The Ukrainian company Hator is known for its mid-budget peripherals for gamers. However, today we are going to review a new model — the Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless keyboard, which is trying to jump into the big leagues. In the review below, we’ll see if the new product succeeded, what are the nuances, pros, and cons.
Content
| Type | Game |
| Key type | Mechanical, hot-swap |
| Connection | Wired, Wireless |
| Interface | USB Type-A to USB Type-C, 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth |
| Survey frequency | 1000 Hz |
| Number of keys | 87 (TKL) |
| Additional buttons | No |
| Key stroke resource | 70 million |
| Type of switches | HATOR Aurum Orange Linear rev.1 |
| Pressing force | 50 ± 10% hg |
| Progress to triggering | 1.9 ± 0.4 mm |
| General course | 4 ± 0.4 mm |
| Caption material | PBT double molding |
| Change the angle of the body | Yes |
| Built-in memory | Yes |
| Macros | Yes |
| Support for simultaneous clicks | Yes |
| RGB backlighting | RGB with the ability to customize each key individually |
| Cable | USB Type-A to USB Type-C |
| Housing material | Plastic |
| Software | VIA |
| Compatibility | Windows 10/11, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS |
| Additionally | Supports hot-swappable switches and switch combinations, Gasket Mount, Multi-layer noise reduction system |
| Dimensions | 364×144×44 mm |
| Weight | 943 г |
The Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless keyboard comes in a box of a branded and very recognizable yellow color. On the front you can see the image of the keyboard and icons with its characteristics.
The box contains the following: a keyboard, a user manual, a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable, a USB Type-C to USB Type-A adapter, a keycap pad, an additional spacebar pad (you can install it yourself), a 2.4 GHz USB Type-A adapter, and branded stickers.
The 2.4 GHz adapter is hidden in one of the keyboard legs. A magnet is built inside the leg to better hold the adapter in the slot. This should reduce the likelihood of losing it.
The Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless is a TKL (tenkeyless) keyboard, i.e., without a number pad. The design is elementary and ascetic. The corners are rounded. Among the dark case, white keys of the keyboard block, space bar and two blocks of keys F1-F4 and F9-F12 stand out. That is why the general style of the keyboard vaguely resembles a chessboard.
The model’s dimensions are 364×144×44 mm, and it weighs 943 grams. The keyboard is not heavy, though it is not light either. The large and tall rubber feet do not allow you to move it easily on the table.
The Hator inscription is located on the front end under the arrows. There are two indicators under the Del key: Caps Lock and battery charge.
The rear end has a USB Type-C connector. Unlike other keyboards of the brand, it has no special cutouts, so the keyboard can be charged without the supplied cable. By the way, it can also be used to charge other devices (for example, a phone).
On the bottom we see perforated matte plastic with a large inscription HATOR ROCKFALL series, basic keyboard data, four large and four small rubber feet, two folding legs and a connection selection switch. A 2.4 GHz adapter is hidden behind one of the legs.
HATOR Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless has 87 keys and a standard ANSI layout. Both Shift keys are long and single-row. So is the Enter key. The row with the F1-F12 keys starts above the button with the number 2.
There are no separate multimedia symbols on the keys. All the basic functions are there, but they work on the existing keys through the Fn1 button. However, this is not a big disadvantage, as you can customize the functions to any key on the keyboard via the VIA software.
The Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless keyboard has two options colors of the case and additional keys: white with gray and black with black (on the review). Both with white primary keys. At first, I thought that white keys were a bad option. However, after using it, I realized that there is no need to be afraid of white keyboards. Especially when they are made of quality materials.
Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless is a mechanical gaming keyboard with updated double PBT plastic keycaps, Hot Swap, Gasket Mount system, and updated branded switches.
The Hot Swap function allows you to change switches at will. This is a great thing for long-term use of the keyboard. If you have a keyboard without this technology, then over time, you may experience double-clicking, or simply not be able to read the keystrokes. And while my personal keyboard requires complete disassembly and re-soldering to replace such switches, the owners of Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless did not — they took out the switch and replaced it with a new one.
Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless has a Gasket Mount function. This is a gasket between the plate and the keyboard body on the top and bottom sides. Its use reduces the noise level when you press the keys. You can see exactly where it is located in the keyboard on the back of the box.
There are HATOR Aurum Orange rev.1 linear switches on the keyboard. I will give a table comparing the characteristics of this model with Kailh Red because looking at other manufacturers I realized that they resemble these popular switches.
| Orange rev. 1 | Kailh Red | ||
| Pressing resource | 70 million | 70 million | |
| Triggering progress | 1.9 ± 0.4 mm | 1,9 ± 0,5 mm | |
| Stroke length | 4 ± 0.4 mm | 4 ± 0.4 mm | |
| Pressing force | 38 ± 10% G | 50 ± 10% G |
The keyboard has full RGB backlighting. Although some backlights differ only in color or animation, there are 45 backlight modes in total. With the help of laser engraving, all white keys will glow perfectly in the mode of your choice.
Unfortunately, black keys are not as visible as white ones. Of course, you will see the inscriptions on the black keycaps. You can switch between backlights with the combination Fn1+Backspace; animation speed and brightness with Fn1+←, →, ↑, ↓; shades with Fn1+PageUp/PageDown.
