Welcome to my review of the ProtoArc XKM01 Tri-Fold Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse combo. For the review, I have been sent the UK layout keyboard.
ProtoArc is not a name that comes to mind when you think of keyboards or mice… however, after using the XKM01 I think you really should think of them. At the time of writing, ProtoArc does not have many keyboards and mice in their range. However, I do hope that changes and they expand their range into the gaming market and make mechanical gaming keyboards and gaming mice soon!
The Hardware
As mentioned, I was sent the ProtoArc XKM01. This is a combination pack of the XK01 keyboard, an XLM01 mouse, a travel case, and a fold-away phone/tablet stand. The keyboard and mouse both support multiple ways of connecting to your devices and rechargeable batteries in each. The batteries can be charged via a USB-C cable which you can find in the box. The keyboard sports a 210mAh Li-Po battery whilst the mouse has a 300mAh Li-Po battery.
So, I mentioned that the devices support multiple ways of connecting to your devices. You can use the provided wireless adapter, which will automatically sync the keyboard and mouse to your computer. There is also Bluetooth which you can pair with an additional two devices. This means if you want to use the XKM01 with your PC at home, and then take it in your bag to use on a tablet or at work later on, you can do so. I think this is a great idea as I have had issues before when I used to use a keyboard/mouse at home and take them to work to discover I’d left the wireless dongle at home. With the XKM01 that’s no problem because you can use Bluetooth.
Three buttons on the keyboard indicate which mode you will use once pressed. Wireless, Bluetooth 1, and Bluetooth 2. The same goes for the mouse except for a switch on the bottom which shows the connection you want to use, this is near the power switch.
Both the keyboard and mouse are compatible with many different devices in my testing including Windows, macOS, and Android. The keyboard worked fine with an iPhone, but I could not get the mouse to work. This could have just been me and it’s not a problem because who would want to use a mouse with an iPhone?
All the Devices!
The keyboard is a full size and even has a numpad which is pretty useful at times, for me anyway. It’s very nice to type on and is probably one of the quietest keyboards I’ve used in a long time. The tri-fold mechanism is super smooth and very quiet. The battery in the keyboard seems to last a very long time. It doesn’t feel like a chore to open or like I am going to break it by opening it. I even bent it the wrong way a little just to see how the flex was and it didn’t feel like it was about to snap.
Of course, I didn’t force it the wrong way. I was just curious and I have a feeling that if I forced it, it would have snapped or something might have broken. So don’t do that, but why would you?
The XKM01 mouse is nice to use. It’s very light, has silent clicks, and the battery lasts quite a long time before needing another charge. There are left and right-click buttons, a scroll wheel, as well as a DPI button on the mouse. The DPI button changes the DPI of the mouse at a click, it adjusts between three levels, 1000, 1600, and 2400 DPI.
The travel case is a fantastic addition and helps keep both devices safe making it easier to just chuck them in your bag. I also found that the keyboard and mouse both fit into the newer Jsaux case for Steam Deck / ROG Ally as well as both my Deck OLED and ROG Ally (one at a time of course!). This case is a beast and fits a ton of stuff, but that’s not for this review. For the record, the case I am referring to is the Jsaux BG0106A and is labelled as “large”.
Conclusions
I was pleasantly surprised by the ProtoArc XKM01. The keyboard feels of a very high quality, it also feels very stable whilst typing on. I cannot see or feel any flex or movement of the casing and folding points whilst in use.
The mouse also feels great to use as it’s very light and the clicks are silent, just like the keys on the keyboard. To learn more about the Protoarc XKM01, please visit the official website. Please note that this link is just a link that will provide statistics, it’s not an affiliate link. I felt like I had to say that just incase you notice the
I score the ProtoArc XKM01 a 10/10!
A sample was kindly provided for us to review this product.
