I’m a big fan of uniform profile keysets. They allow me to easily change my layout, and I generally find low profile, uniform keys more comfortable than taller, sculpted keys. Up to this point, I’ve stuck with Signature Plastic’s DSA profile and Keyreative’s KAM profile, but I had to try Keyreative’s, CannonKeys’, and Matt3o’s new profile: PBS.

What is the PBS profile?

PBS–“Penguin Belly Side”– is a new uniform profile designed by Matt3o and manufactured and sold by Keyreative and CannonKeys. It combines a cylindrical front and back with a spherical divot up top, and the spacebars are convex. The concave keys have a max height of 7.43mm, and the convex spacebars have a max height of 7.91mm.

The keys are dye-sub and reverse dye-sub PBT and have the same smooth texture as many of Keyreative’s other offerings. The PBT is 1.5mm thick.

How does PBS compare to other popular profiles?

As noted above, PBS is a uniform profile, so all the keys are the same height. This puts it in a separate category than many popular shapes, like Cherry and SA, which are sculpted. PBS is also shorter, or lower profile, than many popular profiles, including medium-profile Cherry and high-profile SA.

How does PBS compare to DSA and KAM?

Although DSA, KAM, and PBS are all uniform profiles, they differ in some key respects.

Materials

KAM and PBS are made with dye sub and reverse dye sub PBT, whereas DSA is made with different techniques– including sublimation, double-shot molding, and pad printing– and in both PBT and ABS.

Height

PBS is the shortest of the three with 7.43mm alphas and modifiers and 7.91mm spacebars, followed by DSA, which has 7.84mm alphas and modifiers and 8.44mm spacebars. KAM is the tallest by far, with 9.05 mm alphas and modifiers and 9.94 mm spacebars.

PBS BoB on the left, KAM Astha in the middle, and DSA WoB on the right

Texture

One of my favorite aspects of SP’s DSA is its texture. It has a lovely grip to it, and it feels really premium to me. However, I’ve come to like the silky texture of Keyreatives’ keys, too. The keys are almost buttery. KAM and PBS do show oil and fingerprints much more quickly than the textured DSA, however.

Divot

The top of a 1×1 DSA keycap is 11.50 mm, and the top of a 1×1 KAM keycap is slightly larger at 11.95mm. I haven’t found measurements of PBS’s divot, but it’s noticeably deeper and wider than DSA’s and KAM’s. The edges of PBS’s divot are noticeably rounder, as well. This gives PBS an almost orthotic feel.

What’s next for PBS?

CannonKeys and Keyreative have already released PBS in white and black blanks and BoB, and they’ve stated they plan to keep these in stock. Another set, PBS MV Classic, has started shipping from certain vendors to group buy participants, and a PBS BoW is reportedly in the works. Group buys are currently running for PBS Aperature Priority, a photography-themed set designed by AkukoLabs, and the set is expected to release in late Q2/early Q3 2025.

Lastly, CannonKeys and Keyreative have promised additional sets–including PBS Galaxy, PBS Strawberry Milk, and PBS Goblin Mode by Ty– but they haven’t provided set dates for group buys or the sets’ release.

Post-publishing update: CannonKeys just announced that PBS Galaxy is launching Friday, February 28, 2025, and the groupbuy will last until March 31, 2025. They also announced that PBS BoB should be back in stock by the end of March.

To keep up with the latest news on PBS, be sure to follow CannonKeys’ updates and join designer Matt3o’s discord server.