ROCCAT Ryos MK Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Capsule Review
by E. Fylladitakis on December 31, 2014 10:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Keyboard
- Gaming
- ROCCAT
- Mechanical Keyboards
Conclusion
ROCCAT markets the Ryos MK Pro as the "most advanced, most customizable mechanical keyboard ever". This certainly may not be true anymore, as there are a number of more advanced products available from other manufacturers, but the Ryos MK Pro was released nearly a year ago and remains an excellent product. Despite the all-plastic body, ROCCAT uses high quality materials and the assembly job is immaculate. That and the use of Cherry MX switches eliminate all of our quality concerns. As for aesthetics, the futuristic design of the keyboard stands out without being extravagant and the backlighting is even and strong, making the Ryos MK Pro a nice decoration for a gamer's desktop.
Even though the Ryos MK Pro is a very good keyboard, we have very mixed feelings about it. The reason is that several of its features might be advantageous for some users but problematic for others. For example, the integrated wrist rest and thumb keys are likely to be appreciated by FPS gamers, but the extreme bulk that they add to the overall size of the keyboard is likely to annoy pretty much everybody else. Also, there are no dedicated multimedia keys and the use of the FN combination keys to control the volume is not going to be appreciated by users that want quick access to audio controls.
The issue here with the Ryos MK Pro is that it is a great product but it is also dated. At the time of its release, the implementation of per-key illumination and a fully programmable layout was a big deal. However, today many keyboards feature per-key illumination and even RGB lighting, as well as superior programmability. A year ago, finding a keyboard with software as well written as the Ryos MK Pro utility was not an easy task. The software remains very stable and well written, but it is outdated and lacks options that will lead serious gamers to seek third-party software.
The true problem is that the price of the ROCCAT Ryos MK Pro remains at the same level as when it was first introduced, while its features are becoming increasingly common. With a retail price of $156, the Ryos MK Pro is one of the most expensive mechanical keyboards available and thus it's trying to take on the very best other companies currently offer. It is difficult for us to recommend the purchase of the Ryos MK Pro for this price at this point in time, especially considering that its layout is strongly tailored towards FPS gamers. Perhaps a good deal or a sale will change that however and we feel that the Ryos MK Pro remains a very good gaming-focused mechanical keyboard that will not disappoint its audience.
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Impulses - Wednesday, December 31, 2014 - link
Too bulky for my taste, specially considering it lacks media keys... Could always repurpose the macro keys for that but ehh... In a related now, I wish Corsair would step up their software too and/or release some more TKL boards.meacupla - Wednesday, December 31, 2014 - link
RAD has to be the most annoying feature I have ever heard."Congratulations, you've unlocked a trophy!" while playing a game, watching a movie or just browsing sites is not annoying at all.
I don't know what they were thinking adding such a "feature".
JarredWalton - Wednesday, December 31, 2014 - link
Of course there are only 16 trophies to unlock, so unless you reset the counter it's not like it happens very often. A few weeks takes care of the easy milestones, and then maybe once or twice a month you'll get another. By the time you're six months down the road it won't happen at all.Cliff34 - Friday, January 2, 2015 - link
Definitely agree with you on this point. The point of getting a gaming keyboard is so I can play better games. The achivement system is useless since most games come with their own achivement system.crea - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
To anyone wanting to buy this keyboard, please steer away from the backlit version.I bought one ryos mk pro last year, and four back lights failed within a month. Went through RMA, received a brand new replacement, and the backlights started to fail within three weeks of use one by one.
I've been using the replacement keyboard for eight months now, and 45 backlights failed already. The build quality of the keyboard backlight is absolutely terrible.
The keyboard functions fine and is nice to type on, It's just the terrible QC and backlight design which makes the backlit version fell short. Just think twice before you purchase the backlit version.
Darksurf - Saturday, January 17, 2015 - link
I own one. It was WORTH EVERY PENNY! Linux support with software and drivers. I've never been happier with a keyboard. Now I need one for home as the one I bought went to work and my Sidewinder X4 feels like a cheap toy.Ickda - Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - link
this is why I like roccat,Linux need to steal the spot as master race some time soon.
It stupid that gaming componys would shit on there stock and leave a bunch of wight hat hackers to feed me my games. (technically that is a whight hat hack to get those games to run in linux)
ps, sorry for the red lines, god cursed my spelling ...... I hate Webster
Narg - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link
I've personally moved away from mechanical gaming keyboards. I soon found out that mechanical keyboards slowed me down. They just are not the best keyboard any more.nilfisktun - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
I bought the Logitech G710. Then the LED died after 2 weeks. Weeks earlier i returend a Corsair H100i becouse of dead LED and fan control, so my only option was this awsome beast of a keyboard.I bought it for the quality, and it really feels well build, and i havent had a single dead LED or problems with it.
Installed O-rings on mine, and rotated the space key, to give it less of a rough angle for the thumb to rest on, very great mod idear :)
Ickda - Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - link
If you have a Roccat mouse I am assuming the volume is a function of the scroll wheel. this assumption comes from the roccat pure easy shift function