After seeing a selection of 75% style EPOMAKER keyboards (the EP84, K870T and 3084B Plus), let's move on to something even more distinctive: the AKKO ACR61.What would it be so peculiar?A translucent acrylic shell (full name is ACRYLIC61) full of LEDs and a stripped down format.On the official EPOMAKER store it is sold-out, but on the Italian Amazon store it is still available in more variants.Let's find out together, and also take a look at the EPOMAKER TH80 review.Rich package Unique in its kind Hot-swappable switch, PBT keycaps Programmable macros on the hardware sideANSI USA layout only The 60% format is for a few Spacebar stabilizers No foam in the shellThe package of AKKO ACR61 sold by EPOMAKER is bigger than expected.This is because it is rich in content: in addition to the keyboard, we find a white spiral cable (among the most appreciated by mechanical keyboard enthusiasts), a cardboard box that includes the complete set of PBT keycaps (i.e. those that would be missing to build a full keyboard, about 100 more keycaps), a pair of feet to be attached under the body using double-sided adhesive, the pliers for removing the keycaps and some manuals.Considering that only the keycap set, called AKKO Black on White, has a price that fluctuates around 60 €, it goes without saying that it is a really rich package.The AKKO ACR61 is a 60% format NKRO hot-swappable mechanical keyboard consisting of 61 keys.Not only does it have no numeric keypad, but there are also no directional arrows, the F1-F12 keys, and the whole island usually placed above the arrows (PgUp, PgDn, Del and so on. In fact, it is therefore very compact, but we have to get used to it: the absence of so many keys could put more than one user in crisis. It makes up for the lack of some of them with specific combinations, but we will return to the paragraph dedicated to functionality. ANSI with USA keys, different from ours (ISO), and also for this reason not suitable for everyone. The enter key is smaller, and the accented u, if you use the ITA layout on the operating system in use, is the long key placed immediately above enter.The keycaps are made of double-shot PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), one of the most resistant, both in terms of solidity and print quality, that you can find on the market.They are not shine-through (like in the 3084B Plus and K870T).The color of the letters is black on a white background.The more than 100 additional keys in the package marry the same graphic design, but there is also a selection of keys with a black background and a white character designed to give a graphic hint to the layout.You may have noticed from the images that the letters and numbers have Asian characters in addition to the classic ones: it is the layout of Japanese keyboards.It gives an extra touch of the Orient to the keyboard, and in case you don't like it, the ACR61 is also available in other colors with different keycaps.In any case, nothing prevents you from changing them, but given the particular nature of the keyboard they have, at least in our opinion, their why.The profile of the keys is ASA.Have you never heard of it?Very likely: it is a proprietary profile made by the AKKO division (some info here) characterized by the same height as the OEM profile and by a greater sphericity of the keys.You can see it in the next image.You might not have heard of the switches either: they are AKKO CS Jelly White, made by the keyboard's parent company.These are linear mechanical switches, equipped with an actuation force of 35 ± 0.5 gf, an actuation distance of 1.9 ± 0.3mm and a total stroke of 4.0 ± 0.3mm.Unlike the classic linear red switches, they therefore have a lower actuation force, but the peculiarity of the Jelly White is to be found also in other factors.They have a particular dustproof stem, always compatible with cross keycaps but with additional protection on the sides, and a sound feedback that we liked so much (if it were not for the stabilizers of the space bar).Probably also thanks to the structure of the keyboard itself, but in any case the noise almost resembles that of a muffled typewriter.Evaluate yourself with the audio clip you find below.In this article we tell you about a series of alternative AKKO CS switches that you could equip your mechanical keyboard with.In any case, it is a good middle ground for those looking for a mechanical keyboard that is a gaming and typing companion.The stabilizers that come with the Shift, Enter, Backspace and similar keys look a little better than the ones that come with the space bar.In reality they are the same, and they are not the best: they play a bit and are not even lubricated.On the other keys they are less shaky, and the feedback is ultimately not that bad.Possible that with a little manual work they can be fixed, like with a little lubricant or with dampers of various kinds.The AKKO ACR61 is also available with other switches: it basically depends on the color of the keyboard.In this regard, you should take a look directly on Amazon.As already mentioned then, the switches are hot-swappable: consequently you can also decide to change them.Which leads us to talk about the PCB and the body.The PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is compatible with 3 or 5 pin switches.Those supplied are 3-pin.Each switch slot has its own LEDs, but you won't be able to create your own lighting pattern.In fact, there is no support software, even if the features are not lacking.It must also be said that with the PBT keycaps the backlighting is almost entirely aesthetic and not very functional.However, there are some programming functions that make this board more "intelligent" than others;we will talk about it in the section dedicated to features.There are no layers of foam in the shell.There is enough space to place any, but the need is not felt too much, also thanks to the solidity of the structure that houses the PCB and the organization of the layout.The peculiarity of the shell is that it is made with 4 layers of opaque translucent acrylic held together by a series of small Allen screws.A peculiarity that makes this AKKO ACR61 truly one of a kind.In addition to the LEDs of the individual keys, the body also has a whole series of additional LEDs that ensure that the entire structure is