HyperX is a reputed name when it comes to headsets and memory, but now the company is making its foray into the peripheral market with a new keyboard. With Cherry MX Blue switches and a flashy red LED backlight, the Alloy claims to be ideal for fans of FPS titles, but it is actually much more than that.
The keyboard is highly compact and lacks any properly discernible bezel around the keys, making it much easier to pack it up and carry it around. What makes it even more convenient is that it weighs only about 1.05 kg and comes with a padded pouch. The slim and small size is also a boon for gamers who lack a lot of table space, or want to keep additional stuff along with the keyboard. Everything about the HyperX Alloy FPS screams portability. Even the cable is a detachable braided USB cable and an extra USB port for charging your devices (no data transfer, however). For people who have to travel regularly and prefer to take their gaming gear along with them, it’s quite ideal.
The Alloy FPS comes with Cherry MX Blue switches, featuring the characteristic tactile bump, which lets you know that the key has been pressed. You need to apply a bit of pressure for that to happen (more than red or brown switches), meaning that it can greatly reduce errors you might make while typing as lightly grazing over the key will not register as a keystroke. The keys also make a very satisfying clicking sound as your press them, which some groups might consider as music to their ears. But it’s quite loud, so at times it might be considered as a disturbance, especially if you have people around you.
The keys have a red LED backlight, the brightness of which can be adjusted according to your liking. Though aren’t any more colours, you can still choose a backlight pattern using the arrow keys on the keyboard. It also features anti-ghosting and N-key rollover, meaning you can press any number of keys you like at once and the keystrokes will be registered. There’s a Gaming mode as well, but that’s mainly to disable the Windows key so it doesn’t cause any problems while you’re in the middle of a heated session.
The design and the layout of the keyboard is minimalistic, there are no dedicated media or macro keys, and the compact form means no wrist-rest either. The keyboard is completely plug and play, meaning it lacks any additional software and all the customization is handled by combinations of the regular keys. Unfortunately, the lack of a gaming software means you can’t save any specific profiles you might want and the keys aren’t programmable.
Talking about performance, it’s hard to complain about the HyperX Alloy FPS. The Blue Switches are very pleasant to use, though I myself prefer Red as they are a little smoother. However, this choice is highly subjective and likely to vary depending on the user. HyperX provides additional textured WASD keys and red numeric 1,2,3,4 keys, which you can replace with the keys on the keyboard. This highlights the zone, making it quite appealing to FPS fans. Though it is hard to say they make a huge difference in regular use.
The Verdict
The HyperX Alloy FPS is an impressive keyboard, and not just for FPS gamers. It’s minimalist compact design is an excellent choice for gamers who travel quite frequently, and don’t want to leave their gear behind. However, it does lack some features that people look forward too, and at the price tag of INR 8999 (Amazon), that does make it a tad expensive.
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