Roccat Vulcan II keyboard evaluation: A disco ball you possibly can kind on

Finest Costs At this time: Roccat Vulcan II keyboard

The Roccat Vulcan line of keyboards is all about one factor: being actually, actually, actually, ridiculously handsome. I referred to as the Vulcan II Mini the “shiniest little keyboard around,” however Roccat appears to have outdone itself with the brand new full-sized variant. The Vulcan II, significantly within the white-on-aluminum colorway seen right here, is so gosh-darned fairly that it may make a Macbook Air jealous. 

Thankfully the keyboard’s charms don’t finish with its appears. Some first rate switches and extras, plus a worth that’s a minimum of aggressive, signifies that its attraction is greater than skin-deep. The Vulcan II isn’t the very best gaming keyboard in the marketplace…however when you’re searching for a option to bling up your battlestation, you won’t care. 

Additional studying: See our roundup of the very best gaming keyboards to study competing merchandise.

Roccat Vulcan II: RGB splendor

The Vulcan II is so massive, so shiny, and so stunning it’s truly distracting. Just like the smaller model, it makes use of “floating” keycaps with minimal sidewalls that permit the ultra-bright RGB LEDs shine via. Mix that with the white tops, clear swap housings, the super-reflective brushed-aluminum deck, and the very best animation for lighting in the marketplace, and this keyboard is the one to purchase when you’re nostalgic for laser mild reveals at your native planetarium. 

(Should you don’t know what a laser mild present is, ask your mother and father, after which get off my garden.) 

Every thing concerning the board is about as much as exhibit the lighting, and it doesn’t disappoint. I’m not simply speaking about pure lumens, both. Roccat’s boards even have the smoothest and most aesthetically interesting mild animations I’ve ever seen. By default the Vulcan II will gently transition between shades (lava lamp-style), but in addition react to particular person keypresses. Usually I disable this type of factor, however the animations on this board are so fluid and so variable that I left them be. They’re that fairly. Even the standing indicators, illuminated slightly below the arrow cluster, look attractive. 

What are the Roccat Vulcan II’s specs? 

So what else does the keyboard have going for it? Effectively, it’s a full-sized, 108-key format, so followers of the num pad might be blissful. It features a radial dial and devoted media keys simply above that, in essentially the most pure spot. Stated dial may be very “clicky,” like an old school RCA TV channel selector (man, I’m actually displaying my age with this evaluation), however may also be pressed in to activate mute by default. 

The keyboard features a wrist relaxation within the field, an all-too-rare characteristic for premium full-sized boards. It clicks into the principle board’s physique however has an unlucky tendency to sag within the center beneath intense typing. The appealingly textured backside (you, within the again, cease that guffawing) has plastic ft with only one stage, however are pretty high-profile for that. And the braided USB twine is, regrettably, mounted—an odd selection when the less-expensive Vulcan II Mini’s is removable.

Michael Crider/Foundry

By way of pure gaming chops, the Vulcan II presents full N-key rollover, 1,000Hz polling (not nice by way of competitors, however admit it, you don’t have literal millisecond reflexes anyway), and onboard storage for as much as 4 profiles. Sadly you possibly can’t program it with out Roccat’s Swarm software program, which is unique to Home windows. 

What’s it wish to kind and recreation on the Roccat Vulcan II? 

Roccat’s floating keycaps take some getting used to. They’re ABS as a substitute of the extra premium PBT, which is beginning to change into customary even on midrange boards. However I’ll give the designers the advantage of the doubt and assume the fabric selection is one more determination to make the Vulcan II as shiny as potential. 

