The TUF Gaming brand has been slowly growing in popularity. They are known for making durable products that are also reasonably priced, from PC components to their line of accessories. And rightly so, it’s not all considered budget, but most of the TUF Gaming products have features that give you the most bang for your buck. They have the basics that most people have come to love.
Today, we’re going to look at something new from that brand: the NEW ASUS TUF Gaming K1 Keyboard. A mecha-membrane keyboard with the same durable and reliable features, as well as a few key new features that might attract the gaming population as a whole. The front of the box for the ASUS TUF Gaming K1 has a picture of the keyboard, a big ASUS TUF Gaming logo, the name of the model (TUF Gaming K1), and a few of its most important features
1. Planning, Building, and Parts Overview
The ASUS TUF Gaming K1 looks and feels like plastic at first glance and touch, but not in a cheap, flimsy way. It is mostly made of hard plastic, and a special coating with a patent makes the keyboard resistant to sweat and scratches. Not only that, but it can hold up to 60ml without spilling. Basically, this means that it is safe from quick spills, like water from a cup.
2. Fonts and Keycaps
The ASUS TUF Gaming K1 has a standard ANSI layout, but since it’s a membrane keyboard, the keycaps can’t be changed easily. It is a full-size keyboard with a number pad, dedicated arrow keys, full navigation cluster keys, and the rest of the function row up top.
Like I said, this is a membrane keyboard, but the way the keycaps are made makes it feel like a mechanical keyboard. Some people refer to it as a “mecha-membrane” or “mechanical feel” keyboard because of this.
3. Switches/Keys
As for the switches, or membrane keys, the ASUS TUF Gaming K1 has rubber dome keys that have a bouncy feel because of how they are made, what they are made of, and how they are designed. When you press the rubber dome, it turns on the circuit board or circuit sheet underneath it. This means a lot of different things compared to a real mechanical switch, but in the end, it just means that the keys don’t feel the same and don’t light up individually. They also cost less and are usually found on cheap keyboards like this one. The keyboard is, however, resistant to spills because of how simple it is and how it is put together as a whole.
As I’ve already said, the ASUS TUF Gaming K1 doesn’t have individually lit keys for the RGB lighting. Instead, it uses RGB zones under the keys. This means that it’s not as bright as a bunch of individually lit keys, but it’s still bright enough for a dark room.
4. Learning to Type
As for how the membrane keys feel to type on, they have a good amount of resistance and a sudden bottoming out and springing back that you might expect from a rubber dome. Overall, it’s a pretty good experience to type, but sometimes it feels sticky or mushy. When you press the key slowly, it also feels a little squeaky. So, since we can’t change how a membrane sheet or a rubber dome is made, we can’t do much to improve the typing experience as a whole.
5. How to Play Games
As for how it works as a game, it gets the job done. I didn’t have any problems with it, except that the keys didn’t always roll over. According to the specs, it has a 19-key rollover, and for the most part, it does work. However, depending on the zone, I can’t always press more than 3 keys at once. I don’t think this is a big deal, unless you type quickly and play rhythm games or games where you have to press more than one key at the same time.
VERDICT
To sum up, the ASUS TUF Gaming K1 has all the important features built into a simple, durable design. The keys are pretty good and have all the features you’d expect from a membrane keyboard. What makes this keyboard different from the other “mecha-membrane” or “mechanical-feel” keyboards is that it has a good build quality and comes with easy-to-use software. It also has cool features like RGB side-glow lighting and a dedicated volume knob. Who is this keyboard for, if you ask me? First of all, this would be a great choice for people who like the TUF Gaming Brand and have built their gaming setup around the TUF lineup. Of course, this can also be bought by anyone who wants a simple keyboard that doesn’t cost too much.
