Roccat Magma Membrane RGB Gaming Keyboard (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://uk.roccat.com/products/magma
Roccat has made some stellar devices in the last few years. Having reviewed a few of them, and rather aptly the Elo X Stereo Headset back in November which has not one single millimetre of RGB on it; here we have the Roccat Magma RGB gaming keyboard with almost nothing but RGB making up the entirety of the product. Of note here is the fact this is a membrane keyboard, rather than a mechanical one. Let's get straight into finding out whether the Magma is all style and no substance, or if it looks great and plays nicely too!
Tech Specs
- 5-zone, 10-LED 16.8m colour RGBA backlighting
- Semi-transparent top plate
- Solid and responsive typing with silent membrane keys
- Advanced anti-ghosting technology
- AIMO lighting engine
- Detachable palm rest
- ROCCAT Easy-Shift[+]® button duplicator
- 2-year manufacturer warranty
- Height: 3.90cm Width: 45.20cm Length: 15.70cm
- Weight: 870g
- Windows® 7, 8 and 10 (software support)
- USB 2.0 (or higher)
- Internet connection (for driver software)
- Included: Palm rest
- Included: Quick-start guide
- Price £49.99
Though the Magma is made primarily of plastic, the build quality is fantastic overall. The membrane construction rids you of any clattering and there is a subtle silenced or baffled sound to each keystroke, which is relatively silent when in use. Even my current laptops keys have a clicky sound to them with their membrane build, but the Magma sounds intentionally quieter and it really is great for it. If they had upped the material quality it may have impacted the RRP but as it stands the keyboard is lightweight, solid, and relatively cheap for what it gives you!
The semi-transparent top plate is lit by five zones of lighting in order to maintain solid luminosity across the product with 2 LEDs discreetly hidden within each of those zones. The Magma looks superb when the lights go down, and thankfully has a default time out after which it dims itself down to just 5% to save power. All of this is complemented by the Roccat SWARM application that makes your AIMO powered peripherals sing. Literally, allowing you to give your keys sound effects such as old typewriter noises, or sci-fi beam sounds, as well as adding in mechanical-like clicking. Though why you would want this is a little over my head, it's another optional feature that you do not have to indulge in, but is there if you really want. The Magma also features 26-key rollover which means you could be hammering 26 keys at once and it wouldn't skip a beat. In testing, I can confirm that it never acted up and every keypress was as responsive as I could have wished for, especially whilst gaming, showing zero signs of ghosting. Sure, there isn't the clatter of mechanical switches, but the Magma performed incredibly well and maintained a nice quiet profile throughout which means it's ideal for night-time gaming as well as daytime, with no fear of keeping people awake with your constant clicking noises.
SWARM is available for you to use at no additional cost, and it allows you to customise your RGB loadout. Want it all one colour, make a profile for it, want it to strobe, make another. Then just switch between any profile you want at any time you want.
The detachable palm rest is a novelty to me, as the majority if not all keyboards I have ever owned or reviewed have never had one, so I relished the chance to test one out. It's simple enough to snap on and snap off again if you choose not to keep it on, and the ribbed quality of the plastic is nice overall but I might have preferred something padded. With it snapped on it brings my wrists level with the surface of the keyboard, similar to my using a laptop keyboard, as opposed to having your write snapped back and upward to reach the keys. it's only a matter of millimetres or centimetres but it makes a big difference when typing for extended periods of time. I definitely preferred using the keyboard with the palm rest attached, but thankfully it's optional, so it is entirely your decision to use it or not.
The keyboard comprises seven media keys, a fully fleshed out number pad, and Easy-Shift[+] technology built-in that facilitates the duplication of button functions across other buttons. It effectively gives you another alt key to assign your customised functions to, which is massively useful for assigning quick key function (not to be confused with macros) whilst gaming or even just browsing the web. SWARM lets you record macros (pre-recorded key sequences), and you can then assign those to whatever key combination you like with Easy-Shift[+]. If you find your macros aren't working, and you're playing an online game, please don't forget that Roccat disables those in order to maintain anti-cheat, clean gaming to remove any unfair advantage.
For just £49.99 you get what is quite literally a stunning keyboard. If you love RGB and you don't want the noise associated with mechanical keyboards then you will love the Magma for its sheer audacity to be so damned pleasing to the touch and so plentiful with its features. The Magma may look like an entry-level keyboard, but it's a bit of a dark horse when it comes to usability and charm, so this is ideal for gamers who want something incredibly well rounded on a reasonable budget and have a penchant for brazen RGB overkill. Personally, I love the look when it's fully lit, and I look forward to using this keyboard a hell of a lot in future!
Verdict
- Beautifully lit RGB keyboard
- Stealthy membrane clicking
- Game Mode and Easy-Shift[+] are excellent
- SWARM compliments the Magma perfectly
- AIMO synchronisation across devices
- The plastic finish feels a little cheap
