DESIGN
ROCCAT Pyro
The ROCCAT Pyro is well-built, although it has a few flaws due to its low pricing. It has a flexy plastic chassis, but the brushed aluminum base plate adds some stiffness. The double-shot ABS keycaps provide a smooth feel, but they’re also slippery and may eventually shine from finger oils. The keys are stable and wobble-free, and the larger keys activate equally. The underside has six huge rubber pads to keep it from slipping on your desk, and the incline feet have rubber edges to help keep the board in place.
It offers RGB backlighting that may be customized, as well as individually lighted keys. It’s good at color mixing, yet when the lighting is set to white, there’s a tiny blue tint between keys. This hue, however, could be generated by the light’s reflection on the grey, brushed aluminum base plate.
The ergonomics of the ROCCAT Pyro keyboard are excellent. It’s a flat, straight board with a modest profile and one incline setting. It includes a plastic detachable wrist rest with a horizontal lined texture. While the wrist rest isn’t particularly fluffy, it does improve typing comfort.
ROCCAT Magma
The ROCCAT Magma appears to be well-made. Both the chassis and the base plate are comprised of pliable plastic. Six rubber pads on the underside and another six on the wrist rest keep the board from sliding on the desk, but they aren’t perfect. The ABS keycaps are comfortable, but they may shine from finger grease. The keys are all stable, albeit the spacebar wobbles a little more than the others. Nonetheless, it operates equally.
The RGB backlighting on the ROCCAT Magma is adjustable. It’s excellent at color mixing, and when the lighting is set to white, you won’t notice any indications of other hues. Unfortunately, its keys are not individually illuminated, and it only has five lighting zones. Because the entire base plate is made of semi-transparent plastic that allows a lot of light to pass through, those who prefer more subtle RGB lighting may find this board a touch overbearing.
The ergonomics of the ROCCAT Magma are excellent. It’s a straight board with one incline setting and a plastic wrist rest that detaches. The wrist rest is not cushy and has a horizontally textured surface.
EXTRA FEATURES
ROCCAT Pyro
The ROCCAT Pyro comes with a few extras, such as media hotkeys and a volume control knob. Game Mode may be activated by pressing FN+Scroll Lock, which disables the Windows key and prevents you from accidentally minimizing your game. Macros can be assigned to the alphanumeric keys on the left, including 5, T, G, and B, which are only active when in Game Mode. In addition, the Easy-Shift[+] function unlocks a second layer of macros to these same keys for as long as you hold it. The keys to the right of these Easy-Shift[+] keys cannot be assigned macros, but they can be remapped using the ROCCAT Swarm program.
ROCCAT Magma
The ROCCAT Magma includes media hotkeys for controlling your media. However, it lacks the volume control knob found on the comparable ROCCAT Pyro. You can engage Game Mode by pressing Fn+Scroll Lock, which disables the Windows key to prevent you from mistakenly minimizing your game. You can also assign macros to the alphanumeric keys on the left side of the board, such as 5, T, G, and B, which only work while the game is in Game Mode. The CapsLock key, by default, operates as an Easy-Shift[+] function, allowing you to unlock the second layer of macros to these keys for as long as you hold it. While you can only assign macros to these keys, you can remap the rest using the ROCCAT Swarm program.
PERFORMANCE
ROCCAT Pyro
The ROCCAT Pyro has linear TTC Red switches that feel very light and responsive, despite having a larger pre-travel distance than some other linear switches. Only these linear switches are accessible with the board. The ROCCAT Pyro offers an excellent typing experience. The keys are sturdy, with only a slight wobble, which should be barely perceptible while typing. The TTC Red linear switches are light and responsive, with no auditory or tactile feedback. You shouldn’t get tired of typing on this board because of the typical shape and spacing of the keys.
The ROCCAT Pyro is a quiet machine that will not irritate anyone around you. It boasts extremely low latency and should be responsive enough for the majority of gamers.
The ROCCAT Pyro is ideal for usage in the office. The linear TTC Red switches are extremely light and silent, so they should not irritate anyone in the office. The board is well-made, but the ABS keycaps are slick. It includes a single incline setting and a detachable plastic wrist rest. The ROCCAT Pyro is insufficient for a home theatre system. Because it is a wired board, you must have a cable running from the board to the computer. In addition, because it lacks a built-in touchpad, you must use a mouse to navigate the interface. It does, however, have illumination, media hotkeys, and a volume control wheel.
