Published: March 16, 2016 | Source: Roccat | Author: Bryan Waters

Roccat Ryos MK FX Mechanical RGB Gaming Keyboard Review

Conclusion

We said in our introduction how we’ve always felt that the keyboard arm of the Roccat product range was their weakest, and how they desperately needed a flagship model to redress the balance. It’s not giving away too much to say that the Ryos MK FX fixes that gap in the Roccat peripheral range with a single bound and is sufficiently great to be the flagship model in almost any manufacturers arsenal.

It might be one of the larger keyboards we’ve ever tested, but that size is put to great use and not merely big for the sake of it. Anyone who types or games a lot and doesn’t use a wrist rest is asking for trouble – take it from someone with crippling RSI – and so the decision to include a platform for your wrists is one that Roccat need to be applauded for. Equally the addition of dedicated macro keys to the left of the regular arrangement might add an inch or so to the width, but they are perfectly placed to be hit in the heat of battle. The F keys double up as the media controls, app shortcuts and the F12 key controls live macro recording, if you find yourself in the middle of a new game and needing a macro you haven’t had time to program in the software.

Speaking of the software it definitely could be made simpler in the installation procedure. We understand that it makes perfect sense to not supply it any more and make you go to their website so you’re always using the latest version, but even having done so we still required two further updates before we were able to begin customising the Ryos MK FX. However, once it’s installed and you’ve moved past the confusing home page of it, then it’s easy to use. All in all once you’re actually up and running the Swarm software more user friendly than initial appearances. Still a shame that, months down the line, the mobile app isn’t up and running yet, particularly when so much of the software is dedicated to features that aren’t there.

The Ryos MK FX is unquestionably a great entry into the Roccat range. The use of Cherry MX switches ensures that it will last forever and the lighting is particularly good with great saturation and accurate colour reproduction in all but the most subtle of hues. It’s built like a tank too and whilst the shiny finish isn’t quite as smudge free as it’s proclaimed, it’s still a darn sight better than a regular piano black finish. About the only negatives we can find is that the Ryos MK FX cable is so thick it’s a little inflexible and so will take a while to smooth out the bends from the packing, and that the keyboard itself requires two USB ports to power it. Not such a problem if you have a high end motherboard with a lot of USB ports, but problematic if ports are at a premium.Â

Roccat really needed a flagship keyboard to round out their product range and the Ryos MK FX ticks every box and is a welcome addition alongside their Kave and Kone offerings, and wins our OC3D Gold Award.