Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate: Switches? Whichever wherever

Details

Interchangeable mechanical switches, which can be combined in different ways, and an LED display with text personalisation options make the ROG Strix Flare II Animate a rather special keyboard. Like most more expensive models, it has a proper (and comfortable) wrist rest. Overall, not too much has been skimped on here, the build is sturdy, and with this keyboard as well Asus has bypassed third-party switches and used its own.

Conclusion

The standard look of the keyboard is enriched by the AniMe Matrix display. It adds animations stylized into 8-bit graphics to the exterior, or even practical functions such as the current time or email notifications. Personally, I opted for the more practical features when testing. The opposite side of the keyboard has six multimedia keys that give a great tactile response when used.

The structure is reinforced by an aluminium backplate that can withstand more aggressive treatment. Players can relax and play without worrying that they might seriously damage the keyboard with rough handling. Of course, anything can go wrong, so take this with a grain of salt. The keyboard is considerably more comfortable to use with the wrist rest underneath. The foam in it (presumably memory foam) makes it more pleasant to use, lightens the wrists considerably, and even the more distant keys are suddenly closer. The only possible risk on the support may be the use of the faux leather. The two-meter braided cable and the ability to pull one USB port out of the motherboard is just icing on the cake.

Thanks to the internal memory, you can take your already set-up keyboard with you anywhere. It offers six profiles, each of which can contain different macros or remapped keys. All this and more, such as what the display will show you, you can customize exactly in the Armoury Crate application. The only thing I didn’t like about the keyboard software is that you can’t adjust the settings unless you update to the latest version of the hardware itself. And that happened to me twice in two weeks.

An almost two hundred euro keyboard and it’s not waterproof? The answer is yes. That’s the price of the interchangeable switches that make the Flare II a capable transformer. The keyboard comes with Asus ROG NX Red switches. Compared to the well-known Cherry MX Red, they have a 0.2 mm shorter activation range and also you need to develop five grams less weight to do so, namely 40. If they don’t suit you, you can use the brown or blue switches from the Asus range, or swap them out for the Cherry MX switches. The sound coming out of the keyboard is modified by the foam embedded inside it. This eliminates “clunking” sounds.

Flare II is a keyboard with a wide range of uses and a fast 8000 Hz response that adapts to all your needs. Whether it’s the display or the switches, you always have a choice. The price of the keyboard may be higher but you get what you pay for. The lack of water resistance is the biggest weakness of the Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate keyboard and that’s why it earns the “Approved” award.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

• Contents
• Details
• Support application
• Testing methodology
• Keyboard noise level and inclination
• Keyboard power draw and backlight brightness
• Conclusion