I have the feeling that Roccat’s new Vulcan 2 Max gaming keyboard could be a vampire. At least sometimes she doesn’t tolerate the sun as well as a vampire. A problem that only occurs under certain conditions, which do not have to apply to every one of you. Either way, it’s one of the strangest problems I’ve had in a hardware review so far. But it’s almost the only flaw that I would chalk up to the not exactly cheap keyboard, which costs 229.99 euros. Is she worth her price?
Box & Accessories: The packaging is basically what we’ve known from Roccat for a while. Stable cardboard box, the keyboard is in it, the cable is housed behind it. In addition to the keyboard, the box also includes the removable wrist rest and the quick start guide. You don’t need more.
Processing: With dimensions of 463 x 236 x 33.5 mm, the Roccat Vulcan 2 Max is within the range of a normal keyboard, its weight is around one kilogram (around 1.3 kilograms with palm rest). Of course, whether this suits you depends on the space on your desk or where you want to use it. They are available in black and white, I got the latter from Roccat for the test. And it looks really chic with its white housing, white key caps and a shimmering silver aluminum surface below the keys.
The keyboard seems stable and well built, nothing wobbles and everything is where it should be. In terms of keys, everything is there that you would expect from a normal keyboard. In addition, there are three multimedia buttons (play/pause, back and forward) and a rotary volume control. This one lets you feel the levels as you turn it, and you can also click it to mute and unmute the sound. There are also secondary button functions via Roccat’s Easy-Shift [+].
Despite its relatively low weight, the Roccat Vulcan 2 Max is stable on surfaces, and the height can also be adjusted in three stages with the feet. A special highlight is the removable palm rest. It is made of transparent silicone and you simply slide it into the keyboard slots from below. The good piece is not just transparent for fun, it rather serves to further enhance the glow effect of the keyboard, it extends to the entire palm rest. And that looks really pretty, especially in the dark, of course, it comes into its own.
Apart from that, the palm rest is a bit firmer than some others that I have tested so far, but I found it to be comfortable and not too hard over the long term.
The USB cable is permanently connected to the keyboard and, depending on the setup, requires two USB 2.0 ports. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given the extensive lighting, including 24 keys with dual LEDs. Alternatively, it should also work well with a single USB 3.0 port.
Keys and typing feel: In Germany you can only get the Vulcan 2 Max from Roccat with the red and linear opto-mechanical switches. Accordingly, the keyboard is not as loud as a purely mechanical keyboard, but you can hear it. Of course, it also depends on how hard you hammer on the keys, but it’s definitely not as quiet as a laptop keyboard, for example.
The input is recognized here via light signals, Roccat promises a lifespan of 100 million keystrokes. Of course I couldn’t exhaust it, but so far everything has worked perfectly under normal conditions. Wait a minute, under normal conditions? Yes, I actually had a rather unexpected problem because of these switches.
One day I was happily typing and wondered why some keys suddenly stopped working. I tried around, took the cable out of the USB port on the computer, plugged it in again, but it didn’t help. So I took away the keyboard, went to the laptop in the living room and tried it there. worked. Back to PC. Doesn’t work properly anymore. After about half an hour with a mixture of desperation, anger and headaches, I figured out that the keys worked again once they were in the shade.
Long story, short sense: With the low sun in winter, which seemed to be shining on the keyboard at a very unfortunate angle at the moment, the optical switches no longer registered the light signals of the inputs. I haven’t had that either. For me, however, this is not a general defect of the keyboard, since the conditions and the angle of incidence of the sunlight have to be very specific for problems to arise. But it’s a point you should definitely keep in mind, depending on where you decide to place the keyboard. In this case, just provide shadows and it will work again.
The keycaps themselves are relatively flat and slippery. If you tend to sweat, you can slip a bit in the heat of the moment. If you want to remedy the situation yourself, you can do so because the Titan 2 switch is compatible with many third-party crossmount keycaps. So you can swap out the keycaps if you want, but that will cost you extra.
Despite the slippery keys, I can type relatively well with it, and I didn’t notice any loss of accuracy or speed. I didn’t feel any major disadvantages when gaming either. Ultimately, this is a very subjective point and everyone is different. One slides more on the keys, the other less. If that’s your tendency, the Roccat Vulcan 2 Max might not be the ideal choice for you – or at least not with the buttons that are built in.
Features & special functions: As mentioned, there are 24 keys with dual LEDs. They show you which function of the button is currently activated, but you can also specify that they show you how much battery charge your headset or mouse has left. Practical. Easy-Shift is also included, although the implementation of everything is not entirely logical. Some secondary functions rely on the Fn key, while others require Easy Shift, which in turn requires you to enable Game Mode. Not the best, but okay… I don’t use features like this very often myself, but if you count on it, it could be a factor in your purchasing decision.
Software: You make settings for the buttons and the lighting in Roccat’s Swarm software. Anyone who has used it before knows that it’s not the most intuitive software out there, and that hasn’t changed much. Sometimes it’s a bit confusing or loaded with unnecessary features. I only use them when I really need it Must. For the operation of the Vulcan 2 Max it is if you do not want to make any settings, but not absolutely necessary. If you use it, you can save up to five profiles on the keyboard, for example for different purposes.
The Corsair K100 can be bought from e.g Amazon.de and at Roccat.
Roccat Vulcan 2 Max – Conclusion
In terms of looks, I really like Roccat’s Vulcan 2 Max. Especially when it’s dark, the keyboard literally lights up. Aside from the very specific sunlight issues I had at times, it ran flawlessly in testing and I didn’t have any issues with either gaming or regular typing. Only the software is still not perfect, to put it mildly. Ultimately, the question is whether it is worth around 230 euros to you. I’ll be honest: I don’t know if I would generally pay that much money for a keyboard, no matter how much I like it. However, if you enjoy great lighting, can deal with somewhat slippery keys, and also value key secondary functions, this could be a good option for you.
Roccat Vulcan 2 Max – Pros and Cons
Per:
- Reliable keys with good typing feel
- Additional media keys
- Numerous additional functions for keys possible
- Very nice lighting effects on the keyboard and wrist rest
Cons:
- No detachable cable
- Keys are prone to slipping
- Under very specific conditions, the sunlight impedes key inputs
- The Swarm software is still rather annoying
Manufacturer: Roccat – Compatible with: PC (Windows 7 or later) – release: 10/17/2022 – Price (RRP): €229.99 (pc)
