Roccat Vulcan II Max Keyboard (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://uk.roccat.com/products/vulcan-ii-max
Roccat are a brand I’ve come across a fair few times while writing for GBAtemp. Between their keyboards, headsets, and mice, I’ve only really had good words to say. High quality and often affordable, they’ve made a good name for themselves in the accessories space. Coming back to them for the first time since 2021, do they still earn this high great reputation?
Out of the box, I have to say I completely forgot how big a full-sized keyboard actually is. You have a really nice black and what I think is gunmetal grey body with keycaps that sit on top of the switches, leaving the stalks exposed. It looks quite ominous when not plugged in, but with RGB being a key feature, this is naturally going to change. The keycaps feel great, and I’m really a fan of how the bottom row of keys are convex, as opposed to the other more traditional concave caps. I don’t think the definition really makes much of a difference in terms of day to day use, but it is a pleasant finish. I assume they went for this to match the feel of your typical space bar. The Vulcan 2 also comes with dedicated media buttons, and a fan-favourite knob that by default controls volume.
As you’d expect, the keyboard transforms when you actually plug it in. Roccat have always done well with their lighting, and if RGB is what you look for in a keyboard, this is certainly one for you. The exposed stalks make for a really great aesthetic, and while I have the black model on hand, I imagine this would look even better on a white background. The lights are nice, but there’s obviously more at play here. Included in the package is a rather odd looking palm rest, and hot damn is it a big selling point. Attaching to the bottom of the keyboard, the translucent palm rest also lights up! I think RGB at times can be a bit tacky, but seeing this for the first time, I was a little caught off guard by how much I enjoyed it. The effect quite simply works using a light strip on the bottom of the keyboard. When the palm rest is correctly plugged into it, the light just moves through it. It’s a good implementation for how simple it is really.
In general, there’s only one thing I can say I dislike with how the keyboard is put together: the non-detachable cable. And I need to get this out of the way, it does matter even on a non-wireless keyboard. It’s ultimately a point of failure that could be easily replaceable that isn’t, and while this isn’t anything new for Roccat, I still hold out hope they’ll change their ways. To give them what credit they’re due, this is a really nice braided cable. On top of this, the connection to the keyboard itself feels sturdy. I’m sure it will last a reasonable amount of time, but it just could’ve been better.
The final oddity is the fact the Vulcan 2 has two USBs coming from its lovely cable. This isn’t entirely uncommon in gaming keyboards, with companies like Razer often including a USB passthrough in their keyboard for ease of access. In those cases, I can totally see the use case, and I think it’s a nice additional feature. Here though? It’s just for the lights. And I don’t know how I feel about that. In my PC setup, USB slots are becoming more and more competitive, and I just don’t know whether I could justify two to make my keyboard look a bit prettier. There is a silver lining here, and that’s the fact it might just work with one out of the box. I assume it comes down to how much power it can pull from one USB port, and working mostly from a Thunderbolt 3 hub, I’ve had no issues with this at all. If you are considering this keyboard though, plan for two USB slots, and rejoice if you can claw one back. It’s better than the alternative of being a USB slot short.
Though it looks somewhat extraordinary, the typing experience is about as by the books as you can get for a gaming keyboard. That’s not to say it’s particularly lacking either, it just doesn’t do anything particularly interesting. You have Roccat’s own optical mechanical switches on show, with the board not being hot-swappable. The version I have handy comes with the linear red switches (browns also available), with an actuation distance of 1.4mm, a total travel of 3.6mm, and a 45g actuation force. They feel nice to use, but to me they just feel like other red switches. With the switches exposed I do think it’s a little more rattly than other keyboards I’ve used recently, but I might be somewhat unfairly comparing it to my recent DIY build or ASUS’ Azoth, both of which feature several layers of dampening. It feels fine to type on, but it’s not the most satisfying sound profile. I do appreciate there’s a required trade off to get the desired lighting effects here, and I believe they found a reasonable balance. The experience is standard, sure, but not necessarily lacking.
If you really want to get the most out of the Vulcan 2, you’ll be relying on Roccat’s latest iteration of driver software. In this case, we’re looking at Roccat Swarm. If you’ve seen branded driver software before, pretty much everything on offer here is going to be familiar. You have an easy to use app that’ll find your keyboard updates for you once it’s plugged in. It does look a little more sparse than I remember, but it does hit all the notes you’d expect. In the first tab you have settings for repeated characters when holding down a key, as well as a feature I’m not sure I’ve seen anybody ever use: sound feedback. If it appeals to you, you can make typewriter sounds come from your PC as you type. It’s cool that it’s a setting, but I just can’t see who this is for.
The settings you’re likely opening the app for live in the second tab: key assignment. It’s here you have free reign to swap around key functions, as well as assigning actions to the function layer. You have a good amount of freedom here, and can set the keyboard to open apps, start timers, or for the more creative, you can also create custom macros. I’m a little simple in my tastes and like my keyboard to do what the keys say they should do. For the more adventurous though, the sky really is the limit.
Your final tab features key illuminations, and is where you’ll be fiddling with those glorious lights… Or not? While I’ve never been fond of driver apps that have to live in the background, Roccat’s does do one thing differently with its AIMO lighting. With it, you can set your keyboard and it’ll just go. The AIMO lighting is their smart system that’s supposed to react organically without you having to dig too deeply. I really do like it. While you’re doing nothing, the lighting will breathe, and slowly flicker between colours. When you do start typing though, the keys you hit and the area around them will come to life, with the effect becoming more intense the more you type in an area or hold a key down. It’s really great, and while I question whether it can’t be done on the keyboard itself without driver software running, I do feel it a valuable asset.
Is Roccat’s Vulcan 2 Max worth buying? As with any keyboard, it depends entirely on what you personally are needing. This isn’t what I would call an S tier typing experience, but it still does manage to nail the fundamentals you would expect from a mechanical keyboard. The Vulcan 2 is designed to be flashy, and it’s in this area it excels more than most. At £200 it’s feature rich and feels premium. If you need a keyboard to light up your life, this might just be the one.
Verdict
- Incredible lighting
- Driver software easy to use
- Great build quality
- Non-detachable cable
- Two USB ports might be required for lighting
Options
View top chatters