ROCCAT Magma
The ROCCAT Magma employs Rubber Dome switches that aren’t mushy and provide a good level of tactile feedback. They require some force to operate, although the overall sensation is light. The ROCCAT Magma has good typing experience. Although the spacebar wobbles somewhat more than the other keys, the keys seem stable and actuate evenly. The rubber dome switches are light and provide a good response.
The key spacing and shape are identical to those found on most ordinary keyboards. Thus they should not cause fatigue or more typos than usual. The ROCCAT Magma has extremely low latency and should be responsive enough for the majority of gamers. The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is ideal for usage in the office. It features one incline setting and a wrist rest that may be removed. While the rubber dome switches require some force to activate, they are still quite light. They’re also quiet to type on and provide good tactile feedback. Unfortunately, the board just feels moderately well-built and flexes significantly.
The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is unsuitable for home theatre applications. Because it cannot be used wirelessly, a connection must be connected from the board to the computer. There’s also no built-in trackpad or volume control wheel, although it does offer media hotkeys and RGB backlighting.
GAMING
ROCCAT Pyro
The ROCCAT Pyro is fantastic for gaming. Low latency, RGB backlighting, a Game Mode, and an Easy-Shift[+] function are all included. You can program macros, but only on the alphanumeric keys on the left, which include 5, T, G, and B. Although the pre-travel distance is a little longer than on some other linear switches, the linear TTC Red switches feel incredibly light and quick. It features a straight, flat design, a detachable plastic wrist rest, and one incline setting, and despite some flex, it feels well manufactured.
ROCCAT Magma
The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is a good gaming keyboard. It boasts minimal latency, a Game Mode button, and RGB backlighting that can be customized; however, the keys are not individually lighted, and there are only five lighting zones. You can assign macros to the alphanumeric keys on the left side of the board, including 5, T, G, and B, and you can also assign an Easy-Shift[+] button to these keys, giving you a second layer of macros. The rubber dome switches require some force to operate, yet the overall impression is light.
SOFTWARE
ROCCAT Pyro
Many customization options are available in the ROCCAT Swarm program, including the ability to save up to five profiles, remap key assignments, customize the RGB, and create character repeats. You can also program keypress sounds and select from a variety of presets or use your own audio file. Macros can be assigned to certain games and apps but only to the alphanumeric keys on the left, including 5, T, G, and B.
The ROCCAT Pyro is completely Windows-compatible. In macOS, the Pause/Break, Scroll Lock, Print Screen, Fn, and Menu keys do not function, while NumLock registers as Clear and Insert as Help. Unfortunately, neither macOS nor Linux has software, although all of the keys work in Linux.
ROCCAT Magma
The ROCCAT Swarm program allows you to save up to five profiles, remap key assignments, customize the RGB, and create character repeats, among other things. You can also program keypress sounds and select from a preset library or use your own audio files. Macros can be assigned to certain games and apps, but only to the alphanumeric keys on the left side of the keyboard, which include 5, T, G, and B. The ROCCAT Magma, like many other ROCCAT models, includes the AIMO lighting engine, which reacts to your behavior and changes based on your configuration, the apps you use, and other ROCCAT devices you connect.
There is no program for macOS or Linux, yet all keys operate on Linux. The Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, Fn, and Menu keys, however, do not function on macOS, while the NumLock key registers as Clear and the Insert key as Help.
PROGRAMMING
ROCCAT Pyro
The ROCCAT Pyro is an excellent programming tool. The TTC Red switches are light and sensitive, contributing to a fantastic typing experience. It includes RGB illumination and macros, but only on the alphanumerical keys on the left, which include 5, T, G, and B. It appears to be well-made. However, there is just one incline level, and the wrist rest isn’t comfortable. Unfortunately, it cannot be used wirelessly and cannot be paired with other devices at the same time.
ROCCAT Magma
For programming, the ROCCAT Magma keyboard is enough. While macro-programmable keys are available, they can only be put on the alphanumeric keys on the left side of the board, which include 5, T, G, and B. Overall, the rubber dome switches seem light, yet they demand some energy to activate and provide a good typing experience. Unfortunately, the board only feels moderately well-built, and its plastic body flexes a lot. Furthermore, because it is a wired board, it cannot couple with more than one device at the same time.
CONCLUSION
The ROCCAT Magma and ROCCAT Pyro are both wired game boards, although the Pyro is mechanical while the Magma is not. The Pyro features a separate volume knob and linear TTC Red switches. The Magma, on the other hand, has rubber dome switches and a semi-transparent base plate that allows RGB light to pass through. Both boards have extremely low latencies. Macros can be assigned to the alphanumeric keys on the left side of each board. Both contain an Easy-Shift[+] function that allows you to assign a second layer of macros to certain keys for as long as you hold them.
