If you didn’t know already, at present’s keycaps are sometimes constructed utilizing an inexpensive, sturdy, and simple to label plastic known as ABS, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (catchy). This is the most typical amongst gaming gear largely as a result of it’s low-cost and lightweight, however that additionally makes it vulnerable to put on, breakages, and growing a sheen over time. Lucky for us there are exceptions constructed from sturdier stuff. Enter PBT, or polybutylene terephthalate.
PBT is elusive within the gaming world largely because of its excessive price and tough translucence. But there are a number of keyboards on the market that ditch the intense lights for powerful development, and these are sometimes favoured by avid gamers with heavy fingers or these hoping to maintain their $100 plus keyboards in a single piece for a good stretch of time.
The Asus Strix Scope PBT is essentially equivalent to its ABS sibling by nearly the identical identify – all bar its use of PBT keycaps. That has a number of repercussions, in fact. Such as an absence of RGB lighting and a hard and fast purple and black colourway. Worthy sacrifices? I are likely to assume so, however let’s see what the Strix Scope PBT is bringing to the desk.
If you’re typing on a PBT keyboard for the primary time, the very first thing you’ll discover is the distinct chatter. The clicky nature of ABS keycaps is as an alternative changed with the boring thud of PBT – and no sound is sweeter.
You’ll additionally discover these keys are completely different to the contact in comparison with the shiny sheen of ABS caps. PBT is distinguishable by its tough but uniform end. And whereas refined at first, a number of years down the road when your ABS keycaps are a slippery mess you’ll be shocked how effectively your PBT caps maintain up.
| ROG Strix Scope PBT | |
| Size | Full dimension |
| Rollover | N-key |
| Onboard reminiscence | Six profiles |
| Switches | Cherry MX |
| Price | £125 |
Beyond PBT keys, the tell-tale signal of any ROG Strix Scope keyboard is the big, ‘Xccurate’ Ctrl key for unrivalled copy and pasting accuracy… or possibly it was FPS gaming. Either method, the Strix Scope’s Ctrl key’s an absolute unit.
At the bottom of each key’s certainly one of Cherry’s MX mechanical switches for instant and correct response. The normal suspects are all right here, too. From Cherry MX Red proper the way in which by means of the muted rainbow to Cherry MX Speed Silver switches. Our specific assessment unit options center of the highway linear reds with a 4mm journey and 2mm actuation. If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it.
The Strix board itself is quite unspectacular, however to not a fault. It’s constructed like a tank, options all of the bells and whistles one may count on from a gaming keyboard, and would make for a positive addition to an ROG rig. The braided cable ensures you received’t be soldering a brand new one on anytime quickly, and whereas it could lack devoted media keys, the useful Fn Lock shortcut retains these shortcuts shut handy.
There is one shortcut I’m not fully positive about. That’s the ‘stealth’ key. Hit Fn and F12 – or simply spot the important thing with the shifty fellow on it – and your audio can be swiftly muted and your entire home windows hidden. I can solely assume Asus expects the Republic of Gamers is as much as no good. Hacking, most likely. And everyone knows the federal government can’t observe you when you’ve minimised your home windows.
I’m not going to tackle the elephant within the room – that I’m fairly positive Asus put in a porn button. Oops, I discussed it. It is a bit bizarre although.
With a price ticket proper within the combine for a full-size keyboard of this high quality, round £125, there’s a lot to like in regards to the ROG Strix Scope PBT. But for all of my lobbying for this hardy keycap development, the selection between these and the ABS choice all comes down to non-public desire. Keycap desire is subjective, and if you happen to desire the flash of an RGB board then the usual Strix Scope received’t see you fallacious – however neither will the PBT model if you happen to’re after resilience.
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