Wooting 80HE+ is the keyboard to wait for if you were about to buy the original 80HE, but it is not a reason for current owners to replace a perfectly good board. The new model changes the switches, plate, case options, knob and optional spacebar layout. Wooting has not announced a faster polling rate or a new competitive feature that makes the old model slow overnight.
That distinction matters because the original already delivered the performance part. The Plus update is mostly about how the keyboard feels, sounds and fits into a daily workflow. Those are useful changes on a keyboard you may touch for eight hours a day, but they are still refinements rather than a new engine.
This is a specification analysis, not a review. No independent outlet has published instrumented testing of the new model yet. Exact pricing is also unannounced, preorders open September 17, 2026, and the first units will not all arrive at the same time.
Table of Contents
- The verdict
- What actually changed
- The switch force difference
- Price and release timing
- What existing owners should do
- Reasons to Skip the Wooting 80HE+
- Wooting 80HE+ FAQ
- The Short Version
Wooting 80HE+ Verdict
Wait two days before ordering anything. Wooting says the 80HE+ will be priced similarly to the original, but “similarly” is not a number and shipping differs by configuration. The sensible move is to read the final price and delivery estimate when orders open, then choose the ABS prebuilt if you want the shortest path to a complete keyboard.
If you own an 80HE, keep it. RTINGS measured exceptionally low latency on the original and praised its software and build, while identifying the fairly stiff gasket mount as a drawback. The Plus model may address the feel and sound, but no exact-model test has proved that yet. Buying a second expensive keyboard to fix an unmeasured difference is how a hobby quietly becomes a storage problem.
New buyers have a different calculation. The original Wooting 80HE is listed at US$199.99 or €219.99 on Wooting’s current comparison table. With old variants disappearing and a replacement days from preorder, paying full price for remaining original stock makes little sense unless it is discounted enough to cover the features you are giving up.
What Actually Changed
Wooting’s September 8 announcement identifies five practical changes. Lekker Tikken Medium switches replace the Lekker L60 v2 switches, the polycarbonate plate becomes FR4, case choices change, the Module gains a split spacebar layout, and the zinc prebuilt includes the new large rotary knob.
The split spacebar needs the most careful reading. It divides the usual bar into 2.75u, 1.25u and 2.25u keys, creating extra thumb inputs without turning the board into a split ergonomic keyboard. At launch it is available only with the module, not the completed prebuilts. You are choosing a build project, including switches and keycaps, if that layout is the reason you want one.
| Buying detail | Wooting 80HE+ | Original Wooting 80HE |
|---|---|---|
| Exact price | Not announced; Wooting says similar to original | US$199.99 / €219.99 listed |
| Prebuilt switch | Lekker Tikken Medium | Lekker L60 v2 |
| Plate | FR4 | Polycarbonate |
| Large knob | Included on zinc prebuilt; optional for ABS | Not included |
| Split spacebar | Module option at launch | No official module option |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Independent exact-model test | None published | Available from RTINGS and others |
The table also exposes what did not appear in the announcement: wireless. This remains a wired 80 percent board, and the compact layout still drops the number pad. That is fine for a fixed gaming desk. It is less convincing if you switch between a work laptop and desktop all day or enter numbers for a living.
The Wooting 80HE+ Switch Force Difference
The switch chart is the clearest numeric change. Wooting specifies the new Lekker Tikken Medium at 42 gram-force at the start and 54 gram-force at bottom-out across 4 mm of travel. Its Lekker L60 v2 specification lists 40 gram-force at the start and 60 gram-force at bottom-out, also across 4 mm.
In plain English, the new switch starts slightly heavier and adds less resistance as it travels. Its force rise is 12 gram-force rather than 20 gram-force. Wooting also claims the closed-bottom housing and tighter moulds reduce wobble and create a deeper, more muted sound. The numbers are specifications; the sound and feel remain manufacturer claims until independent testing compares complete boards.
That makes the change relevant to writing as well as gaming. A flatter force curve may feel more even during a long session, while the FR4 plate should change the bottom-out character compared with polycarbonate. It does not make the keyboard ergonomic by itself. Correct the desk setup first: adjust keyboard height and angle instead of asking a switch or plate to solve wrist extension.
Price and Release Timing
Preorders open September 17, 2026. Wooting expects ABS prebuilts and modules to begin arriving near the end of October. Orders containing a zinc prebuilt or the large knob are expected around mid-December. Those are estimates, not guaranteed delivery dates.
The exact price, regional tax, shipping charge and Canadian landed cost are not announced. That missing total is the biggest reason not to write a blank cheque now. Wooting’s promise of pricing similar to the original gives a reference, but it does not support printing an invented US or Canadian price.
Configuration also changes the wait. The zinc version gets the knob in the box but arrives later. The ABS version should arrive sooner, while the module unlocks the split spacebar and hands assembly decisions back to you. Decide which feature you actually need before choosing the heaviest case on instinct.
What Existing Owners Should Do
The Wooting 80HE+ does not erase the original’s 8 kHz polling, adjustable actuation, Rapid Trigger or software features. Those were already the reasons to buy an 80HE. The new board concentrates on daily contact points, not a fresh performance tier.
Keep the original if you like its feel. If the L60 v2 switches are the problem, Wooting sells the Tikken Medium as a compatible Hall effect switch, so a switch replacement may address more of the complaint for less money. Wait for reviews before assuming the new switch-and-plate combination creates the exact sound you want.
The strongest upgrade cases are specific: you want a built-in knob on the zinc model, or you will use the module’s split spacebar every day. Everyone else gets more value from keeping the old board and spending five minutes in Wootility. For broader options, the site’s ergonomic keyboard guide covers fixed split, adjustable split and conventional layouts, while the AULA F87S analysis shows what a much cheaper wireless TKL gives up and gains.
Reasons to Skip the Wooting 80HE+
Skip it if wireless switching, a number pad or a true split layout matters more than competitive input settings. The board is also hard to justify for ordinary office work if you will never configure actuation or use Rapid Trigger. A less expensive keyboard can type the same email without checking the polling rate eight thousand times per second.
Existing 80HE owners should also skip the first preorder wave unless the knob or split spacebar fixes a known problem. The exact-model review gap means nobody outside Wooting has measured the new complete board’s latency, acoustics or flex. Waiting costs nothing and turns marketing claims into evidence.
Wooting 80HE+ FAQ
When do Wooting 80HE+ preorders open?
Preorders open September 17, 2026. Wooting expects ABS prebuilts and modules near the end of October, while zinc prebuilts and orders containing the large knob are expected around mid-December.
How much does it cost?
The exact price is not announced. Wooting says it will be priced similarly to the original, which its current product comparison lists at US$199.99 or €219.99.
Is the split spacebar included on every version?
No. Wooting says the three-part split spacebar is a module option at launch. The completed ABS and zinc prebuilts use the regular spacebar layout.
Has the new keyboard been independently tested?
No exact-model instrumented review appeared in the Canadian page-one SERP checked for this article. Measurements from the original 80HE are useful context, not test results for the Plus model.
The Short Version
New buyers should wait for the preorder page, exact price and configuration-specific delivery estimate. The updated switches and FR4 plate make the replacement more sensible at roughly similar money. Current owners should keep the original unless the large knob or module-only split spacebar solves a real daily problem. The performance case for replacing it has not been made.
