What we’re writing today is our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review which focuses on Roccat’s pro gaming keyboard.
Roccat’s a trusted brand founded in 2006. And since 2019, it’s been part of the Turtle Beach Corporation. The company’s history isn’t that long, but lots of its products are noteworthy and excellently made. And when it comes to the Vulcan TKL Pro, it’s not an exception.
It’s a compact keyboard using the Titan Switch Optical with a 100-million keystroke lifecycle. As its name suggests, the keyboard has a TKL form factor and a detachable USB-C to A cable. These features make it a convenient keyboard for both general and gaming use.
Continue reading our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review to learn more about the keyboard’s design, features, performance, etc.
Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Packaging
The Vulcan TKL Pro came in a simple-looking box that provides all of the product’s essential details. At the top, you’ll find an image of the keyboard occupying the entire panel. The picture of the RGB-lit keyboard makes the simple packaging look attractive.
The upper left corner has Roccat’s logo with the product’s name, and the opposite side highlights the Titan Switch Optical.
Underneath the box, you’ll find more features listed and elaborated. Also, there’s another image of the keyboard and the Roccat’s optical switches.
Inside the package, you’ll only find three items: the keyboard, a detachable USB-C to A cable, and an installation guide.
After unboxing the product, we checked out the design and functions of the product. It’s the next part of our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review, so continue reading more details about the keyboard.
Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review – Design and Functionality
The Vulcan TKL Pro is a tenkeyless version of its predecessor, the Vulcan Pro. It’s smaller and easier to transport. Also, it’s ideal if you have a small desk or want more room for mouse movement.
Aside from the reduced size, it has fewer multimedia keys than the full-sized version. But despite that, it still feels as sturdy as its sibling since Roccat used an aircraft-grade aluminium layer.
Our keyboard is the white version, so it comes with white keys. Its body has a brushed aluminium finish that offers a premium look.
The keycaps are low-profile, so they’re thin and raised higher than conventional ones. The Vulcan TKL also has a good gap between the keys and the keyboard, allowing for a superb light bleed. This design is also easier to clean, which we love.
Our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review will also discuss the Titan Switch Optical switches that the product uses. These red linear switches offer a smooth feel and a consistent keypress, like their mechanical counterparts.
These red linear optical switches aren’t clicky and loud but can quickly and accurately actuate.
With the Titan Switch Optical’s rating of up to 100 million keystrokes, these make the Vulcan TKL Pro extremely durable. These will last longer than Roccat’s Titan Switch Mechanical, which offers 50 million keystrokes.
Aside from optical switches, the keyboard has a volume knob and dedicated mute button for your convenience. It also features stunning RGB lighting that illuminates through the keyboard’s transparent housing.
The Vulcan TKL Pro connects with a USB-C to USB 2.0 Type-A cable. You can also detach the cord for better portability.
Key Features of the Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro
What features make this keyboard better than its predecessor? Let’s find out by discussing them in our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review.
New Compact Design and Quick Response Time
The Vulcan TKL Pro is a new and reimagined version of the Vulcan Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. It features a tenkeyless form factor and Roccat’s Titan Switch Optical, which actuates fast, offering new levels of responsiveness.
Optical Speed and Mechanical Keystrokes
The Titan Switch Optical gives you the mechanical keystroke feel while delivering better performance. It’s as fast as the speed of light since its firmware seamlessly recognises each stroke without delay.
Durable and Long-lasting Switches of the Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro
The Vulcan TKL Pro features an aircraft-grade aluminium layer to make it durable. Its contactless Titan Switch Optical’s durability lasts for 100 million keystrokes which is twice the industry standard. These features make the Vulcan TKL Pro known for being “virtually indestructible”.
Tenkeyless Form Factor
The tenkeyless form factor of the Vulcan TKL Pro allows you to game in a more comfortable and natural position. This design offers more desk space and mouse movement to improve your aiming accuracy.
With its other features like the tournament profile storage and a detachable USB-C cable, you’ll have consistent superior performance.
