ZSA Voyager & Navigator Review: A Tinkerer’s Dream
▼ Summary
– The Voyager is a low-profile, split mechanical keyboard with a columnar-staggered layout, and the Navigator is a magnetic trackball attachment that snaps onto it.
– Both devices are highly customizable via ZSA’s Oryx software, allowing extensive key remapping and layer programming.
– The setup is expensive, with the Voyager costing $365 and the Navigator $169, targeting users with specific ergonomic needs or a desire to deeply customize.
– The reviewer found the 52-key layout limiting for daily work, missing dedicated arrow keys and mouse buttons, and experienced a slower typing speed during the adjustment period.
– While the Voyager and Navigator offer fun, high customization for the right enthusiast, the reviewer currently lacks the time to perfect the setup despite appreciating the integrated trackball concept.
For those who view their keyboard as a personal command center, the pursuit of the perfect typing experience is a serious endeavor. If you’re someone who thrives on customization and is willing to overhaul your entire setup for potential gains in comfort and efficiency, the ZSA Voyager keyboard and Navigator trackball present a fascinating, if demanding, proposition. This combination offers deep programmability and a unique integrated pointing solution, though it requires a significant investment of both money and time to master.
The Voyager is a low-profile, split mechanical keyboard featuring 52 keys in a columnar-staggered layout. It’s a wired design with hot-swappable Kailh Choc switches, and the unit I tested came with Pro Red linear switches, which felt softer than the tactile Cherry MX Browns I typically use. The newer component is the Navigator trackball module, which attaches magnetically to either side of the keyboard above the thumb cluster. The vibrant red ball rolls smoothly, and its placement means your hand barely needs to leave the home row to control the cursor.
Designed with portability in mind, the Voyager is compact enough to slip into its included carrying case alongside a laptop. It includes small magnetic feet for basic tenting, though I found the angle they provide to be quite shallow compared to other ergonomic keyboards. For those seeking more aggressive adjustments, ZSA sells a separate tripod mount system, and the magnetic design invites creative DIY solutions for positioning.
Where these devices truly shine is in their software customization via ZSA’s Oryx configurator. This powerful, user-friendly tool allows you to remap every key, assign complex macros, and create multiple layers that change the keyboard’s functions on the fly. You can set different actions for a tap, hold, or double-tap on a single key. After designing your layout, it’s flashed to the keyboard’s hardware using the companion Keymapp application, making your configuration portable between computers.
It’s crucial to note that this capability comes at a steep price. The Voyager keyboard costs $365, and the Navigator trackball adds another $169, bringing the total to $534 before any accessories. The optional tripod mount is an additional $89, not including the tripod itself. This positions the setup firmly in the realm of enthusiasts with very specific needs or a deep desire to personalize their tools.
As someone who has experimented extensively with alternative layouts and input devices, from Colemak to vertical mice and full-sized trackballs, I approached this review with an open mind. However, the 52-key layout of the Voyager consistently left me feeling constrained. I missed having dedicated arrow keys readily available, as they are essential for my daily text editing. While they can be placed on a secondary layer, that extra step disrupted my workflow. Furthermore, the Navigator module lacks physical mouse buttons, forcing me to dedicate two precious thumb keys to left and right clicks on the main layer.
The transition to the columnar layout, where keys align vertically for each finger instead of in the traditional staggered rows, also proved challenging. My fingers occasionally fumbled, a familiar hurdle I also faced with ZSA’s Moonlander keyboard. After a week of slower, more deliberate typing during a hectic work period, my frustration led me to shelve the Voyager and Navigator entirely. As a writer who needs to communicate quickly and a parent with limited free time, I couldn’t justify the hours required to perfect a custom layout.
This setback may be particular to my current circumstances. In the past, I dedicated the necessary effort to master the similarly laid-out Moonlander. Interestingly, when I returned to the Voyager after a long break to write this review, I readapted more quickly than anticipated. The core appeal remains strong: having a magnetic trackball seamlessly integrated with a fully programmable keyboard is an incredibly fun and clever idea. For the right person, a dedicated tinkerer with the patience to build their ideal layout from the ground up, this could be a dream setup. While I’m not that person at this moment, the potential is undeniable and deeply alluring.
(Source: The Verge)
