The KeyBoy Advance, a new 50% mechanical keyboard Designed by PromoType (Galo), has just entered a group buy. The design, as the name suggests, is heavily inspired by the aesthetics and design of the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The KeyBoy Advance achieves its retro looks with a case made of either anodized or e-coated aluminium or translucent PC, reminiscent of the classic translucent cases Nintendo was known for at the time of the Game Boy Advance. The KeyBoy Advance is a small form factor keyboard that uses an unorthodox 50% HHKB layout, meaning it keeps the main alpha cluster and a 10-key number row, while providing optional split space layouts (in either 2.25u+1u+2.75u or 3u+3u configurations), which help ease of access for modifier or layer keys to access symbols and other keys that you might want to place on a secondary layer. 50% layouts inherently require customization, and the KeyBoy Advance is fully remappable in VIAL, the open-source browser-based keyboard remapping utility. The KeyBoy Advance's shoulder bumpers are more than just aesthetic, featuring micro switches that are also remappable in VIAL—these extra buttons seem like they'd be useful for things like connectivity, layer, or backlight toggles. The keyboard includes mounting hardware for both traditional rigid top mounting and o-ring top mounting, offering some variety in the sound and feel of the keyboard.

The KeyBoy Advance is a barebones kit, meaning buyers will need to supply their own keycaps, switches, and stabilizers, but the keyboard's PCB and plate feature options for both ANSI or ISO Enter keys, and buyers can choose between an MX switch-compatible soldered PCB or hot-swap PCB with wired-only connectivity or a hot-swap PCB with wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz connectivity options. Prices vary by vendor, but at Unikeys , the soldered PCB option is the cheapest, at $275 with an anodized aluminium case, while a wired hot-swap PCB adds $15 to the price, and a tri-mode hot-swap PCB adds $40 to the base price. Case prices differ, too, with the e-coated aluminium case adding $20 onto the base price, while the PC cases cost an additional $30. This means that a soldered PCB with a PC case will cost $300, while a hot-swap tri-mode keyboard with a PC case will cost $340. The KeyBoy Advance ships with a 1.6 mm FR4 plate by default, but there are extra aluminium, carbon fiber, PC, and PP plate options available at $15-20 on Unikeys. Supposedly, the group buy is selling at a 20% discount off the RRP, which suggests that the KeyBoy Advance will eventually become available as an in-stock item. Currently, the group buy expects to ship in Q4 2026, although the date is not guaranteed. The group buy will be available until Jul 22, 2026.