Keychron Orca Echo keyboard launch in Japan

Keychron introduced the Orca Echo, a split mechanical keyboard that incorporates a thumb‑mounted trackball, horizontal wheel and dual scroll pads, allowing full cursor control without a separate mouse. The device ships with two switch options – linear “Ninja” and tactile “Samurai” – supports hot‑swap, PBT keycaps and USB‑C Y‑cable wiring, and runs ZMK firmware. An early‑bird sale with a 15 % discount ran until 12:00 PM on 3 August 2026, dropping the price of the stand‑alone keyboard to ¥24,255 and the bundled case version to ¥25,619. The product’s crowdfunding campaign raised over ¥500 million.

Promotional videos were followed by a detailed review from Japanese gadget YouTuber Arai, who questioned the trackpad placement, sparking community discussion. Gizmodo Japan co‑hosted a meet‑up on 6 June where editors and Arai addressed user concerns. The launch positions the Orca Echo among other compact, wireless keyboards in Japan, targeting users who want portable, low‑profile input solutions for PCs, tablets and smartphones.