Asus ROG Azoth review: better than my custom gaming keyboard

It never occurred to me that I would prefer an off-the-shelf gaming keyboard over the custom mechanical keyboard I built last year. But here we are.

When Asus announced the ROG Azoth, I knew right away that it was one of the most anticipated products of the year. Based on the spec sheet, this kit ranks among the best gaming keyboards you can buy. That said, I didn’t expect it to be better than a custom, enthusiast-grade mechanical keyboard. Still, there are some minor areas I’d like Asus to improve in version 2.

Enthusiastic Design, Mainstream Features

The look of the ROG Azoth is instantly recognizable to anyone in the world of mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. A 75% design that follows in the footsteps of the Glorious GMMK Pro and Drop Sense75. However, there are some important changes.

The top is an aluminum frame, but unlike the GMMK Pro and Sense75, the entire body is not aluminum. The Azoth is a heavy keyboard, but with a plastic bottom, it’s not as heavy as other enthusiast models.

Here’s a good reason for plastic. Azoth’s defining feature is that it supports 2.4GHz low-latency wireless and Bluetooth, in addition to wired connectivity. No other keyboard of Azoth’s caliber supports wireless. This is mainly due to the difficulty of transmitting wireless signals through aluminum. Asus compromised.

Battery life is exceptional, even with the feature-rich OLED screen on board. I started using the Azoth without charging it out of the box (I got about half the battery). After a week of daily use, I only had to charge it once and still have half the battery left as I type this review.

dreamy typing

A 75% form factor doesn’t automatically make the Azoth an enthusiastic keyboard. I’m not comparing the Azoth to keyboards like the Razer Huntman V2. The Razer Huntman V2 is similarly expensive. Because it has features and a typing experience worthy of the enthusiast badge.

It uses a gasket mount previously reserved for very expensive keyboards like the Angry Miao Cyberboard R2. satisfactory thunk of high-end mechanical keyboards.

Asus combines gasket mounts and stabilizers to make big keys like the space bar feel smooth no matter where you hit them, and plate foam to reduce the unwanted metallic sound of mechanical keyboards. A sublime typing experience that even high-end enthusiast keyboards can’t match.

The only exception is switches. Asus includes his own NX switches that are either red (linear), blue (clicky), or brown (tactile). I used the brown switches, which are better than the various cherry switches found on keyboards such as the Corsair K70 RGB Pro. The switches are pre-lubricated and feel worth the price tag. But this is a keyboard that demands upgrades, and those upgrades are where it shines.

make it your own

Azoth is fully customizable, and the real value is in choosing a few other switches and keycaps to make your keyboard your own. Like last year’s Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate, you can swap out the switches using the included tool.

I picked up some Akko Wine Red switches and a cheap set of keycaps (around $50 upgrade overall) that I found on Amazon and it completely changed my typing experience. I would have preferred to continue with the custom GMMK Pro in the stock configuration, but with some minor upgrades to him?It’s hard to ditch the Azoth.

However, there are some minor issues here. First of all, the included keycaps are not good. They’re double-shot PBT, and they’re durable enough, but Asus includes some weird extras. For example, they usually have raised edges. debt When J. A key to let you know where your home row is, but Asus does this W. key instead. We understand that this is a gaming keyboard, but the raised edges are more of an annoyance than a helpful guide while playing games.

Another issue is that Azoth uses a north-facing PCB. The RGB LEDs are on the top of the switch housing instead of the bottom. This is to allow light to shine through the translucent legends on the keycaps, but a north-facing PCB can interfere with certain keycaps and lead to undesirable sounds and typing feel.

Even with these issues, there’s no denying that Asus is taking mainstream mechanical keyboards to unprecedented heights.

Functional OLED display

I’m not much into keyboard gimmicks, but the ROG Azoth’s OLED display is no gimmick. A highly functional multi-purpose hub that makes it easy to toggle settings, change brightness, and add a little flair to your desk.

On the side is a switch that can be toggled up or down to change the volume or adjust the brightness. You can even push it down for another function and use the side button for yet another. You can switch.

These features can also be customized with Asus’ Armory Crate. OLED displays go even further and can show custom animations, text, and even limited system information like CPU and temperature. All these settings are saved in profiles and you can also save up to 6 profiles on your board.

This is a mainstream feature not found in enthusiast keyboards. Asus combines the best of both worlds here.

gaming keyboard to beat

Even with all the features covered in this review, Azoth offers much more, including MacOS support and a key switch lubrication station. Asus beats Enthusiast keyboards for features and mainstream keyboards for quality.

What’s shocking is that Asus doesn’t charge much of a premium. Because $250 isn’t cheap for a gaming keyboard. It’s the same price as the Corsair K100 and $50 more than the SteelSeries Apex Pro. With the Asus ROG Azoth for that price, you get a much higher quality keyboard.

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