When it comes to stylish RGB accessories, it’s hard to look pass Roccat’s lineup. Keyboards such as the Magma would be amazing in a smaller form factor – well, Roccat’s new Magma Mini not only provides the same asthetics in a compact form, but also performance and ingress protection such as objects and liquids penetrating into the keyboard. This keyboard is ready to give players the space and performance at a fraction of a cost to a more premium set.
Durability at Gear
Going for $49.99, the Magma Mini is exactly the same aesthetics as its full sized counterpart; you get the underlying membrane for those soft keyboard presses, the translucent faceplate for a full display of RGB lighting using the SWARM software – which AIMO sync’s to other compatible Roccat accessories like headsets and mouse. You can’t detach the USB cable like their other products, or customize the keycaps which doesnt bother me much considering this is designed for performance and it already looks cool. The overall footprint is about 60% smaller than a full size keybaord leaving the dimensions at 5.20″ L and 12.12″ W. It’s definitely durable looking and should fit any desk size with ease. I found that I was able to give just about the same performance as my fullsize keyboard, though I had to get use to the size a bit as I have big hands.
Functionality Simplified
Easy Shift+ makes a return here which can truly benefit players on the fly who desires to swap functions on the fly, or for developers looking to create some seamless shortcuts. With its duplicator technology, you can unlock other elements to use during gameplay, at just a tap of the Caps key at that. It comes defaulted with options like FN + B for volume up, N for down and M to mute. You can easily customize this within the SWARM software, just make sure it’s updated alongside the keyboard.
As I mentioned before, during my playtime with Destiny 2 (if you know you know), I found I was able to perform just as effectively – given the 1000Hz polling rate and half actuation key response, maneuvering felt natural and activating my abilities was done with ease. Given the additional space, my mouse arm never felt more free. But don’t play Star Citizen with this keyboard – you simply don’t have enough keys to be optimal in that game, trust.
REVIEW SCORE: 8/10
Roccat’s aim to deliver a cheaper, compact and high performance keyboard is definitely there – even if the USB isn’t detachable and keycaps aren’t customizable, Magma Mini still a very solid choice for gamers looking to perform and save money.
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