A well-built, numpad-equipped custom that overdelivers at its price point and makes a convincing 'just one' keyboard.
Stock stabilizers are a weak point and likely need lubing or swapping
The Neo98 has quietly become a go-to recommendation for anyone who needs a numpad but wants a proper custom keyboard experience. Most people are drawn in by the solid aluminum build and clean colorway options — Dusty Rose, Taupe Grey, and Orange all get love — and the consensus is that the build quality punches well above its price tier. Fair warning: more than a few owners have admitted it was supposed to be their 'only' custom.
Switches that suit this board's sound and build.
The Neo98 is pitched as an office numpad daily driver, and the Y2's 45g spring with a UHMWPE stem keeps long work sessions low-fatigue while the aluminum gasket case turns the press into a deep thocky tone that doesn't carry sharp ping across an open office. Stock-smooth means no tuning ritual before the typist can actually start working.
The Neo98's primary use case is the office, so a properly quiet linear is structurally needed in this lineup — Silent Peaches in an aluminum gasket case keep the dampened bottom-out from sounding mushy because the case still contributes a clean low-end resonance. Budget tier also keeps the total Neo98 build accessible for the 'first custom' office buyer.
Office typists who think in spreadsheets and code often want tactile feedback for accuracy, and the Baby Kangaroo's medium tactile bump pairs with the Neo98's aluminum gasket build to sound thocky rather than rattly — the case mass dampens the typical tactile housing buzz. Spans switch_type from the linear-heavy first two picks.
For the 'this was supposed to be my only custom' Neo98 owner who decides to upgrade switches, Oil Kings turn the aluminum gasket case into a deep marbly build that justifies the time and money. Heavy planted bottom-out also keeps numpad data-entry presses from feeling skittish.
Milky Yellows are the canonical budget linear that gets disproportionate output from an aluminum gasket case — perfect for the budget-conscious Neo98 buyer drawn in by colorways more than switch hype. The medium spring keeps numpad presses planted without feeling heavy on full-keyboard typing.
