Turtle Seashore Vulcan 2 TKL Professional Gaming Keyboard Overview: Stable Corridor Impact at a Good Worth

Turtle Seashore Vulcan 2 TKL Professional

Execs

• Corridor Impact switches with Fast Set off mode and customizable actuation factors
• Media controls

Cons

• Customization choices could be overwhelming
• Can take some adjustment if you happen to’ve by no means used Corridor Impact switches

As a author, there’s simply one thing concerning the tactile really feel and candy, candy clickety-clack of a mechanical keyboard that I will by no means be capable to quit. Ask any severe gamer, and so they’ll doubtless say the identical factor about whichever expertise their favourite gaming keyboard makes use of. The magnetic Hall Effect switches on a devoted gaming keyboard, just like the Vulcan 2 TKL Professional from Turtle Seashore, can utterly change the best way you recreation. 

Corridor Impact switches use magnets and sensors to register every keypress so there are fewer components to wear down and reply quicker to keystrokes. Turtle Seashore claims the keyboard’s Analog Magnetic Corridor Impact sensors will last as long as 150 million keystrokes, which is about 50 million greater than the numerous optical-based keyboards supply and much more over mechanical. 

The Corridor Impact switches allow one other good characteristic changing into more and more common, Fast Set off. Mechanical switches must be pressed down and absolutely returned to their reset place earlier than a second keypress can register. By eliminating a mechanical actuator within the change, the keyboard can register steady and fast represses of every key. Throughout gameplay, this interprets to quicker response occasions for every keypress so that you’re capable of maneuver and work together throughout the recreation extra shortly and may also help compensate for sloppy fingering.

One of many odd issues concerning the Vulkan II TKL Professional is that the stems on the switches appear to be a lot taller than just about another keyboard I’ve used and so they’re matched with low-profile slightly than normal peak ABS keycaps. Fortunately, they’re swappable so you’ll be able to exchange them. I do not know if that may have impacted my typing accuracy (together with the slight format distinction from my present keyboard) but it surely did appear a bit unusual.  Additionally, the LEDs are on the high of the change, so I had some hassle seeing the secondary features on the keys in low mild, although it wasn’t an enormous challenge for me. 

Like a variety of Corridor Impact keyboards, such because the Corsair Apex Gen 3 TKL, the Vulcan 2 TKL Professional affords a particularly granular degree of customization out there through its Swarm 2 desktop app. For starters, you’ll be able to customise the actuation and reset factors (how far down the important thing must be pressed to register an enter and the way far up it resets) for every particular person key from between 0.1 and 4.0 mm. You may retailer as much as 5 separate profiles to shortly change your setup work to play — or bounce shortly into one other recreation. 

It would not be a flashy gaming keyboard with out customizable per-key RGB lighting, and as with many of the best gaming keyboards, you’ll be able to map lots of the keys to your favourite shortcuts for probably the most streamlined play in every recreation. There’s additionally Simple Shift to map a number of features to sure keys.

Other than the broad customizability, the keyboard could be very properly constructed. The aluminum plates make it stable and sturdy whereas maintaining it light-weight. The smaller TenKeyLess design — which means it is lacking the Numpad — and lighter weight make it simple to hold if you would like. Sadly, it isn’t wi-fi so you will additionally want to hold across the removable cable with you as properly. 

There’s additionally a media management knob within the high proper nook to regulate or mute the amount, a double kickstand so you’ll be able to choose from two completely different angles, plus a bundled mushy wrist relaxation. 

As spectacular because the Vulcan 2 TKL Professional is, it isn’t excellent. The variety of customization selections could also be fairly overwhelming for some of us and using ABS keycaps over extra sturdy PBT variations means the legends may put on off sooner and so they might develop shine from finger oils. 

The largest upside of the Vulcan 2 TKL Professional, the Corridor Impact switches, can also be doubtlessly the most important draw back. As somebody who’s used to utilizing one of many best mechanical keyboards, the Corridor Impact switches felt too mushy for me. Sure, they’re extremely responsive and you’ll customise that responsiveness to your coronary heart’s content material. They only do not supply the identical tactility and really feel of a mechanical change. 

So if you happen to’re used to utilizing a mechanical keyboard, the texture of the keys might take some adjustment. I discovered it laborious to make use of the Vulcan as my day by day keyboard. It was incredible for gaming, as my fingers by no means ventured removed from the W, A, S and D keys, and the Corridor Impact switches and customization actually are next-level, however when utilizing it for on a regular basis work, even completely for about two weeks, it felt extra annoying than something — particularly for writing. 

Make no mistake: it is a gaming keyboard via and thru. When you’re searching for a dual-use keyboard that is nice for productiveness and gaming, relying on what you are used to, the Vulcan 2 TKL Professional won’t be the only option. When you’re searching for a high-quality gaming keyboard that will not break the financial institution, $150 (or much less, if you happen to discover it on sale) for Corridor Impact is a reasonably respectable value for a great gaming keyboard as of late. When you’re contemplating upgrading from a membrane keyboard or a low-quality mechanical keyboard, it would doubtless be a giant step up.