What just happened? Asus has added another high-end and expensive keyboard to its product line. The ROG Azoth Extreme, an upgrade over the already very pricey ROG Azoth ($250), costs about the same as an upper mid-range graphics card: $499.99.
We loved the ROG Azoth Wireless Keyboard, awarding it a score of 90 in our review last year. This Extreme variant shares plenty of similarities, including the programmable, and now full-color, OLED screen, as well as the 75% design.
As you would expect from that massive price, The ROG Azoth Extreme offers plenty of features. There's the aluminum alloy chassis, multiple foam layers that absorb vibrations for a nice and muted keypress sound, and a carbon fiber positioning plate for shock absorption.
There's also an adjustable gasket mount with a paddle switch that offers two typing preferences: a firm keystroke with a quick rebound (Hard mode) that is better for gaming, and a flexible keypress in Soft mode that should be ideal for long typing sessions.
Other features include an extended silicone wrist rest, and two pairs of detachable magnetic feet for different typing angles.
The keyboard comes with ROG NX Mechanical Switches (Snow or Storm). As with the standard Azoth, both the switches and ROG PBT doubleshot keycaps are hot-swappable.
Connectivity is wireless via 2.4 GHz RF, or you can use Bluetooth mode to connect to up to three devices at the same time. There's also a wired connection option (Type-C to Type-A cable) for playing and charging simulatanously, and it includes the usual slew of accessories. Asus says the keyboard offers a massive 1,600 hours of battery life, too.
Something else that's new in this model is the ROG Polling Rate Booster accessory that's included in the box. Asus says this upgrades the keyboard polling rate to true 8000 Hz in both wired and wireless mode.
One of the most noticeable upgrades in the Azoth Extreme is to the tiny OLED panel in the corner. It's been shrunken down from 2 inches on the Azoth to 1.47 inches on the Extreme, but it's now in full color, which should be great for showing custom animations, and is a touchscreen. As before, it can display system info, battery levels, and more, using the knob on the side. Take a look at the video below to see this function on the original model.
The Asus ROG Azoth remains a stunning keyboard. The $250 price and awful Armory Crate software were our biggest complaints, so it'll be interesting to see if the changes in the Extreme version can justify doubling that price tag.
Asus unveils ROG Azoth keyboard with full-color OLED touchscreen and $499 price tag
