For far too long, I’ve felt there’s been too much of a gulf between the mainstream gaming keyboards of this world and the more enthusiast-level options. The world of mechanical keyboards is something that’s grown from a niche subculture to a PC gaming standard – even once-enthusiast keyboard forums now record over a million members. With that in mind, companies have tried to make keyboards to appeal to both sides, implementing enthusiast features without losing the traditional gamer aesthetic or core audience.
It’s a tricky line to walk, but Asus seem to have nailed it with their new ROG Azoth keyboard. It balances the traditional nerdy charm of a gaming keyboard – with its sumptuous RGB, fun OLED screen and excellent wireless connectivity – with enthusiast nice-to-haves, like hot-swappable switches, a pot of lubricant and a gasket-mounted PCB for a smoother typing feel at lower volumes.
Let’s talk design first of all. The Azoth features the usual Asus ROG charm, with its aggressive looks, and the ribbed plastic underside contrasts the grey aluminium top housing nicely, That mix of metal and plastic also allows the build quality here to be absolutely sublime. Even if this is a smaller 75 percent keyboard, the Azoth still tips the scales at 1.2kg or so, which is pretty darn heavy. It should therefore come as no surprise to learn that there is no deck flex at all. Rather, if you experienced any intruders at home, and you wanted to reach for something that could knock them out, the Azoth would be a sure-fire way of doing so… not that I’m suggesting you hit people or anything.
The excellent build quality and thoughtful nature of the Azoth’s construction also extends into its PBT keycaps. They feel great under finger with a textured finish that makes this keyboard a joy to use and also help to justify the Azoth’s higher price tag a little more, too. Moreover, Asus also included a simple switch on the back of the keyboard to choose between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless modes, rather than making you try to remember an obscure key combo to do the same job; there’s also a holder back here for the 2.4GHz USB dongle.