illuminated.On the black and blue models the effect is different.Probably the white one we tested is the one on which the lighting is most evident.The dimensions are equal to 292 x 101 x 37 mm, while the weight amounts to 592 grams, not bad for a compact keyboard!However, one feels, when handling it, that it is an extremely solid and well-built device.We will return to this in the next paragraph.On the connectivity side, the ACR61 uses only the wired mode of use.The supplied cable is of high quality: it is a spiral model with a slightly wider diameter than the classic ones.It is also equipped with a stretch strap for storage.We are not at the level of other cables produced by AKKO itself, which also have metal connectors and particular color combinations (like this one), but it is still better than the classic cables that are in the package.Good positioning of the USB Type-C port for connecting the cable.Nothing prevents you from using your own cables, since the door has no particular steps or other obstacles seen on different models.The keyboard is compatible with Windows and macOS, although there is no key combination to switch from one OS to another.In any case, it also works on alternative devices such as Android smartphones (just an adapter).From an aesthetic point of view, the AKKO ACR61 certainly cannot be said to go unnoticed.The LED lighting, which involves not only the 61 keys but also the body itself, is bright and spectacular, if that's your thing of course.Just the fact that the shell is made with 4 clearly visible layers of acrylic makes it unique in its kind.Indeed, this structure also makes it brighter and more eye-catching than more recent models, such as the ACR Pro 75. We also have to say a few words about keycaps: the fact that almost all the keys also carry the hiragana syllabary makes the keyboard somehow even more peculiar.Let's clarify one thing: if in itself you are not bothered by the fact that it is an ANSI UK keyboard, with a different arrangement of symbols from ours, not even the presence of Japanese characters will bother you.Some can then be replaced with the extra keys present in the package.On the back there are no feet designed to use the keyboard at different angles.There are 4 rubber feet that give it a single inclination.As mentioned in the package there would be two additional supports to be applied by means of double-sided adhesive (sufficiently resistant) that would give the keyboard 3 different types of inclination.We applied them immediately because the basic position seemed to us very particular and almost difficult to use.After a few hours of typing we changed our mind: the additional supports make the keyboard more unstable, and in some ways even too inclined.Using it as it is, with the base feet, the ACR61 is much more stable and, all in all, also quite comfortable.Of course it is also true that its particular height, the shape of the keys (ASA), and the basic inclination could lead most users to equip themselves with a palm rest.Once you have guessed the most suitable position for using the ACR61, the typing experience is excellent.If it were not for the noise of the space bar, the feedback of the keys (also thanks to the proprietary switches and the keycaps in PBT), tactile and auditory, combined with the solidity of the keyboard, grant a writing speed and an overall satisfaction really not bad.Of course, as in each of these reviews we warn you again about any typing problems resulting from the ANSI layout.For some strange reason the Alt on the right is Alt Gr like in our keyboards, which is already something.However, the Enter key remains on a single line with the accented ù key immediately above, which could lead to a series of typing errors at first.We assure you that this is a mere matter of habit.More than anything else on this model the biggest obstacle is the lack of directional arrows and function keys.They can be reached by using the FN key, but in fact they are absent, and for certain types of users it will be a lack that it will not be possible to comply with.In any case, we have used it for several days without resorting to alternative solutions, and we assure you that it can be used without major problems.We also used it for our classic gameplay sessions at Overwatch 2 Beta and Call of Duty: Vanguard.In the end, even with gaming it gets along well, also because the keys you need to have are less than when typing.And if you're looking for something more ergonomic, check out the AKKO ACR Pro Alice Plus instead.The constructive level of AKKO's ACR61, you may have guessed by now, is excellent.The body is very solid, no structural weakness or creaking of any kind is perceived.Even without the layers of foam the noise emitted is what you would have from the supplied switches, without rumbles caused precisely by structures with empty or weak corners.In short, it looks like a keyboard made to withstand years and years, and even just the fact that you can change switches (guaranteed for more than 50 million keystrokes anyway) and the keys makes it even more long-lived on paper.The EPOMAKER AKKO ACR61 does not have a dedicated software.There are also no hardware-side solutions for creating customized back-lighting profiles (which we find instead on the K870T).As already mentioned, backlighting the keys actually has only an aesthetic function in this case, since the keycaps in PBT are not shine-through.From that point of view, there are lots of backlight modes to cycle with the appropriate key combinations.These modes involve not only the keys, but also the case!The lighting of the body and keys can be changed with different key combinations, thus offering the possibility to create truly unique combinations.Also using shortcuts you can also increase or decrease the brightness, manage the speed of the animations or even turn off everything, or only the case or only the keys.The arrow and function keys are absent due to the particular narrow size of the keyboard, but are actually integrated into other buttons.By pressing FN + WASD you access the directional arrows, while with FN + numbers from 1 to 0 (and the two symbols next to it) you access the F1-F12 keys.PgUp, PgDn, Home, End and others are also integrated into other keys.There are even controls to adjust the volume, accessible via FN +