Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro S
Enough features to compete?
To be frank, for $150, you don’t get a whole lot of keyboard with Cooler Master’s latest Masterkeys Pro S. We’re guessing the S stands for small or slim, as it’s one of the smallest keyboards in the roundup, and lacks most of the features that come standard with other keyboards.
Our first issue is the detachable USB cable, which uses microUSB to connect to the keyboard; it’s a connection type that isn’t renowned for being rugged. Secondly, there isn’t a single dedicated macro key on this keyboard — instead, it uses the standard keys to double up as macros. Well, at least it’s possible to assign each of these a unique backlight colour, helping to remember which key does what.
There’s no numpad, nor any multimedia controls. Likewise with USB passthrough or headphone out/ microphone in — this is one incredibly simple keyboard. Our sample came with Cherry MX Blue keys, though it’s also possible to get Brown or Red if you prefer.
What this keyboard does have though is full RGB lighting, a feature that used to be unique to Corsair but is now as common as daisies. There’s no wrist pad, though legs at the rear do allow height adjustment.
We’re scratching our heads trying to figure out how Cooler Master can charge so much for so little. Compared to the competition, this keyboard is sadly under-featured and overpriced.