HyperX Alloy FPS
Minimal keyboard produces maximal noise
FROM A CERTAIN DISTANCE, mechanical keyboards all start to look the same. They’re generally matte black, have the same number of keys that are about the same size, and sit on the same switches. Everything has anti-ghosting and N-key rollover, so you can press more than one key at once, and not worry about keystrokes not registering.
This means that you start to look at features, such as programmability, additional macro keys, and a board’s more general levels of usability—as well as its looks—to decide what to buy. There’s brand loyalty to consider, too, with a desk packed with Corsair products more likely to attract another.
Where does that leave a brand such as HyperX? A division of Kingston Technology, known for its memory products, HyperX has been around since 2002, and sponsors 20 pro gaming teams. With manufacturers desperate to make you think that buying their product will transform you into a professional Counter-Strike player, a little pedigree goes a long way.
We mentioned looks earlier, and the Alloy delivers on that score. It’s a minimal keyboard, with a small footprint (something the promotional material plays up amusingly, suggesting this makes it ideal for FPS players, who presumably have smaller desks than those who prefer RTS), and a flat backboard with a steel frame underneath, upon which the keys stand proudly to attention, like a wellregulated militia. From the right angle, they can appear to float above the base; black trees sprouting from blue trunks.
That’s right: blue. While the Cherry MX Red switch has become almost ubiquitous in recent mechanical keyboards, as the various manufacturers all strive to prove that their keys are the fastest to the floor in the kind of race to the bottom that’s led to many models feeling the same, HyperX has installed the Blue switch. The one that clicks. And, by the gods, it’s glorious. Using the Alloy at any speed sets up a fantastic racket, as each switch adds its own voice to the tumult. MaximumPC’s official review wife actually came to see what we were doing, intrigued by the noise we were making. BLUE GENES Every single key is mounted on a Blue switch, which means you get as much clicky feedback from Printscreen as you do from W. They also light up, and HyperX has taken the commendable decision to stick to one color—in this case, red. A little more care could have been taken in the positioning of the LED beneath the key, though (it’s just above the switch stem, in a little curved cutout, so HyperX has at least tried to mitigate the issue), because while the $ lights up nicely, the 4 beneath it is markedly dimmer. Most keys have their cutouts at the top of the cap, allowing the light to shine through in the optimum way, so it’s only on those with a double row of cutouts that this is noticeable.
The lighting is controlled with the Fn key and the arrow keys—there’s no software for this keyboard, which also means no programmable buttons. What you do get in the box is a set of replacement keys for WASD, a key removal tool, a bag to keep the keyboard in at night, and the doubleheaded USB cable that supplies extra power to the board for the phone charging port. This is certainly a nice addition, but why it couldn’t have been a full-fat USB 3 port ready to stick a flash drive in, we just don’t know.
HyperX has created something great here. The Alloy is fantastic to use, the steel frame adding weight to the base without taking up unnecessary space, and the Blue switches bringing the fun back to keyboards. The lighting is just enough, and while the lack of programmable keys grates a bit, there are enough media functions and other features—such as full anti-ghosting and rollover—to take the edge off our pain. –IAN EVENDEN