There are many issues I like about working from house, however having to play games in my workplace on the weekend as a result of that’s the place my gaming PC lives isn’t one among them. Instead, I wish to be downstairs taking part in games in our front room, the place I’ve acquired quick access to the kettle / biscuit tin and may really spend a while with my husband and fellow RPG vid bud Matthew as a substitute holing myself up in our lonely again bed room for a big chunk of the day.
Of course, taking part in games in the lounge is sort of completely different to taking part in games at a desk. For starters, the desk doesn’t exist, and in contrast to the myriad of console bins sitting below our TV, Windows 10 isn’t actually designed for use with a controller. Instead, you want a mouse and keyboard, whether or not it’s for easy issues like logging into Steam and firing up a game, or really utilizing them to play mentioned games. Corsair’s K83 Wireless leisure keyboard is a technique of doing it, however a correct lapboard such because the Roccat Sova is certainly the way in which to go if you wish to replicate that full best gaming keyboard expertise from the consolation of your sofa.
There are literally two variations of the Roccat Sova: the cheaper £130 / $133 membrane model that I used to be despatched for evaluation and a correct mechanical job that goes for £140 / $181. Both share the identical honking nice plastic chassis, although, and each include the identical replaceable mouse mat, wrist relaxation and underlying cushion performance (though the place you’d get mentioned replacements from given Roccat’s personal web site doesn’t even promote them is up for debate). The solely main distinction is the general really feel (and sound) of the keys themselves.
Now I do know some folks wouldn’t ever abdomen the concept of going again to a membrane keyboard in the event that they’re already mechanical converts, nevertheless it’s value declaring that the quieter keys of the membrane Sova are undoubtedly extra residing room-friendly than the CLACK CLACK CLACK you’ll get on the mechanical model. The membrane Sova is under no circumstances fully silent, after all, however I reckon it’s a lot much less more likely to end in stuff getting chucked at your head when utilizing it in shut proximity of different human beings.
It’s additionally completely responsive for enjoying fast-paced PC games, too. I’ve performed a giant chunk of The Division 2 on the Roccat Sova, for instance, and I’ve by no means put a foot unsuitable as soon as. All the keys are splendidly spaced and provides a superb quantity of tactile suggestions, and the decent-sized mouse mat space offers greater than sufficient room for zipping the digicam forwards and backwards as you scout out these final hidden Hyenas and pesky True Sons hangers-on whenever you’re proper within the thick of it.
Now there’s no beating across the bush right here – the Sova is completely large. Measuring 280x646x37mm and weighing 2.35kg, it’s so much heftier than, say, the glossy Razer Turret, which has a fold-away mouse mat for simpler storage, and it’s a little bit of a faff to make room for it on our espresso desk as soon as I’m performed taking part in.
It is, nevertheless, immensely comfortable to make use of for lengthy intervals of time. Despite the entire thing being fairly cumbersome for somebody of my stature, I used to be in a position to sit with it on my lap for hours no matter whether or not I had each ft planted on the ground or was cosied up in my most popular place of sitting cross-legged. The arduous wrist relaxation did often begin rubbing after some time, however that was normally solely after a number of hours of continuous play and positively lengthy sufficient to get a superb afternoon’s game time in.
The Turret, however, wasn’t practically as secure after I tried it out for myself throughout my CES demo, and the mouse mat space additionally felt so much smaller than what you get on the Sova. What’s extra, whereas the Turret has the added bonus of coming with a bundled Razer Mamba Wireless mouse, the magnets it employs to carry it in place when it’s not in use typically acquired in the way in which when it really got here to taking part in games with it, and it typically felt like I used to be struggling to maneuver it the place I needed. There are not any such restrictions with the Sova, and for as soon as Roccat’s tendency in direction of the large and hulking facet of peripherals really works out of their favour.
More importantly, there isn’t an RGB in sight on both mannequin. Just a plain blue backlight that retains issues good and easy and doesn’t distract from the motion at hand. You may alter the brightness straight from the keyboard itself utilizing the Fn buttons (which is the place you’ll additionally discover the Sova’s onboard media controls), or use Roccat’s Swarm software program to configure it on a per-key foundation if you wish to spotlight particular capabilities or controls.
I additionally love the actual fact there are two USB ports tucked away on the again of the Sova subsequent to its 4m break-away cable. One will clearly be occupied by your mouse more often than not (whose cable can be tucked into the docking rail alongside the higher fringe of the Sova or used along with a clip-on bungee), however the truth that I may use the opposite one to attach a controller or USB headset with out having one other big cable dangling throughout the ground and offering one other journey hazard for my cats is simply an absolute god-send – and a giant a part of why I prefer it a lot. It’s primarily a one-stop store for all the pieces I want for controlling and interacting with my PC, and for me, it’s precisely the identical as taking part in games on my desktop upstairs, which is all I might ever ask for, actually.
There is the small matter of the Sova nonetheless being fairly costly, with the membrane model going for the aforementioned £130 / $133 and the mechanical one an much more princely £140 / $181, however in my eyes the membrane one a minimum of is completely value it. Sure, it’s not fairly as easy and simple to extricate your self from because the Corsair Okay83 Wireless, nevertheless it nonetheless does all the pieces I would like it to, and it does it with out compromise. I by no means really feel like I’m merely having to ‘make do’ or ‘put up with’ something whereas taking part in games on the Roccat Sova, and all the pieces simply works straight out of the field – which is greater than might be mentioned for Corsair’s Okay83 Wireless. As a consequence, the Roccat Sova goes straight in as my new greatest lapboard advice on my best gaming keyboard listing.