AIMO – Roccat’s Smart Lighting Engine
Roccat’s AIMO coordinates the RGB lights of this keyboard with other compatible devices for excellent illumination aesthetics without configuration. The transparent switch housing on the Vulcan TKL Pro amplifies the effects to deliver the best showcase of AIMO lighting.
Specifications
We’re discussing the product’s specifications in our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review. Here, we’ll help you determine if it has everything you need and if it will work with your system.
The Vulcan TKL Pro is a compact tenkeyless keyboard that uses Roccat’s Tian Switch Optical. These linear switches have a 1.4mm actuation point and a total lifespan of 100 million keystrokes.
It has a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 processor plus a 1000Hz polling rate. For its dimension, the keyboard is 3.4 x 36 x 13.33cm (H x W x L). Plus, it weighs 660g.
To use the Vulcan TKL Pro, you’ll need a USB 2.0 (or higher) connection. An internet connection to download the Roccat Swarm software is also necessary. The software supports Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11.
Hands-on with the Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro
We tweaked the keyboard’s settings via the Roccat Swarm software and tested the product to see how it performs. Before sharing our user experience, we’ll discuss the software, the interface, features, and other available settings.
The Roccat Swarm software is where you can access a range of settings for the Vulcan TKL Pro. Each of the keys is programmable. Plus, it has a key-mapping functionality that allows you to assign keys for alternate keypresses, macro, or other settings.
If you’re a fan of RGB lighting, the Vulcan TKL Pro is an excellent keyboard since it features AIMO lighting. This fascinating colour-changing system offers reactive lighting that responds as you press.
You can choose from various effects via the Roccat Swarm software. But we found the AIM lighting impressive enough, and we didn’t see the need to tweak the Vulcan TKL Pro’s RGB lighting.
Aside from lighting, setting sound feedback is possible, which will play when you press keys.
With the onboard memory, the keyboard lets you store up to five custom profiles. You can set profiles to launch alongside specific programs and games. Also, the Roccat Swarm software allows you to restore default settings.
Like other Roccat products, you can assign an Easy-Shift function to multiple keys. It’s a secondary layer of actions you can access with just a keypress if you set a specific key.
Despite its smaller size and fewer keys, these unique features give you more keys. This keyboard offers you unparalleled flexibility.
Of course, we also tested the keyboard for our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review. We used it for typing and gaming to see how well it performs and if it’s something you should buy.
While using the keyboard, we noticed that typing on it was comfortable and satisfying, thanks to the concave keycaps. Also, it was accurate since it registered our keypresses.
Usually, linear switches offer swift responses since these have low resistance and shallow actuation points. These were often good for gaming but not for typing.
To our surprise, typing on the Vulcan TKL Pro was a great experience. Because of the added resistance, we didn’t accidentally press the wrong keys.
But of course, the keyboard shined in gaming. As Roccat promised, the Titan Switch Optical seamlessly detected all keystrokes without delay. These were fast, which gave us a competitive advantage in the different games we played while testing the keyboard.
When we played FPS games like Valorant, we executed actions precisely since the keyboard had the perfect responsiveness and reliability. The keyboard didn’t hinder our gameplay. Instead, it allowed us to perform better despite the difference in game genres.
Overall, we had a memorable user experience with the Vulcan TKL Pro. And compared to linear mechanical switches, the Titan Switch Optical is excellent for daily use and gaming. It’s precise, quick, and reliable, making it easy to recommend.
Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review Summary
The Vulcan TKL Pro is a gaming keyboard that’s easy to like and recommend. It’s a tenkeyless keyboard with impressive features, feels sturdy, and delivers excellent performance.
Before testing the product for our Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Review, we had a few questions in mind. We wondered if its optical switches were enough to justify its price and if its responsiveness was just as advertised.
To our surprise, the optical switches had a better feel than their traditional counterpart, whether we were gaming or typing. Also, the keys were responsive and registered even our fastest keypresses while gaming.
To put it simply, the Vulcan TKL Pro is an excellent keyboard for everyday use and gaming.
For more details about the Vulcan TKL Pro, visit Roccat’s official product page.