There are three ways to connect the Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless keyboard to devices: 2.4 GHz adapter, USB cable or Bluetooth (memory for three devices). To change the connection options, you need to toggle the corresponding switch. It is located right under the USB Type-C on the bottom of the case, and it is not a problem to find it, even blindly.
Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless keyboard does not have proprietary software for customizing the keyboard. However, Hator provides the ability to use the VIA tool.
VIA is a program that allows you to control a keyboard if it has QMK firmware. In turn, QMK is an open-source project for creating firmware for keyboards. And there are two sides of the same coin: the first is rich functionality; the second is the increased complexity of working with it. You can learn more about installing and configuring the keyboard at by this link.
My usual mechanical keyboard has Cherry MX Blue switches, which are known for their high pressing force (60G), travel to actuation (2.2 mm) and total travel (4 mm). You can already see the difference between Hator Aurum Orange rev.1. However, the difference is also audible, as the MX Blue has a strong click sound when pressed. That’s why it was interesting to compare Hator gaming switches with Taping MX Blue.
What can I say after the comparison? The Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless keyboard tries to be quiet from all sides, so it easily wins «clicks» MX Blue. For regular users and gamers, you should take the Hator Aurum Orange rev. 1. Of course, it will take a few days to adapt to the new keyboard from the old one. Personally, it took me five days because I use two keyboards, and this is my third.
There are many backlighting options, so I don’t see any problems with changing the backlight every day. My favorites: Cycle_Left_Right at the lowest speed, Typing_Heatmap (the more often you press a key, the more it stands out), Raindrops (each key glows in a different color).
Thanks to the Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless, I remembered a phrase that a girl who bought Alienware from me said. She had a friend with her who tried to dissuade her. However, she responded to all his remarks with one phrase: «So it glows!». No one else had any questions or comments. So it was just a hint of a gift for girls.
Due to the lack of proprietary software, there is also a problem with checking the battery charge of the keyboard. Its charge can only be seen when connected via Bluetooth in Windows (via «Settings — Devices and Bluetooth») and in two on Mac (System Preferences and Control Center). However, the data from Windows and Mac may be different. The indicator on the keyboard is not much help either — it only lights up red when the device is charging via USB.
Due to this «feature, it’s hard to check the battery life of the keyboard. Although I can say one thing for sure — it holds the battery very well, and I believe in the promised 180 hours of work.
There are no new problems with macOS as such. There are classic issues for all Windows keyboards, so it’s nothing new. Unfortunately, the built-in combination Fn1+Tab, which was supposed to switch between Windows/macOS, does not work — the layer under macOS does not switch. The good thing is that in «System Preferences — Keyboard — Keyboard shortcuts — Modifier keys» you can set the necessary actions yourself. This method works for ALL Windows keyboards. It is saved only for macOS, so there will be no problems after switching to Windows. I, personally, set it up as in the table and screenshot below.
| Key on the keyboard | MacOS action |
| Alt | Command |
| Win | Option |
| Ctrl | Control |
| Caps Lock | Globe (language change) |
Don’t forget to select the keyboard you want from the top, otherwise you’ll end up with a standard keyboard; the Caps Lock function (printing only capital letters) is activated after holding down the key for a few seconds, so you can assign another action to it.
As for the available software, let me remind you of an old truth: «Is it working? Don’t touch it!». It’s the same with VIA. If you add something or do a little customization, something can go wrong. This keyboard is like an Android OS — once you root it, you can do whatever you want with it. But get ready to repair what you’ve done. Of course, the full «root» will be available after Hator provides all the necessary tools, as for the Gravity.
For example, there is no combination to turn off the backlight. What have I decided? I should add that there will be no problems with such a simple function, right? Right? No. I added the RGB Toggle function to the =+ key, and now I can turn off the backlight at will via Fn1+=. But there are two problems: if the keyboard is lost and the laptop is found again, the backlit key remains lit and does not turn off; when connected to another device, the previous one may continue to light up.
Of course, someone might say that you can just turn the backlight off and on with Fn1+↑, ↓. But pressing this combination four times each time — is too much, as for me.
After my manipulations and attempts at various things in VIA, the keyboard might not have accepted them and returned to the factory settings on its own. If Hator makes it possible to reflash this keyboard, then experienced users will be able to do many things with it and at the same time improve their C/C++ programming experience.
I also tried to connect Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless to consoles. First of all, I tried to connect it to my Xbox. And yes, it works! However, in case anyone didn’t know, there are certain limitations: not all games support keyboard+mouse at all (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 does); Bluetooth works via an encrypted channel on both «big» consoles, so any attempts to connect computer peripherals will fail. However, you can use the Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless in wireless mode — a 2.4 GHz adapter saves the day. I connected it to the device.
Hator Rockfall 3 TKL Wireless keyboard costs 4499 UAH. The only competitor within the Hator brand is the Hator Skyfall TKL Pro Wireless, but it is no longer on sale or difficult to find.
Competitors from well-known brands with a much higher price are:
You can also consider Keychron keyboards. For example, K3 Max RGB (from 4,670 UAH). Keychron uses its own software, which is similar to VIA.
