GravaStar has officially launched the Mercury K98 Pro mechanical keyboard in Australia, bringing its signature cyberpunk-inspired design to a larger 98-key layout. Priced at A$499.99, the wireless mechanical keyboard combines a CNC-machined aluminium chassis, an 8000Hz polling rate, a built-in colour display, and an 8000mAh battery.
GravaStar has always taken a different approach to product design. We reviewed their original GravaStar Bluetooth speaker back in 2019, which looked more like something from a science fiction movie than a traditional portable speaker. The Mercury K98 Pro follows that same design philosophy, this time aimed at gamers and mechanical keyboard enthusiasts.
The Mercury K98 Pro features a fully CNC-machined aluminium alloy chassis with an exposed, skeleton-like design. It’s certainly different from the more conventional mechanical keyboards we’re accustomed to seeing on gaming desks. Despite its rather unusual appearance, the keyboard offers a practical 98% layout, retaining most of the keys you’d expect from a full-size keyboard, including a dedicated number pad, while keeping the overall footprint more compact.
Underneath the keycaps are GravaStar’s proprietary UFO Mechanical Linear switches, rated for up to 70 million keystrokes. The keyboard uses a gasket-mount structure, which is designed to provide a softer, slightly cushioned typing experience. There’s also support for top-mount configurations.
GravaStar has incorporated five layers of sound-dampening materials, including Poron foam, IXPE switch pads, PET film, and silicone filling. These are designed to reduce unwanted noise and produce a deeper, more consistent typing sound. Of course, how a mechanical keyboard actually feels and sounds is something that specifications alone can’t fully explain.
On the performance side, the Mercury K98 Pro supports an 8000Hz polling rate over both wired USB-C and 2.4GHz wireless connections.
According to GravaStar, the keyboard can achieve response times of 0.1ms when wired and 0.4ms over its 2.4GHz wireless connection. An 8000Hz polling rate allows the keyboard to report inputs to the computer up to 8,000 times per second. While this is a welcome specification for competitive gaming, the actual difference compared to a good 1000Hz keyboard may be difficult to notice during everyday use.
There are three connectivity options available: USB-C, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth 5.4. This makes the keyboard suitable for switching between gaming and productivity setups without relying entirely on cables.
One of the Mercury K98 Pro’s more interesting features is its 8000mAh rechargeable battery. GravaStar claims up to 228 hours of battery life with lighting switched off. However, enabling the keyboard’s full RGB and ambient lighting reduces the estimated runtime considerably, to around 19–21 hours.
The keyboard also includes a 1.65-inch TFT colour display with a resolution of 142 × 428 pixels. It can show real-time information and customisable visual content, adding another element of personalisation.
Settings for the display and other keyboard features can be adjusted through GravaStar’s web-based driver, removing the need to install a dedicated application.
Lighting is another major part of the design. Alongside per-key RGB backlighting with 19 preset effects and a music-reactive mode, the Mercury K98 Pro features three-sided underglow lighting and additional illumination around its feet. These lighting elements extend beyond the keyboard itself, creating ambient effects across the desk. Users can customise the lighting and store their preferred configurations in three onboard memory profiles.
Australian Pricing and Availability
The GravaStar Mercury K98 Pro is priced at A$499.99 in Australia and is available through Silk Gear, with availability also planned at Scorptec, Centre Com, and Amazon Australia.
At almost A$500, this is certainly a premium mechanical keyboard. Its CNC-machined aluminium construction, large battery, built-in display, and extensive lighting system help explain the price, although typing comfort, build quality, and actual wireless performance will ultimately determine whether it’s worth the investment.
