Having to fight my way through the crowds was not what I imagined when I dropped in to the Brunei Keeb Meet 2023 that was organised by SageKeys and Ibbidibbidoo. The custom keyboard subculture has found a strong community foothold in Brunei that, not only warranted a second edition this year. It was one where crowds were larger, more mainstream and curious to learn about the global custom mechanical keyboard trend.
Ibrahim Yusop, one of the founders behind the Brunei Keeb Meet, said that while he expected to have a crowd, the overwhelming interest from the general public has been heartwarming for its members to be able to share their passion. Unlike mass-produced keyboards, the key to this movement is the customisation factor; designs and layouts that are not normally seen in a standard mouse and keyboard set up and with that, the element of a quality experience.
Not limited to the gamers, the appeal stretches to anyone needing to use a mechanical keyboard extensively, as the many parts can be tailored for your optimal user experience. The locally made merchandise stemming from this is also understandably covetable — who wouldn’t want a custom Studio Ghibli keycap of Totoro?
