freedman’s MiRage repository is the primary source for the original design, intended components, license notice, and explicit build warning.
- Hackster’s MiRage Mk2 report covers the redesign’s reported modular hardware and the Mk3 expectation as it stood in 2022.
- Keyboard Builders’ Digest’s July 25, 2022 report covers the display change and the reported reason for it.
Because the cited Mk2 and Mk3 reporting dates to 2022 and repository status can change, check the repository and Freedman’s official channels for release information before relying on a claim about present availability.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- MUST HAVE: This compact high quality wire style keycap puller is a necessary tool for any mechanical keyboard owner.
- HIGH QUALITY STEEL: Wires on the puller can bend outward to fit onto mechanical keycaps. It can holds up to 3 keys to speed up key removal Compact, high quality construction.
- HIGH COMPATIBILITY: FIT for most mechanical keyboards including Cherry MX, Alps, and Topre switches. Do not use on "scissor" type switches.
- ANTI-STATIC BRUSH: Temperature resistant, lightweight and portable, easy to carry and use, keep your electronic devices clean, prolong electronic devices service life.
- MULTIPURPOSE CLEANING TOOLS: Best for cleaning keyboard, computer, laptop, screen, printer and electronic devices.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
