I was hesitant on spending $200 on a keyboard at first. I read reviews, watched YouTube unboxings, and did research. I ultimately came to the conclusion: I didn't need this keyboard...then I bought it on a whim anyways. I do not regret it. I am not a keyboard expert by any means, honestly most of the research I did just confused me. So I cannot attest to anything in regards to "Actuation Point" or "Switches". I don't have any knowledge to base it on. What I can say is the keyboard FEELS amazing. I purchased the variant with Brown Switches, and it truly feels great. Pressing a key is nice and punchy, and it has a nice "creamy" sound. It's very satisfying to listen to, but isn't picked up by a camera very well. The keycaps feel very strong and have a bit of a grain to them. I suppose for friction or grip? I don't know. The LED behind the keys have multiple lighting ranges for battery saving, as does the OLED screen. The connection speed using the dongle is almost instant. I barely have time to get my hand away from the slider after turning it on before it pairs to my computer. I've seen no noticeable latency, connection, or power loss issues. The first day I got it, I carried it around the house just to listen to the creamy clicks from the keys. It is addicting! This keyboard replaced my previous Razer Blackwidow v3, as I wanted a smaller keyboard. I thought the Blackwidow has a premium feel, but the Asus Azoth truly exceeded all my expectations. There is ONE downside: Armory Crate. I know I know, but I came in to it unbiased! I have never used armory crate prior and had no attachments to any of my other softwares. I saw all the reviews attacking Armory Crate, and figured I would decide for myself if the criticism was valid. I mean it's really bad. It isn't user friendly, it's filled with advertisements, and it just doesn't work half the time. I spent 2 hours setting up the app and getting all my preferences together, and then when I closed the app it just reset. So after doing it again I kept the screen up. I've come to the conclusion that if you dare to minimize the armory crate screen, it just wanders off into the void of your computer. Every time I minimize the app the RGB in the keyboard cuts out, and I have to reopen it to get it back up. I do have a software update for the keyboard I've been too lazy to do, which could fix this problem so who knows. Even without this issue just the usability and ease of access of armory crate or lack thereof, makes me hate it. I am looking into alternatives to armory crate now, hopefully there are some. The keyboards feel, battery, and connection abilities surpass my disposition for armory crate. So I still give it 5 stars. If you like armory crate? You'll love this keyboard. If you hate armory crate? You'll love this keyboard and continue to hate armory crate. Read more
I don't know if this is the best gaming keyboard ever (Wooting 60HE might be king for competitive gaming as some claim) BUT is there any other wireless keyboard with such an insane battery life? I don't think so. This thing lasts me 2 weeks with RGBs on medium which is insane. An (almost) truly wireless experience. Insane battery life aside, the keyboard *feels* premium and sturdy, like it's built to last. Despite the plastic bottom which is supposedly needed to support the wireless function. Speaking of which, this thing is snappy - there is 0 lag or wake up delay. It feels absolutely buttery. The keyboard is heavy. I mean, it's heavier than any other kb I've used, including full-size wired ones. It will NOT slide on your deskmat on accident. The 75% layout is in my opinion perfect for gaming - you retain all the function keys, the arrow keys, and 4 special keys. All that while not taking up much space on the desk at all. I haven't accidentally bumped my mouse into this thing once while gaming, which used to happen a lot with full-sized keyboards. Overall, it's definitely not quite as sleek and compact as 65%, but the extra keys and functionality make up for it, IMO. I will say I'm not a fan of the volume knob. Prefer the feel and tactility of a roller wheel. The knob feels a bit weird and unsatisfying, although it does do the job. As others have pointed out, Asus software isn't the best, it's a bit slow and clunky, but again - it does the job and people are blowing it way out of proportion. First world problems I guess. I got it with NX Red switches and they are smooth! I absolutely love them for gaming. But not so much for typing - prefer the tactility of browns or blues for that. You need to be a very precise and light typist to use Reds and I am definitely not that. I'll be getting a second keyboard with clicky switches for work. In terms of gaming performance, I am 100% happy with the switches. They are light and effortless to use. Sure, they are not hall effect like on the Wooting 60HE, so you don't get rapid trigger and customizable actuation point. But honestly unless you are pushing high ranks in competitive shooters, do you really need those features? I really don't think so. The keycaps are your standard OEM keycaps that work just fine, if you don't mind the gamery aesthetic. Although IMO the default black and grey color theme is a bit bland, I will probably replace these at some point in the future. In terms of the sound when typing - it's pleasant. I don't know if you can call it "thocky" but it's for sure better than anything on other commercial keyboards. Oh, and there is zero case ping, as you'd expect from all the foam stuffed inside. Overall a pricey but solid, premium-feeling and customizable wireless keyboard with insane battery life. What more can you want? Read more
Man I did not want to spend so much money on a keyboard but considering I work 10-12 hours daily sometimes up to 16 hours on my pc... then some light gaming... This is so worth it!!!! Buttery Smooth, feels so premium quality I love it. I ordered this together with the Rog Delta2 headphones which also work awesome! I have other Asus Devices now I am motivated on upgrading my mouse as well. The energy saving features are great the devices go to sleep when not in use, you barely notice the lag or difference coming from sleep state, also the clicky switches sound awesome. Connectivity was no issue as well, the only thing that gave a little of trouble was upgrading firmware using Armory Crate Software... other than that everything else works great. ASUS KEEP DOING GREAT STUFF! Read more
