Earlier this week we had to get my Fiancé a new keyboard and mouse setup – so we hopped across the road to Microcenter together. I should have known better. I can’t step foot in that store without getting something… and of course it’s something I don’t really need. I ended up with an ROG Strix Scope II keyboard and woah, this thing is badass! I was merely poking at the keyboards as I passed, but I fell in love with the sound and feel of the keys on this one. Enough to buy it.

Having had it several days I swear I can type faster with it than on any other keyboard I’ve had. The only thing I’d wish to be different is to have a bit of an ergonomic curve, but otherwise I’d say it’s perfect.

I’m fascinated by the fact that it can be paired with up to 3 different computers / bluetooth devices and flip between them. That’s just overboard crazy… or is it? There’s also a 2.4ghz USB wireless dongle or a USB C wired connection.

I remember when my coworker was looking for a keyboard with backlighting… I thought it was a gimmick. It’s actually pretty neat and kind of useful (especially on a black keyboard used in a room with barely any ambient light besides the glow of the fish tank behind me). I ended up setting the lighting pretty dim – just enough to be able to make out the letters if needed but with a quick color change that responds to keypresses. It’s over the top, but it’s fun and makes me smile.

I think it’s a far better experience than something like the Apple Magic Keyboard or Microsoft Comfort Keyboard which are both just flat and boring. There’s something to the tactile feedback and feel of mechanical switches – if nothing more than just nostalgia of keyboards past.

Now I just have to get used to this 96% layout…