PFU adds Ash keytops to HHKB Studio for better visibility

PFU added a new Ash replacement keytop set for HHKB Studio on June 23, giving the 2023 board line an official option aimed at easier-to-read legends and more flexible customization. It is not a new keyboard. It is a replacement package, and that distinction matters in the HHKB world, where owners tend to care as much about long-term support and part compatibility as they do about finish.

PFU said the Ash color was created in response to user requests for clearer keys and easier customization, while still preserving the minimalist look that defines Happy Hacking Keyboard. The company describes Ash as a calm gray meant to sit alongside the existing Sumi and Snow colors rather than replace them. PFU also said the shade was meant to “blend quietly into the landscape of thought,” a line that captures the way HHKB has always sold itself: not as a flashy board, but as a tool that disappears under the hands.

The new set comes in four versions: English, English blank, Japanese and Japanese blank. PFU listed the English sets at 6,600 yen and the Japanese sets at 7,590 yen. The English package includes 60 replacement keytops, while the Japanese version includes 69. Each box also comes with a keytop and switch puller and an instruction sheet, which makes the set feel less like merch and more like a supported maintenance part for people who actually use the board every day.

That support angle is where the Ash release lands hardest. PFU said the HHKB Studio keytop set is not compatible with the HHKB Professional series, a useful warning for buyers who might assume the whole HHKB family shares parts. HHKB Studio itself launched on October 25, 2023 as an all-in-one input device with a pointing stick, mouse buttons, gesture pads and mechanical switches, while HHKB Professional remains a separate line that continues to use Topre switches. PFU said the new set would be sold through PFU Direct, and bundled HHKB Studio plus Ash offerings would be available at special prices through September 30, 2026, underscoring that the company is treating the ecosystem as something to maintain, not just sell once.