ASUS ROG STRIX Scope TKL Deluxe
Is TKL the perfect size for gamers?
ASUS'S TKL RANGE is a compact alternative to the traditional keyboard. With a TKL ‘TenKeyLess’ keyboard, those 10 keys on a standard board that you hardly ever use have been dropped and this comes with a few benefits. If you are tight on desk space, having a keyboard that’s 20 percent smaller than a standard board will give you more room. That larger space for your mouse could be useful when gaming. ASUS has taken the original ROG STRIX Scope keyboard and applied the TKL format to it, so is this a perfect solution for a gaming setup?
Straight out the box, this is a nicelooking bit of kit. For a small peripheral, it has a decent weight to it, which is ideal for a keyboard. The last thing you want is for it to move around when you are typing and to help with this, five rubberized grip pads do a great job of securing the board to the desk. The design features an aluminum top plate with a brushed finish, making the keyboard look like a premium gaming device.
It also feels pretty premium, too— the board comes with a leatherette wrist-rest, which is always a welcome addition. Unfortunately, this doesn’t share the same weighty characteristics as the board and feels quite lightweight. It’s magnetic and has rubberized feet to prevent sliding. The support itself is comfortable but could do with being a little taller for our liking. The same could also be said for the board, which has extendable feet but we could do with it raising the keyboard to a steeper angle.
Lighting is controlled by the ASUS Armoury Crate application, it also has ASUS Aura Sync to match with other ASUS RGB products. The RGB is certainly nice and bright, with the light dispersing pretty evenly across the board through and underneath the keycaps. There is also an underglow on this board, however, it will be covered up if you choose to use the wrist-rest—unlike offerings from Razer, where the wristrest features RGB too.
A single USB-C to USB-A 2.0 connects this to your PC or laptop. It is detachable, which is great if you need a longer cable, want a completely custom board with specific cabling, or break the cable and have to replace it.
STEALTH WORKER
There’s one more cool little feature. On the top right is the stealth key. One press of this will hide all your apps and mute your audio. This is perfect if someone bolts through your door and catches you playing Minecraft when you're supposed to be working from home. We also found it handy when buying presents for Christmas to keep pesky eyes from ruining surprises.
Now let's focus on the mechanics. This board features RGB MX Cherry Red switches and these already have a solid reputation amongst gamers. With a linear response, these switches feel super fast and a softer spring results in a faster actuation too. The travel is 4mm but with a 2mm actuation, which is suitable for a gaming keyboard. It gives off the mechanical feel that we all love, but with the precision to take it straight into battle. It's not too loud either, which is great for all-day usage.
The TKL format suits this keyboard well and makes a pretty solid gaming accomplice. With a superbly rigid design, MX Cherry switches, wrist-rest, evenlylit RGB, and some nifty little tricks, it makes for a good overall package. Unfortunately, it’s not all good news, the keycaps themselves are a little slippy and they feature ASUS’s ROG typeface, which isn’t to everyone's taste. Also, the keeper could do with having another level of adjustment to make it steeper.
Those issues aside, this keyboard will make a great solution for a gaming setup. It’s compact enough to take with you on the go, even with a gaming laptop perhaps. Overall, this isn't a bad on-thego setup at all. –SAM LEWIS
VERDICT ASUS ROG STRIX Scope TKL Deluxe
QUICKSCOPE Great build quality; excellent switches; multimedia controls; stealth privacy mode.
HARDSCOPE No USB passthrough; key font is divisive; keyboard angle could be a little steeper.
$140, www. asus.com