ROG Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe Review — Simple yet reliable

ROG continues to expand its Strix line of mechanical keyboards. Early this year we saw the arrival of the Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe. An 80% keyboard with multiple connection options and ROG’s very own mechanical switches. Is this going to be your next buy? Let’s find out in our ROG Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe Review!

A sleek and discreet look

Gaming keyboards usually always look aggressive or over the top when it comes to design. However, the ROG Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe is anything but. It’s a sleek and discreet keyboard even by TKL standards. There are no aggressive curves or extra lines all over the chassis, the only indicator you have that it’s a gaming board is the ROG eye on the upper left-hand side.

Even with the included wrist rest, you’d still mistake it for just a standard black-colored keyboard with RGB lights. It’s not all that bad though, this just means that ROG might’ve placed their attention elsewhere on the keyboard rather than its looks. So, if you’re like me who doesn’t like an over-the-top designed keyboard, then you’ll also love how simple, sleek, and discreet the Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe is.

Still ROG under the hood with the RX switches

More and more ROG is looking to its own development team when it comes to mechanical keyboard switches. They already introduced us to the NX back in some of their other keyboards such as the Falchion NX, Claymore II, and Flare II Animate. Now, we’re getting something new with RX Switches. The ones in our review unit are the clicky and tactile Blue switches. Compared to the NX switches, these have a shorter actuation point at 1.5mm versus 2.3mm.

They still have the same tactile force at 65gf but you will notice the quicker response of the RX switches. Unless you truly nitpick though, there isn’t much of a difference between the RX Blues with other blues when it comes to feel. However, that faster response from the shorter actuation does help in certain circumstances. Such as in fast-paced games, where I found I had quicker reaction times compared to my daily driver the Keychron K1 (Low-profile Gateron Blues).

The keyboard has a Switch’s wobble-free design, featuring a hollow square stem with four corners to house your keycap. It sounds like a gimmick I know, but it surprisingly works and keeps my strokes stable. Then for those who love their RGB bling, the switches have all-around central RGB lighting. Meaning, it can light up keycaps with etchings on all sides.

The only downside here is that the board is not hot-swappable. So, there will be some extra effort needed if you want to replace those switches. In case they break or you want to try a different set out. Plus, we were not even given a keycap puller out of the box, yet another additional burden. Oh speaking of keycaps, we got PBT Doubleshot ones in here, so they feel great and last long.

Tri-mode Connectivity

ROG loves its Tri-mode connectivity when offering wireless devices. As such, we also have that in the ROG Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe. It can pair with up to three devices with Bluetooth, provide a smooth wireless experience with a 2.4GHz RF dongle, or ensure worry-free latency by going wired. To change modes all you have to do is flick a switch in the middle back portion of the keyboard.

As always, when going wireless the best option is still with the 2.4GHz RF connection, plus you can widen the connectivity range with the included dongle extender. The Bluetooth ain’t bad but if you’re sensitive then you’ll definitely notice the latency.

Armoury Crate support

When it comes to software customization, ROG’s Armoury Crate has you covered. You can edit each key to perform a different command should you wish to create your own macros or shortcuts. Then you also have a ton of lighting options available to you with Aura Sync support. There isn’t much customization here but at least you got the basics covered.

A battery that just won’t die

Now, this is where the Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe blew my mind, battery life. The keyboard lasted me 9 days before I even needed to plug it in. After a week it notified me it was low on battery but it held on for two more days before completely running out of juice.

This is with around 8 to 12 hours of continuous daily use with the RGB lights on. Meaning, if you turn off those lights you can get even more days out of the Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe. Charging takes a bit of time though as it went from 0 to 100 in about 4 hours when in use and about 2 and a half when not.

Verdict

The ROG Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe is without a doubt a good keyboard. It provides flexibility with its tri-mode connectivity, comfort out of the box with an included magnetic wrist rest, great-feeling and performing mechanical switches, and long-lasting battery life. Then for those who don’t like a keyboard that screams “gamer”, a sleek and discreet design.

However, all of those come with quite a heft price of Php 8,110 (~$141). As it stands, there are a lot of competitors out there with the same performance and feel for a lower price. The only real bullet the RX TKL Wireless Deluxe has is its insane battery life. So, if you are willing to dish out the dough for that then you’ll have a simple yet reliable wireless keyboard.

That’s it for our ROG Strix Scope RX TKL Wireless Deluxe Review!

Reasons to Get

• Long battery life
• Clicky and Speedy Mechanical Switches
• Out-of-the-box wrist rest
• Tri-mode connectivity

Reasons not to Get

• Quite expensive
• Not hot-swappable

Specifications