The German manufacturer ROCCAT has ventured into the market of opto-mechanical models with its new keyboard, the Vulcan Pro. The Vulcan Pro is available in “normal” format, as well as in TKL layout. TKL stands for “Ten-Key-Less” and means that this version comes without the numeric keypad. Whether the new switches are convincing and how the keyboard performs in general in the test, you will find out in this report.
Specifications
| Keyboard type | opto-mechanical |
| Key switch type | ROCCAT® Titanium Switch Optical (1.4 mm actuation distance, linear) |
| Material | aluminum, plastic |
| Scanning rate | 1000 Hz |
| Microcontroller | 32-bit ARM Cortex M0 based processor |
| Onboard memory | yes |
| Software | ROCCAT® Swarm Software |
| Cable connection | USB Type C |
| Cable length | 1.8 m, braided |
| Dimension | 360 x 133 x 34 mm |
| Weight | 660 g |
| Colors | black |
| Price | € 137.99 * |
Appearance
The keyboard is shipped in a cardboard box printed with an image of the product. In the box the keyboard is neatly packed, additionally there is a USB-C cable and a short manual.
The keyboard comes in a simple black look. It is set on flat keycaps, which can be illuminated from below as desired. The keycaps have a pleasant concave curvature, this provides a pleasant feeling while writing and playing and prevents slipping off or slipping even in hot situations.
The keycaps sit on transparent switches, which are fixed on an aluminium body. The body is mostly simple, only above the arrow keys there is a ROCCAT Vulcan logo. In the upper right corner there is also a scroll wheel to adjust the volume and a button to mute the speakers completely.
The scroll wheel is stepped – in Windows one step is two volume points. To briefly adjust the volume it is definitely suitable and a nice gimmick – just like the mute button. In everyday use, this was actually used occasionally – but in our opinion, this feature is not essential.
There are no surprises on the bottom. It is made of plastic, so the weight remains pleasantly low. In order to adjust the keyboard’s tilt, there is a fold-out stand – what’s nice is that rubber pads prevent slipping on the desk in both the unfolded and folded state.
The keyboard is connected with a USB C cable. Theoretically you can easily replace this cable if necessary – but it should be noted that the connector is very thin and you should pay attention to the right plug.
The key assignment does not use dedicated macro or function keys, the latter are available as a second assignment via the FN button. With the FN button you can activate the “Game Mode” (deactivate the Windows key), dim the lighting or switch it off completely. Additionally, macros can be configured by double assignment of other keys – more about this later.
Opto-mechanical – The switches of the future ?
With opto-mechanical switches, a light beam below the switch provides the signal. If the key is pressed down, this beam is broken and the keyboard recognizes the stop. ROCCAT shows the technology itself with a short video:
This technique has several advantages. The mechanical load is reduced enormously, thus increasing the service life – up to 100 million keystrokes according to ROCCAT. In addition, the reaction time is reduced and even smaller triggering distances are possible. With the Vulcan TKL Pro these are set at 1.4 mm – a good value after extensive testing. When typing and playing, it feels neither too “fast” nor too slow, virtually the perfect center. In terms of typing feel, the switches resemble red cherries – linear without any tactile feedback.
However, the keyboard does not pass the test without criticism – a slight metallic sound is heard when the key is pressed. This is barely noticeable on most keys, but it is quite noticeable on the space bar. It’s by no means loud, but in comparison to the “normal” key noise of a mechanical keyboard, it’s quite unusual. Overall, however, the Vulcan TKL Pro is neither really quiet nor really loud – also like the usual red cherry switches.
RGB – Almost a must on gaming keyboards
The Vulcan TKL Pro also convinces with its powerful lighting. Due to the flat keycaps and the transparent switches the lighting is very colorful and strong.
The transparent letters are illuminated and thus show the meaning of the respective key. With the arrow keys in combination with the FN key you can also quickly adjust the brightness – in case it is inappropriate or simply too bright for you, you can always make a quick readjustment. Also a nice gimmick: When the Capslock key is pressed, it glows constantly white. So the typical LED is omitted, because it was solved directly over the RGB lighting. To control the lighting, the in-house Swarm software is used – we will take a closer look at it in the next section.
A small minus point: The second assignments of the keys are located in the lower part of the keycaps and are therefore not completely illuminated. In some scenarios you have to take a closer look – here we would have wished for a little more light.
ROCCAT Swarm
The keyboard fits into the AIMO environment, which represents the control of the ROCCAT peripherals. Especially for this keyboard there are some customization possibilities. Directly after downloading the software, the latest driver is downloaded – this was done quickly and easily. Then you can start directly.
In the upper area the AIMO-compatible devices are displayed – in our case this is only the Vulcan TKL Pro. With a click on it you will be taken to the configuration page. The overview page contains some features. Among other things, you can record key sounds into your own speakers, e.g. to record a louder mechanical click. Additionally, you can adjust the repetition rate of the letters – on the one hand how fast a continuous press should repeat the selected key, but also how fast it should be repeated.
The tab “Key configuration” allows us to assign macros, or to customize basic functions. As an example, we configure the different profiles to quickly switch between different lighting scenarios, to the key combination FN+F1 for Profile 1, FN+F2 for Profile 2, etc. This is done simply by Drag&Drop and is very comfortable.
Last but not least, the tab “Key illumination” follows – as the name suggests, you can adjust the illumination here. The lighting options are not broken down to the last key, but there are some predefined profiles that you can adjust in color if necessary:
We especially like the intelligent “AIMO” mode. This mode is supposed to contain natural color gradients and it reacts to keystrokes. Thus, the pressed key also lights up briefly, and when pressed continuously, the surrounding keys also start to light up – it looks very harmonious and well thought-out.
In general you can see that the modes are worked on intensively. All effects are well thought out and reach beyond a typical pulsation. Additionally with the quite bright and useful lighting a real eye-catcher.
Conclusion
The ROCCAT Vulcan TKL Pro offers new, opto-mechanical switches, beautiful lighting, decent software and a convincing quality of workmanship. Especially the advantages of the new switches are a big plus and bring a fresh wind to the market of mechanical keyboards.
The TKL format may be strange for some people – but there is also the “normal” Vulcan Pro – the form here in the review is of course only the additional product. Especially in this sector it knows how to convince, because criticism is something you have to look for. At the same time the product remains within a price range that is quite reasonable for its high-end status.
The everyday use felt simply good. The haptics are great, the reaction paths feel good, there were no delays and especially the AIMO illumination mode was very appealing. The “natural” color changes really do look natural and simply integrate perfectly into the overall picture. Since the points of criticism are actually very small, the ROCCAT Vulcan TKL Pro receives the Platinum Award from us and thus an absolute recommendation!
Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro
Workmanship
Features
Ergonomics
Software
Value for money
96/100
Convincing keyboard with great switches and a nice lighting - in small format.
