Manufacturer Rapoo is now also launching a major offensive on the German market and is offering a whole range of gaming peripherals that should appeal to budget gamers in particular at a low price. After the wireless gaming mouse Rapoo VT2 Pro has already made a name for itself in our test, this time it’s time to type for all it’s worth: Can the Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 wireless mechanical keyboard also impress? Our test will find out.
Technical data
| Product name | V500PRO 2.4 |
| Switch type | Mechanical |
| Button switch type | Rapoo brown switches (tactile) |
| Switch types offered | Tactile |
| Switch interchangeable | No |
| Keycaps interchangeable | Yes |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 434 mm x 131 mm x 47 mm |
| Weight | 942 grams |
| Onboard memory | Not available |
| Cable connection | USB Type-C |
| Rollover technology | N-Key rollover |
| Keycaps | PBT |
| Operating modes | Typing; Gaming |
| Sampling rates | 1.000 Hz |
| Special features | none |
| Colors | Black |
| Price | € 59.99 * |
Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 Review: It goes black without light
- uninspired black design
- decent workmanship
- no lighting at all
Gaming keyboards or mechanical keyboards don’t always have to be colorful and flashy, right? that’s probably what Rapoo thought, too, and with the Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 it delivers a mechanical keyboard that looks like an office keyboard from the early 2000s with its simple black design.
Yes, the keyboard isn’t really that stylish, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it? The keyboard comes in a full-size layout and offers the full three blocks, including the number pad, across a width of 434 mm. At the top right is the typical display that informs you about Caps Lock, the active numeric keypad or when the battery is running low.
Otherwise, there is not too much to say about the design. With its anodized plastic surface, the case still looks quite stylish, while the mechanical switches and keycaps protrude very far from the case, which leads to an unfamiliar typing experience – but more on that later.
On the top you will find the on/off switch and the USB-C port for charging, while on the underside there are five rubberized feet and a fold-out foot that can be used to angle the V500Pro in one step.
The light gray lettering on the keycaps is somewhat unusual. At first I thought it was faulty because many letters and numbers such as Q, B, 6 or D are not printed in full as you would expect. However, this is apparently due to the unconventional font that Rapoo has chosen – it’s supposed to look like this. Well then.
But what particularly bothers me is that the Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 doesn’t have a backlit keyboard. No white backlighting and certainly no RGB, which makes it unnecessarily difficult to read. Neither in wireless nor in wired mode. Why? The wired predecessor model four years ago already offered RGB lighting.
Considering the price, the build quality is absolutely fine. It is commendable that the manufacturer has installed high-quality and pleasantly non-slip PBT keycaps. However, these wobble far too much for my taste, especially with free-standing keys and despite the mechanical box switches.
What’s more, the keycaps scratch surprisingly quickly when using the supplied keycap puller, especially on the sides, and that’s with normal use. This is of course very annoying for a brand new keyboard. Unfortunately, the keyboard doesn’t really feel like a high-quality keyboard, but fortunately it doesn’t feel like a cheap 15-euro office keyboard either.
Practical test of the Rapoo V500PRO 2.4
- Interchangeable keycaps
- brown tactile switches
- no accompanying software
The Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 has mechanical switches in the color brown, which should be tactile but quiet. Unfortunately, the tactile pressure point cannot keep up with higher quality keyboards or switches, especially as in rare cases a trigger is not recognized.
Nevertheless, Rapoo’s own switches have a service life of 60 million keystrokes – not an earth-shattering figure, but still enough to provide good service for several years. The keycaps are replaceable and a tool is included in the scope of delivery. Unfortunately, the switches cannot be replaced.
Rapoo has also dispensed with accompanying software for the keyboard. Macros, customizations and other settings are therefore not possible. Accordingly, many parameters cannot be determined at all. I assume that the polling rate is 1,000 Hz. On the other hand, the keyboard scores with plug-and-play connectivity and is immediately ready for use as soon as it is connected using the 2.4 GHz dongle.
The battery also proves to be generous, with a runtime of up to 120 hours. This is a really excellent value, although a Corsair K65 Plus Wireless (our test) is of course significantly longer with up to 266 hours.
Typing and typing feel
The typing feel on the Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 is somewhat unusual, as the brown switches are somewhat stiff despite their tactile pressure point and it can happen that a keystroke is not registered at all from time to time. On the other hand, if you hit the buttons too hard, you run the risk of triggering them twice.
This may of course be due to the fact that I am now used to many much more expensive keyboards that trigger much earlier, but it took me quite a while to be able to type smoothly and, above all, error-free with the Rapoo keyboard.
Of course, this is a matter of taste. Users with larger hands might particularly like the firm pressure and release point. On the other hand, those who, like me, are used to pressing buttons quite gently to trigger them might have problems here, at least at first.
After all, and this is a big advantage, the keyboard comes with full anti-ghosting and N-key rollover, which allows you to press any number of keys simultaneously. the feature set is quite convincing considering the price.
Otherwise, the Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 offers the typical media control with the help of FN key combinations, while you can navigate forwards or backwards with FN F1 and F2, jump to the desktop with FN F3 and open the mail program with FN F4, for example.
Sound test Rapoo V500Pro 2.4:
Sound test NZXT Function 2:
Sound test ASUS ROG Strix Scope II RX:
What I don’t like, however, is the volume of the keys. The V500PRO is undoubtedly one of the loudest mechanical keyboards, as there is no soundproofing. Without a doubt, you have to like the muffled, echoing noise when typing.
Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 Review: Conclusion
The Rapoo V500PRO 2.4 aims to be a fast, mechanical and wireless gaming keyboard at an absolutely fair price, and it largely succeeds in this. On the plus side, the keyboard boasts replaceable PBT keycaps, a latency-free 2.4 GHz connection and tactile mechanical switches, as well as complete anti-ghosting and N-key rollover. But that’s where the advantages end.
The design looks uninspired, the build quality is merely average and the lack of any key illumination options is also an annoyance. However, what I don’t like at all (although this is a matter of taste) are the keys that trigger too firmly and the somewhat spongy trigger point in combination with the wobbly keycaps.
Especially for people with smaller hands, this not only causes frustration, but also an unusual number of mistakes when typing.
In the end, what remains is a rock-solid mechanical keyboard at an affordable price. However, the keyboard does not provide any absolute arguments for buying it. Keyboards from manufacturers such as Akko, Redragon and others offer significantly more for the money, so you’re better off here.
Rapoo V500PRO 2.4
Workmanship
Features
Ergonomics
Value For Money
78/100
Solid mechanical gaming keyboard that works wirelessly without delay and has a long battery life. However, I don't really like the typing feel and the somewhat spongy switches, but this is partly a matter of taste.
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