Asus has just unveiled the Asus ROG Azoth Extreme gaming keyboard, a high-end board machined almost entirely from solid aluminium, except for the bits that are carbon fiber! It also includes an OLED display and a clever adjustable gasket mount to quickly switch up the typing feel.
The new contender for our best gaming keyboard guide is a no-holds-barred attempt by Asus to cement a status as a premium gaming peripheral maker, having previously created some solid by not always spectacular products in this area. The new keyboard has just been revealed at Computex, where I had a chance to see it up close.
The new keyboard has a TKL form factor, so it’s missing the number pad section. This is a style many gamers seem to prefer as it frees up desk space for your mouse, but some users might lament the lack of a full-size option.
Unlike many high-end custom keyboards, Asus hasn’t gone for a minimalist look here, but has instead opted for a more aggressive, angular style. Thankfully, though, the coloring is all quite muted and the overall look still manages to be clean and relatively simple – it’s really just the plate covering the back edge that adds a more industrial vibe.
Meanwhile, the keycaps are remarkably unremarkable, with their black finish and shine-through legends showing off the RGB lighting below each key. Asus has tended to have slightly more angular, less easy-to-read legends on previous keyboards, but the font here is more simple and readable.
Instead, it’s in the rest of the board that Asus has gone to town. For a start, there’s the little OLED display in the top right corner that can show what setting you’re adjusting via the dial switch next to it. This can change volume, keyboard brightness, profiles, and more.
Round the back of the board there is the USB-C connection and a switch for changing the board between wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth connections. The wireless option also offers up to 8kHz polling rate.
Meanwhile, on the underside is a stowage location for the USB dongle, along with another switch for changing the gasket mount position. This essentially moves the level of the gasket so that it presses more into the silicone pad-dampening layer below, creating a quiet, dampened feel, or raising it up for a clickier feel.
The underside is also where you’ll find the locating pads for the magnetic feet. These solid metal and rubber-tipped feet offer only a single height-adjust option for raising the back edge of the board.
The final piece of the puzzle is the silicone wrist rest, which is notably heavy – it’s made from solid silicone rubber. This attaches magnetically to the front edge of the board and offers a decently thick wrist resting area, though it’s not the softest material.
All told, while we got a little hands-on time with the new gaming keyboard at Asus’ demonstration area at Computex 2024, we’d need to have more of a sit down and extended play with this kwyboard to really get a feel for it. How much difference the gasket switch makes, how the switches feel, and the usefulness of the OLED screen are all questions we’ll only be able to answer with extended use at home. We’re also still awaiting word on the price and exact release date of the new board.
The ROG Azoth Extreme launches alongside the Asus ROG Harpe ACE Extreme, which is a similarly high-end gaming mouse built from carbon fiber with glass feet and weighing just 47g.