Like the console wars, the debate between membrane and mechanical keyboard users will probably rage on forever. While I do have my biases, one of the obvious advantages of membrane keyboards is their sound, or rather, lack thereof. Quiet keys are their forte, and Roccat’s Magma gaming keyboard, released earlier this year for a relatively budget-friendly $59.99, is no exception. But does it hold up in other areas?
Build Quality
Out of the box, the Magma feels sturdy enough, but nowhere near as beefy or solid as some of the more expensive mechanical keyboards I’ve tried. The plastic frame has some bend to it if you push down hard enough, and the included palm rest, which attaches to the bottom of the keyboard via plastic tabs, comes across as disappointingly economical.
Still, the rest definitely gets the job done, even if it’s in a rigid plastic-y sort of way. The tabs, however, feel flimsy when inserting into the bottom of the keyboard and seem as though they’d break off with the wrong amount, or wrong direction, of force. Also, to detach the palm rest, you strangely have to fold it back against the keyboard, almost like electronic origami, but it detaches easy enough.
I would have preferred a cushioned palm rest, but Roccat’s included accessory has some nice corrugated texturing that extends onto the keyboard’s outer edges and the underside, raised lines that offer decent grip. Additionally, there are small legs that pop open and extend underneath the Magma to angle the keys upward — these work well enough, but luxurious they are not.
At 870 grams (or just under 2 pounds), the Magma is a relatively light gaming keyboard with a hardwired 1.8m (just under 6 feet) USB out, which may not be preferable for users who want the ability to detach the cable for any given reason. And, because of the hardwiring, if the USB cable eventually dies, so does the keyboard. Unless you’re a DIY electronics wizard, of course.
There’s also no internal battery and no Bluetooth switch for casual wireless connectivity, which doesn’t help the Magma in terms of multi-purpose use. Granted, most gamers are going to want a direct wired connection for latency-free gameplay, so this may only be a drawback for users who want to also utilize Roccat’s keyboard in situations outside of gaming.
Lighting
The Magma wouldn’t be a gaming keyboard if it didn’t have RGB, and the way it’s done here is actually rather tasteful. You’re not going to get fancy individual-key lighting here, like with some of Roccat’s more flagship keyboards (Vulcan Pro) but instead lighting via 5 general zones with 10 “discrete” LEDs. Basically, you can customize the Magma’s illumination in large, chunky sections.
The LEDs shine up through the semi-transparent top plate and can be adjusted through Roccat’s solid Swarm software. If you’ve used RGB lighting before, all the usual display modes are here, like heartbeat, breathing, wave and something called Aimo Intelligent Lighting, which supposedly programs itself according to your ongoing PC behavior.
With the way the input keys are situated, in an appealing hovering-over state right above the plastic top plate, you can achieve a sort of lava pool effect with some of the color customization, which I suppose is appropriate for a keyboard with a name like Magma. In the dark, the Magma’s black layout practically levitates off the frame, suspended above a living pool of rainbow liquid.
Additionally, the zoned RGB effect gives the keyboard an almost Halloween prop aesthetic, something that I actually like very much, almost more than the targeted ‘pro’ RGB options in other keyboards. There’s something clean about it, almost uniform. It’s a visual simplicity that some will reject but others might find pleasing in a barebones way.
The major drawback to how the lighting is projected is, strangely enough, the transparency itself. Glaring build components, basically dark attachment pegs littered throughout the device’s face, show right through the top plate and are not exactly hidden underneath the black keys. Essentially, what you get is a relatively clean LED surface contaminated with noticeable opaque dots peeking up through the board.
I’d imagine it’s difficult to hide such behind-the-scenes details in a see-through keyboard like the Magma, but I’d have appreciated more effort going toward blemish concealment.
Performance
Whether you’re typing or gaming, the Magma is a smooth, button-mashing dream. The rubberized membrane keys are nicely muted and provide a solid tactile push without feeling like you’re sinking your fingers into tiny puddles of Jell-O. It’s a akin to feeling a silent thud. The overall sensation is very satisfying, even if the generic keycaps aren’t anything to write home about.
While the keycaps are pretty run-of-the-mill, they don’t have a ton of wiggle, an important note that should please the gaming crowd this device is aimed at. The advanced anti-ghosting is also a plus. Keystrokes are responsive and held up well not only in my Steam/Xbox Game Pass libraries but also during everyday computing tasks, like word processing and web browsing.
Roccat’s Swarm software unlocks the real potential of the Magma, in that you can dive in and customize just about everything. Some of it’s a little gimmicky, like the ability to change the sound feedback of your keystrokes to say, laser beams or the clacking of typewriter keys. But other features, like the surprisingly useful Easy-Shift button duplicator and multiple game keyboard profiles, are much more practical.
Cleaning the Magma also promises to be a breeze due to the positioning of its keycaps so high off the device face. Judging from my experience, removing the keycaps to expose the mounts and utilize a damp cloth or compressed air won’t be an issue.
Verdict
With a plastic-heavy build, hardwired USB cable, and no casual Bluetooth option, the plug-and-play Magma isn’t the perfect all-in-one gaming keyboard. But for its budget asking price, excellent membrane performance and tasteful RGB glow, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better quiet keyboard in this mid-to-entry-level space.
Now, if you still prefer the tactile click of mechanical gaming keyboards, then the Magma probably won’t do much to win you over. It will, however, give you a quality taste of what lies on the other side.
Disclaimer: Roccat provided review product for coverage purposes.
