A gaming keyboard with a multi-function knob or volume wheel is nothing new, though Wooting believes it has a twist that makes its version pretty special. The so-called 'Wooting Knobs' work as a drop-in accessory for most of its gaming keyboards.
You simple remove a switch, or four, and replace it with either a single-key dial or a larger dial with a button in the middle. These can then be programmed to do whatever you like, within reason, within the Wootility software.
"You can put it anywhere you want, have as many as you want," says Simon Whyte, lead software engineer at Wooting.
"We have this small one, which is just a single key, and I can go anywhere.
"And then the big one, which is designed specifically for the… well, the 80HE was designed for this originally, but it took us a while to get it right."
There is a conspicuous spot for the larger knob on the Wooting 80HE, right above the light bar. The design of this keyboard makes a lot more sense in light of the Wooting Knobs.
The function of the knobs can be adjusted within the Wootility software, but Whyte notes that the company is looking into making more of the knobs with further integrations with third-party software.
A prime spot for the smaller knob is between the two halves of the spacebar on the newly-announced Wooting 60HE v2. This compact keyboard, a sturdier, better-looking version of the 60HE we've reviewed, comes with a spacebar that's split in two, with a new customisable key right in the middle. Remove that key and you can add a dial there instead, if you so wish.
Though the dual spacebar and extra button is a pretty neat solution in itself. I tried typing on it today, and it was surprisingly easy to get used to, with my thumbs naturally resting on the left and right-side spacebars rather than over the new middle key.
But back to knobs, these aren't coming out for a little while yet. I'm told around Q1, 2026.
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There's also a compatibility issue with older Wooting keyboards using the company's older AVR chip, used in some of its first products, rather than the modern ARM-based chip. Whyte says the knobs are unlikely to support those older chips, but threw out a ballpark estimate of around 98% of its keyboards use ARM anyways.
That backwards compatibility is a pretty big deal, anyways. Whyte says the company wants to keep long-term support in mind with all upgrades, and this is one reason (of many) why it's sticking with Hall effect Lekker switches that work across most of its boards for the foreseeable future. That's particularly noteworthy in light of Cherry's recent IK switch announcement, which puts induction switches at the heart of Cherry's plan from here on out.
