I am still learning the ropes when it comes to what the best options and kit are. But one thing is for sure, I know what a terrific piece of kit is when I get my hands on it. After a few months of play and work, I can safely say that the Roccat Vulcan II Mini mechanical gaming keyboard is just that.
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Roccat Vulcan II Mini is a 65% keyboard. It’s a compact wonder that saves some desk real estate by shaving off a third of a standard keyboard. Some of the space saved is by the omission of a Num Pad, the rest is clever design and a near-bezelless frame.
Eye-Catching
The first thing that hits you straight out of its packaging is just how good this looks for a keyboard. You are greeted by very sleek matte black keycaps that feel great and sit atop Roccat’s Titan II Optical Switches.
The Vulcan II Mini also uses the Red version of these switches, which is an important fact as it provides for a fast click with little to no sound. I am always surprised at how many gamers rate loudness of the key presses as an important factor when buying a keyboard.
Hair Trigger
The Titan II Optical Red Switches have a short actuation point of just 1.4mm and a travel distance of just 3.4mm. This arrangement was immediately noticeable and it did take a few moments to get used to.
And yet, it does result in feeling like you are actually faster at key presses as your fingertips skate across the keys.
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Roccat say that the key switches are compatible with “most” third-party cross-mount keycaps. Your favourite animé girl keys will have a new home, even if you’re still embarrassed for your mum to see them.
Light Show
Looking at the unit beyond the keys and it’s a solid tale of the tape, as the Vulcan II Mini measures 1.2 by 12.7 by 4.5 inches and weighs in at a prize fighting weight of just 542g (with cable) or 500g (without cable), making it a bit of a feather weight in the keyboard world, when compared to the likes of Asus’ and Razer’s offerings.
On the backside, you’ll find four rubber grips and a ridged pattern that gives the keyboard an almost industrial feel. There are also a set of adjustable feet which have two positions you can choose from, with each tucked neatly into the underside when not in use. As well as not one but two grip straps at the top and bottom which really do help to hold it in place if you’re not using the feet.
Powering the keyboard is a braided USB-C to USB-A cable (1.8m). The device doesn’t feature built-in wireless connectivity option.
Lightshow
Vulcan II Mini’s party trick is its RGB features and you’re not going to be disappointed. As it may be the best RGB I have ever seen on a keyboard, it uses the Tatin II optical switch which gives each key dual-LED.
That means you get a fluid flow of colours with little to no break up on gradients, which basically results in an extremely vibrant glow across the board. Plus you can customise some of the keys function lighting, though not the individual keys themselves.
But if you’re all about that RGB life, this is a huge feature that has nothing but real impact no matter how and to the point where you look at it.
Function to Go with Form
Though looking the part is only half the story when it comes to a keyboard, because no matter how good it looks it’s going to have to graft as well. Having tested it both at work and play, I can say the Vulcan II Mini is a solid worker especially for a compact keyboard.
Roccat Vulcan II Mini was fast and responsive when using it. While hunting those dubs in Warzone and Fortnite, retouching pictures in Photoshop, or trimming clips in Premiere Pro, it never missed a beat.
What You Paid For
If I was to mention a possible negative for some gamers, it’s the price. £129.99/€149.99 isn’t exactly cheap. Although, you certainly get what you paid for here with Vulcan II Mini.
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Is the Roccat Vulcan II Mini is worth the spend? I would have to say ‘yes’. It’s one of the better looking mini keyboards out there, with a surprising amount of features and options. And that’s before you get to the stunning RGB side of things. Roccat Vulcan II Mini is perfect for work and play, making it a real all-rounder.