If you’ve always wanted a quiet mechanical keyboard that’s fast and zippy for gaming while also offering good tactile feel for touch-typing, then the compact Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile could be the gadget you’re looking for.
The keyboard feels solid the first time you take it out of the box. It has enough heft despite its small size to stay firmly in place and reassure you it’s not going to move about, whether you’d firing out a report or shooting at an opponent in an online game.
Unveiled last month at the CES show, the Asus keyboard sports a white design that is elegant. It also comes with a touch panel in a discrete mirror finish. Not that much bling here, though you can customise the backlight on your keys if you prefer more.
To connect to your PC, you can use a USB cable, Asus’ Omni wireless receiver or Bluetooth. For gaming, to minimise lag, the wired option might just make a slight difference, though usually I’d just use one of the two wireless options for a clutter-free desktop.
Speaking of that, the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is also compact and slim. Just 306mm long, the “65 per cent” gaming keyboard does away with extra keys on the number pad and tightly packs its keys in a longish format. For folks who have a small workspace, this is ideal.
The smaller size might take a little getting used to, especially if you have been using a larger keyboard.
For years, I have been using a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard with the keys well spread out to avoid narrowing the shoulders too much.
So, for me, there are still a number of typos when I do my usual touch-typing. This is because I expect the keys to be slightly more spaced out and end up pressing on the wrong keys.
Speaking of typing, the model I got for review from Asus comes with the Taiwanese company’s low-profile Red switches. These switches offer a 1mm actuation point for fast input and promises great rebound feedback.
Even for someone who isn’t crazy about the mechanical keyboard hype, the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile really impressed me. With some practice, I can touch-type – almost silently – with this keyboard.
If you want a deep, long feedback feel, Asus also offers the keyboard with Blue switches, which will give you more of the traditional or retro mechanical keyboard sensation. Those “clicky and speedy” switches offer 1.5mm actuation point, according to Asus.
What about gaming? Well, this keyboard is perfect as a second keyboard for users like me. It’s the “play” accessory when all the work is done and it’s time to fire up a game.
Okay, even when I used the faster keyboard, I don’t think I scored more wins in Call of Duty, so that’s probably down to the slowness of the user. For folks who are into a split second difference, I guess the Asus ROG keyboard would be welcome.
There’s also onboard memory to store up to six profiles so you can customise different keyboard schemes for different games and bring the keyboard everywhere you go. Asus has included a handy cover to protect the keys when you bring the ROG keyboard around.
Besides the keys, the touch panel at the top is interesting as well. In keeping with the compact design, a button at the front lets you toggle various modes like media playback or webpage scrolling. Simply slide your finger at the front to control, say, volume or scrolling.
To sum up, the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is a well-made, attractive keyboard that will delight many gamers who are conscious of space.
As someone who types for a living and has recovered from a slipped disc from a previous job, I’d still prefer a larger, more comfortable keyboard that lets me spread my arms further apart and not crunch up my back.
However, I’m more than happy to have the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile as a second keyboard whenever I fire up some games.
The only problem is price. The keyboard is priced at a high S$289, which goes to show that smaller doesn’t mean cheaper.
A cheaper Asus ROG Falchion Ace wired keyboard that’s also compact goes for S$169, but that misses out on the wireless link and other features like the touch panel.
Though not cheap, the new Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile will have fans willing to fork out S$289. It’s feature packed for a compact keyboard and is solidly and attractive made.
