Cherry is one of the most well known brands when it comes to mechanical keyboards. Not necessarily for its own branded keyboards, but for the mechanical switches that are found in many of the most popular options. Recently, Cherry's Ctrfy brand introduced the new MX 3.1 full-size gaming keyboard, and it's a pretty good one.

With a fully metallic chassis, the Cherry MX 3.1 feels premium, but it's not overly heavy considering its size. It offers a comfortable typing experience, and the RGB lighting makes it very lively and fun to look at. However, it's also far from my favorite keyboard. It seems to lack some noise dampening, perhaps more frustrating, it's not easily upgradeable. The switches aren't hot-swappable, and even a keycap puller isn't included in the box.

Pricing and availability

Cherry introduced the Xtrfy MX 3.1 keyboard on August 24th, and it became availabel to preorder the same day. You can find it on Cherry's website, with shipping expected in the enxt couple of weeks.

Pricing for the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 comes in at $119, though the models currently available all include Cherry MX2A Red switches and cost $129. Other switch variants may be more affordable.

What I like

It feels pretty solid

The first highlight of the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 is how solid it feels in the hand. My only previous experience with the brand was the K5V2, which was made of some kind of plastic, so this one definitely feels more premium in terms of its construction. It's all made of aluminum, so it feels very sturdy.

It's all made of aluminum, so it feels very sturdy

It still has a relatively sleek and lightweight profile all things considered, though. Despite being a full-size layout, it weighs a little over one kilogram, which is much lighter than some other options I've tried, like the Lemokey P1 Pro, despite that being a 75% layout, as opposed to the 100% model we have here. That's pretty impressive.

RGB lighting aplenty

One thing I appreciate about Cherry's Xtrfy brand is that it tends to know what people want out of an RGB keyboard. The K5V2 was one of the brightest keyboards I've seen, and while the MX 3.1 is much more subdued, there's still plenty of it. The keyboard has per-key RGB lighting that's easily visible even during the daytime, and it shines through the space between each key as well as through the primary label on them.

On top of the main backlight, though, there's also edge lighting on both sides of the keyboard. This is mostly noticeable in the dark, but it does add a bit more personality to this keyboard. I'm always a fan of RGB, even if it can be tacky. It makes it a little less tedious to sit in front of a PC all day.

I do wish there were more options for customizing it, though. While each key has its own light, there aren't as many patterns and customization options as I'd like.

Typing is comfortable

Of course, the most important part of any keyboard is the typing experience, and the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 is pretty good at it. It's decently comfortable to type on and I didn't have any major issues getting to grips with it coming from my usual keyboard.

It's decently comfortable to type on

There isn't much more that can be said. I'd show you a typing test, but I'm notoriously bad with typos on any keyboard, so it wouldn't be a fair representation of what you can expect. I'll just say that it works well for me.

What I don't like

It's not as quiet as I'd like

While the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 uses the company's MX2A red switches, which I generally like, I do feel like something is missing here in terms of sound dampening. Typing on this keyboard is far from quiet, and while it mostly feels good, I feel like there isn't as much shock absorption when a key is fully depressed, so the bottom out feels harsher than I'd like. It's not a huge deal, but I don't love it.

If you like more tactile feedback, Cherry does say multiple switch options should be available, though I can only see reds at the time of writing this review.

It's pretty restrictive

For a keyboard costing over $100 and not having the most premium design, I'd expect to see at least some versatility, but the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 isn't trying to do anything too crazy. This is a wired keyboard, and that's it. There's no wireless option here, which is unfortunate. To make matters worse, the USB-C port on the keyboard has a very tight space around it, so only the included cable is guaranteed to fit. I tried using a USB-C-to-C cable I had lying around and I couldn't plug it in.

The keyboard also doesn't include adjustable feet, which is odd because this was one of the rare cases where raising the feet of the keyboard was one of my first instincts. I just don't have that option here.

But we're not done yet. Every mechanical keyboard I've ever reviewed so far at least included a keycap puller in the package, and most times, a switch puller as well. The Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 included none of this, and in fact, there's no mention of hot-swappable keycaps or switches on the company's website. I did test it and the keycaps are replaceable, but Cherry confirmed to me that the switches aren't hot-swappable.

Not many options in software

The Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 supports configuration using the Cherry utility software, where you can create macros, remap keys, and configure the RGB lighting. Unfortunately, though, this is still pretty limited. Only a few modes allow more than one color at a time, and if they do, they use a single preset color scheme, so you can't really do much to make it look the way you want it to.

This is something I've complained about with Keychron, but it Cherry gives you even less options here, which is baffling.

Should you buy the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1?

Overall, the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 is a solid keyboard. It has a solid aluminum chassis, fun RGB lighting, and a good typing experience all things considered. It's far from a bad keyboard, but it's not the quietest option around, and the lack of things like wireless support, hot-swappable switches, or even adjustable feet make this an odd offering for the high price tag being charged here. The RGB lighting may be enough to draw you in, but then again, the options there are also limited. Personally, I'd rather get the Lemokey P1 Pro, unless you really need the number pad.

You should buy the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 if:

• You want a full-size mechanical keyboard with RGB
• You're looking for something that feels premium but isn't too heavy

You should NOT buy the Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 if:

• You want a quiet typing experience
• You're looking for something that can be upgraded or customized
• You want a wireless keyboard