This is the first time I have been intimidated by a keyboard in my 7 years at MKAU. Coming in a massive heaving box, I did not know for the life of me where to start with this one. A great keyboard for someone with way too much money on their hands, the Republic Of Gamers, or ROG for short, have delivered the mind-melting ‘ROG Azoth Extreme’ but is this hulking keyboard impressive, or will it leave your wallet with regret?

Inclusions 

This box feels like a treasure trove of items, and ROG have really hooked the user up. Packaged neatly inside you will have not only your keyboard and wrist rest, but a nameplate, attachable feet, ROG Polling Rate Booster, ROG key cap and switch puller set, 2 spare ROG NX switches, USB dongle, USB extender, a decently long 2-metre USB-C to USB charging cable, silicone pins, foam stickers for stabiliser swap outs, and finally, a cleaning cloth. Phew, that was a shopping list, but you really do feel like you are on an adventure with this keyboard, and now you have all the tools of the trade.

Appearance

Looks can definitely be deceiving. On initial appearances, while looking sleek, the ROG Azoth Extreme looks like any other simple 75% keyboard. Once you look into the finer details up close though, you will see the finesse and flair included for style and efficiency. A solid aluminium frame with a thick metal accent bar frames the top, and the first thing you will notice out of the box is how heavy this monster is. Coming in at a whopping 2200 grams (2.2kg) with the wrist rest included, this is built to last and won’t budge even in the most epic thralls of battle. Speaking of the wrist rest, it is made of durable silicone, offering a great angle and it’s easy to clean, but predictably, it’s not super comfortable, and I often found myself sliding my softer one back into place instead. 

The most impressive aesthetical feature, and most noticeable on the front, is the OLED screen. Insanely coming in full colour and with a 1.47-inch touch screen, this includes a 3-way button that slides and pushes through a range of settings. It can also show typical system information like media, brightness and volume, as well as display CPU and system parameters at a glance. It’s very nifty, and even cooler when you realise you can upload your own custom animations via the additional ROG software.

Underneath has been considered just as much as above. Two sizes of feet are included and they are magnetically attachable. I was a bit doubtful of the efficiency of this but they are on there pretty tightly, and they are quite uniquely stylish. Also on the back, you will be supplied with a metal nameplate to cover the USB storage and the Gasket Mount flipper; a nice little inclusion to keep things looking tidy and streamlined.

Features

The most defining feature of an efficient keyboard should be the keys. The ROG Azroth Extreme has silky matte Doubleshot key caps which are UV coated, perfect for wear and tear. For someone who is constantly typing or gaming these just felt nice under your fingertips. These are neatly backlit by individual key RGB lighting, but with only one northerly point of light, I expected more brightness to shine through. 

The switches themselves are hot-swappable as well, using ROG NX Snow types with 5 pins in design. These switches are mechanical in design but less clicky, with a soft and tactile ASMR acoustic nature to them, probably due to the 1.8mm actuation point. It is quite an enjoyable and smooth typing experience. If you want to swap them out for customisation, they can easily be popped out and swapped with another type of switch, and ROG even supplies you with tools to do so.

The 3 layers of dampening also make for a comfortable and safe experience. A lot is in place in the build to absorb pressure, and the Gasket Mount flipper on the underside allows you to harden or soften keystrokes too.

This keyboard also features the standard anti-ghosting and N-Key rollover with a polling rate of up to 8000Hz, and using the Polling Rate Booster, even the lightest of touches are registered and reported back at breakneck speeds, whether you are wired in or running wireless.

Also a ‘must’ is the ability to record Macros on the fly, and onboard memory to store all those key profiles you may need for different scenarios or games. Being able to save up to 6 profiles means you can go from game to game and be comfortable with your ability to play with whatever scheme you want. Nothing impressive, but definitely needed with today’s too many choices.

Connectivity

Using the receiver, you can connect up to three different ways. This means you can connect via Bluetooth, through low latency 2.4 GHz SpeedNova wireless connectivity, or with the USB cable itself. The cable will charge your device to offer up to 1600 hours of wireless usage, but be aware the brightness of your RGB lighting will diminish this time. I always love to keep my peripherals plugged in, but I found the wireless connectivity flawless and lag-free.

I happily typed away and played a plethora of review games for hours on wireless without a single delay issue. It was a solid two weeks before I even felt the need to charge the keyboard back up again, a commendable battery life indeed.

Software

The ‘Armoury Crate,’ ROG’s support software, is used to customise all your peripherals. Here I could customise my lighting, create up to 6 profiles, map out keys, dabble in macros, and even customise my cute little OLED screen. The software looked daunting at first, but was actually really easy to navigate, simple, and user-friendly, with all updates included to keep things running smoothly.

Everything is clearly labelled with instructions, and even the biggest noob can learn to set macros, a series of recorded inputs at a tap of a singular button, in an instant. I always feel productive using the Armoury as you can really change up your keyboard to your needs. Also, thanks to the same Omni Receiver I could sync my keyboard with my ROG Keris II Ace mouse to lighten the load in my USB ports. Such a great and innovative device.

Conclusion

Look, I left the elephant in the room till my final wrap-up but I did elude to it in my intro. It does cost a whopping $AU799 at retail but what the ROG Azoth Extreme has it does well, really well. The build is immaculate and solid. and I’d almost conclude that it would survive a nuclear blast. The most important part of my career is typing, and this is smooth, precise and pinpoint in its performance, so that makes me very happy. For the customisation fans, it has hot swappable switches, an OLED screen and a range of adjustable settings. Spectacular to a range of niches, or just one, the ‘Gamer’, this keyboard is mightier than you would anticipate.

Written by: Stacey