ROCCAT Vulcan II Max Review

Keyboards are one of the main tools of a PC gamer (and for writers too). We have different flavors for each taste of each user and this time our friends at ROCCAT have sent us the Vulcan IIMaxthe older brother of the beautiful Vulcan II Mini.

We could not feel complete if we do not have different types of options to choose from. Using a keyboard in various dimensions is super interesting but in this case we have a super beautiful keyboard in its complete design and something that others don’t have right now. Having RGB on the palm rest is like a reality for lovers of synchronizing the lights around our desk.

Before continuing, as always, let’s see the product specifications:

• Form Factor: Full Size
• Cable: 1.8m 2 x USB-A
• Switch life cycle: Tested to 100 million
• Polling Rate: 1000Hz
• Built-in memory: 4MB
• On-board profile: 5
• RGB: Per-key RGB lighting with 16.8 million colors + 24 smart keys
• Keyboard Switch: Full Key (NKRO) with 100% Anti-Ghosting
• Processor: 32-bit ARM Cortex M3
• Software: ROCCAT SWARM
• Adjustable height: yes, double kick stand
• Product Dimensions: 463 x 236 x 33.5mm // 18.23 x 9.29 x 1.32 inches
• Weight: 1040g (without palm rest) 1300g (with palm rest)

Switch Type:

TITAN II Red Optics

• Linear
• 1.4mm actuation point
• 3.6mm travel distance

TITAN II Brown optics

• Tactile
• 1.8mm actuation point
• 3.6mm travel distance

Inside the box comes:

• Vulcan II Max Gaming Keyboard
• detachable palm rest
• Quick Start Guide

Knowing all this information we can go directly to the point. Yes, this keyboard comes with a translucent palm rest that feeds off the RGB coming out of the keyboard in an amazing way. Before many begin to criticize that nobody needs so much lighting, this is something that really adds aesthetics to a keyboard that already has an excellent design. The reality is that having a palm rest that does not have any lighting and is only there to be was not necessary.

Having a palm rest is always welcome, I would even go so far as to say that all keyboards should have one for optional use. The ergonomics of this translucent is quite incredible. Being able to rest my hands while I write this review is without a doubt something that the Vulcan II Max should have had, practically a yes or yes.

As you can see in the images, this is fed by additional lighting that the keyboard has in the downward direction and makes it have an incredible aesthetic. As I mentioned before, this is the older brother of the Vulcan II Mini that I had reviewed a short time ago and the Vulcan II Max also has a very special RGB. This one has a Dual LED function, where they intelligently illuminate in a special way for additional functions on the keyboard.

Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a full keyboard (standard size) with a function option for those things that we don’t always do but in one way or another we can assign a specific macro to use it. If you really want to open an option to mute the microphone using the keyboard, you just have to assign it and with the Fn+F6 key we would be performing this task.

The most important thing here is that they are keyboards that are not being randomly assigned but rather are designed to be assigned by the user obviously but with the exact function so that you remember the task that you are going to perform. This function is called Easy-Shift [+] which makes each of these functions remain recorded for a better use of the keyboard. Really this keyboard is complete and ready to be in a battle station for someone who does various types of activities and of course looking to make our lives easier.

The design of the Vulcan II family is unique

I have already mentioned this several times but for a mechanical keyboard its design is quite thin or at least thin enough to become a subtle keyboard. Yes, in the images you can see that the switches protrude and this is something already characteristic of this line. In its beginning, it was something interesting for me to see because I never thought that you could have something exposing the switches in that way.

The RGB with the Dual LED makes this keyboard the most aesthetic that we can have on our table. Leaving aside the keyboards for enthusiasts (of those that are assembled from scratch in your hands) the management of RGB and lighting in this case is complete. I can’t help but think that regardless of the intensity that I put on the RGB, it will always stand out against any other peripheral of this type that has passed through my hand.

As part of the design and as expected, this keyboard has a dedicated area for multimedia control. These buttons especially the ones to pause and advance the next song feel quite subtle. On the other hand, the volume wheel feels precise and robust so I don’t think this is a shoddy thing. To be honest, nothing in this clade feels substandard.

The version for review brought the Switches TITAN II Optics red. These offer a much smaller actuation point than the standard ones (1.4mm). Which guarantees that the response is much faster for those who know about these issues when playing competitively. For the uninitiated, the Linear switches offer a much smoother ride when typing and obviously don’t have that awful Clicky or Tactile sound.

Linear switches are preferred by most gamers as they have a longer response time. Even the construction stopper of this keyboard is made of aluminum, which would cause a lot of noise with another type of key. Something that the TITAN II switches presume is that they are optical, this means that pressing a key interrupts the laser making the necessary contact (extremely fast) to perform the action. This makes them faster than those that act by contact, hence another thing that can be boasted about.

These keys offer a life cycle of 100 million keystrokes, double the lifespan compared to traditional mechanical switches. On the other hand, this keyboard can be customized by most of the keys on the market, thus becoming something that many of us might want in the future to change the appearance of the keyboard.

Honestly, this keyboard has nothing to envy the others, I would rather say that it has a lot to boast about for its interesting price and what it offers. This type of keyboard is for large workstations unlike the smaller ones but having one makes us that user who has everything about an excellent palm rest for a very competitive price ($229.99).

The programming of the keyboard is possible thanks to the ROCCAT Swarm software that helps us not only to synchronize the RGB or customize it, but also helps us to maintain the functions of the keyboard according to our needs. In addition to the fact that each of its integrated profiles can be configured according to our needs at all times.

The keys of the second layer can be created by means of specific macros for additional tasks. Just as I mentioned before many ways to view and have functions with shortcuts is possible through the software. In addition to the most logical thing, keep the keyboard firmware updated to date.

In conclusion

The Vulcan IIMax brings us what we need at our desk. Above all it is an excessively beautiful keyboard with an extravagant palm rest that adorns and combines in an incredible way the RGB of the same. Once again the switches TITAN II Optics they make our gaming experience faster and less noisy. The design of the keyboard is quite thin and light for its range, in addition to the continuous use that I will be giving to those second functions in the second layer of keys thanks to the Easy Shift [+] which does not force me to choose a random key but to use the default ones. This review was made thanks to the keyboard provided by ROCCAT.