The photos finally landed. Matrix Lab dropped the MY-2K 1999 — it's the fourth layout in their FAUKWAA (MY-2K) lineup, after the 80%, 100%, and Alice — and it's a 75% kit capped at 999 units globally (666 for China, 333 everywhere else). They sold it by lottery at $631 USD. The name's a nod to millennium vibes, not the price tag, and 999 is just the total production run. This build sports the retro grey anodized case paired with emoji keycaps, wrapping up Matrix's tenth anniversary with serious style. Let's dig into the design, how it actually feels to type on, and what you should think about before trying to score one.
Design: That Right-Side Cluster Really Steals the Show
Honestly, the whole visual punch comes from that right edge — there's a screen, dot-matrix lighting, light elements, and the logo all stacked together like they own the board. When it powers up, the lighting's way more chill than the tenth-anniversary Alice. It's restrained on purpose, not trying to be a light show.
The back's got that Matrix thing going on: mixing stone-washed surfaces with mirror-polished stainless steel and engraved aluminum. There's a mirrored stainless logo outlet on the tail that flips left or right depending on your mood. The brass No. 1999 plate on the bottom drives home that millennium-series thing, and the FAUKWAA badge plus the light strips along the front give it a genuinely strong side profile. It ships in 25 colors total — 5 anodized, 20 spray-painted — and this retro grey with lime emoji caps? One of the better-looking combos out there.
Not everyone vibes with the right-side stacking right away, though. Some think it looks busy compared to traditional layouts, and a few reckon the back panel's layering doesn't hit as hard as the Alice did. Both takes are fair after staring at it for a minute.
Typing Feel and Sound: This Is Where It Gets Real
This is genuinely where the 1999 proves its worth. Earlier Matrix boards? So soft and bouncy people literally called them trampolines — yeah, including that anniversary Alice and TKL. The 1999 redesigns the Bottom Mount with beryllium copper leaf springs and actually rethinks the internal spacing. You still get a decent amount of give on each press, but it feels way steadier and more in control overall. And that top row sound issue Matrix has struggled with for ages? Finally getting better.
The guts are straightforward: 1.2mm slotted hot-swap PCB with zero RGB switch lighting, and it attaches magnetically. Both aluminum and PC plates ship in the box. The community's basically saying: Matrix is finally getting the sound-and-feel part right instead of just leaning on design and hype.
Things Worth Knowing Before You Hunt for One
Here's what you should realistically expect:
1. The F-row is tight against the number row. There's literally no gap like you'd find on a normal board, and only two function keys hang out at the top right. Windows users? You're gonna need keyboard shortcuts for some stuff. The layout takes getting used to, both visually and in your fingers.
2. It's got some height. At 20.5mm in the front, you'll probably want a wrist rest. Not optional, more like strongly recommended.
3. The lottery thing is real. You're not guaranteed anything, and two-thirds of the 999 units went to China. Some buyers are salty about it feeling like a disguised group buy wrapped in raffle packaging.
4. The surprise factor isn't there. Only 999 units worldwide, and shipping dragged into early October, so the community had basically unpacked everything before most people's boxes showed up.
But honestly? None of that kills the appeal. The 1999 is a solid, practical upgrade — it's got that unmistakable FAUKWAA design language you either love or tolerate, wrapped around internals that actually work now. It's perfect for MY-2K fans who can deal with the compact F-row and don't mind the lottery format. If you're chasing perfect hi-fi sound or just hate raffles on principle, it's not essential. Resale prices on this line have historically stayed fat — some earlier MY-2K colorways go for tens of thousands of yuan — but the smart approach is always: win the draw and enjoy the thing, or miss it and move on.
Summary & What You Need to Know
The MY-2K 1999 might be Matrix's strongest argument yet that they can actually nail feel and sound as well as they do design. Here's what's under the hood:
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Layout | 75% compact; F-row and number row flush, no standard gap |
| PCB | 1.2mm slotted hot-swap, no RGB switch lighting |
| Structure | Bottom Mount with beryllium copper leaf springs; PCB attaches magnetically |
| Plates | Both aluminum and PC plates in the box |
| Dimensions | 20.5mm front height; roughly 2.85kg when built |
| Colors | 25 options — 5 anodized, 20 spray-painted |
| Assembly | Two bottom screws plus top quick-release catch; screws now come with washers so they don't scratch the coating |
10 comments
Nice! The Receipt set looks great.
I have the retro grey too — planning to pair it with DMK’s Receipt set.
Word is FPS players will like it — my guess is 65%.
What layout will the next one be?
If the Emoji set hadn’t already been shot, I was thinking of getting Ono’s set at first, and Rainbow Flow Country too.
09-22, Jilin
Got it — I’m just one retro grey short.
My emoji set is currently gathering dust.
Did you mail it off to another friend?
It makes me laugh that I still haven’t even used my 10th Anniversary Alice.