That stated, the keycaps have a flat profile that, mixed with the slick end, made my fingers slip round a bit for the primary few days. I used to be in a position to regulate, however this keyboard undoubtedly takes slightly getting used to, and I can’t assist however really feel just like the keycaps are undermining the gaming focus a bit. In fact, nothing stops you from changing the keycaps with a set of standard ones…apart from the tears of the engineers who spent a lot time making this keyboard a disco ball you possibly can kind on. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

Unusually, the Vulcan II does not get the customized optical switches featured on the Vulcan II Mini, the brand new II Mini Air, and the in some way even shinier Vulcan II Max. As an alternative it has to make do with the marginally less-fancy customary switches, which actuate with old school electrical contacts. It’s an odd omission that makes this keyboard the least superior in Roccat’s complete line…but it surely’s additionally far cheaper than the equally sized Max, so I’m inclined to be forgiving. 

The linear switches on my evaluation unit are serviceable, if nothing particular. With the contacts on the actuation level they’re noticeably “bumpier” than the optical switches of the Vulcan II Mini, however nonetheless pretty premium with a much less chattery sound and press. The corridor impact (the partitions on the aspect of the stem) additionally lend slightly extra stability that the floating keycaps take away from the opposite Vulcan boards. Roccat says these “Titan II Red” switches come pre-lubed, and certainly they’re fairly easy, however not as good because the super-fancy Kailh switches within the Keydous NJ80-AP. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

Regardless of being customary mechanical, the keyboard’s switches are usually not hot-swap, so you possibly can’t substitute them. However once more, when you’re shopping for this board for the sunshine present, that’s in all probability not a deal-breaker. All issues thought-about, I’ve to ding the keyboard for going with customary as a substitute of optical switches, because it’s branded as a gaming board.

Roccat Vulcan II software program 

Roccat Swarm is pretty middle-of-the-road so far as gaming software program goes. On the one hand, it’s utilizing the ultra-dark shade scheme all of them appear to favor that makes all the pieces twice as exhausting to seek out because it must be. Then again, it’s not attempting to get me to make use of coupons. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

Swarm does have essentially the most annoying characteristic I’ve ever seen in one in every of these: the power so as to add software program sounds to every key press. Should you work in an workplace and genuinely detest your coworkers, purchase a Roccat keyboard and set it to play Star Wars pew-pew laser noise via your PC audio system each time you hit a key. Should you can kind 100 phrases per minute, somebody will try and homicide you by lunch, assured. However this “feature” is disabled by default, so any hurt it does is fully on you. 

The software program does high quality at managing customized bindings and macros, although as soon as once more, you possibly can’t re-bind the f’n Fn button (or the left Home windows key, weirdly). By default, Caps Lock prompts “Easy Shift,” which is actually a second perform layer. Roccat makes a giant deal out of this, however since VIA and QMK have been doing it for years, you possibly can shade me unimpressed. Sure, you possibly can set it again to Caps Lock if you would like, however not the rest. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

The lighting part presents a collection of pre-programmed choices, that are all attractive and much more fluid than the same old fare. However some are, frankly, overwhelming. I dare you to set the keyboard to “Ripple,” watch a full mild present activate with every key press, and be capable of get work executed. However they’re straightforward to each apply and customise, and you may absolutely program your personal if that’s what you need. All in all, not unhealthy, particularly contemplating how light-focused many consumers might be. 

Must you purchase the Roccat Vulcan II?

At $150 the Vulcan II ain’t low-cost, particularly for a board that foregoes some premium options like ultra-fancy switches, hot-swapping, or inside sound dampening. There are additionally some corners reduce by way of supplies, just like the mounted USB cable and a considerably plasticky construct, which might’t be overcome by the admittedly good inclusion of the wrist relaxation. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

However even at this excessive worth, it’s not the most costly wired-only board round — the Razer BlackWidow V4 is $80 extra with none large technical benefits apart from ridiculously fast polling, for instance. Corsair desires $200 for the K95 RGB Platinum SE, and its solely benefit is 5 additional keys. Each these keyboards provide a greater match and end, however not by such an enormous margin that they’ll justify the upper worth on that alone.

Should you’re within the Vulcan II, you need it for the insanely flashy mild present it’s offering. I suppose that’s a advice.