Asus’ mechanical keyboard uses 312 mini LEDs to display animations | GeekComparison

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Asus

Asus announced an animated mechanical keyboard at CES this week, the Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate. It has many of the trendiest specs found in modern premium gaming keyboards, including an ultra-high polling rate. But it’s the programmable LEDs that really make it stand out — and no, I’m not talking RGB keys.

The ROG Strix Flare II Animate is a full-sized keyboard with media keys. The media keys on most keyboards are located on the right side, above the number pad. The Asus keyboard’s programmable metal volume roller and hotkeys are on the left. The space above the numpad is instead reserved for the keyboard’s so-called “AniMe Matrix LED display”.

There are many options for the pixelated display, such as showing this friendly ghost.
enlarge † There are many options for the pixelated display, such as showing this friendly ghost.

Asus

The AniMe Matrix is ​​composed of 312 mini LEDs that you can program via software to display your own images or animations. You can also set the mini-LEDs to respond to sounds from your game or provide indicators of battery life, keyboard brightness, or the keyboard’s current RGB lighting mode.

Asus' CES presentation showed the battery life of the connected laptop at 86 percent.
enlarge † Asus’ CES presentation showed the battery life of the connected laptop at 86 percent.

Asus

According to Asus, you can also set the display to show email notifications and the time and date.

The display is programmable with Asus' Armory Crate software.
enlarge † The display is programmable with Asus’ Armory Crate software.

Asus

Asus has been adding mini LEDs to unexpected products for a while now. It started at CES 2020, when Asus debuted the ROG Zephyrus G14, which featured a customizable mini LED matrix on the lid. Since then, Asus has brought the technology to other gaming laptops and, more recently, to the Asus ROG Delta S Animate gaming headset. However, the ROG Strix Flare II Animate is the most decked out peripheral, as it has more than three times as many mini-LEDs as the headset.

Asus showed the media settings of the display during the CES livestream.
enlarge † Asus showed the media settings of the display during the CES livestream.

Asus

Those aren’t the only LEDs in the keyboard, of course. The ROG Strix Flare II Animate from Asus has programmable RGB LEDs under each key. The foam wrist rest, which attaches to the keyboard via magnets, allows for the addition of a light diffuser on the bottom, reminiscent of the options found in some of Razer’s most expensive gaming keyboards.

ROG Strix Flare II Animate keyboard with the Delta S Animate headset.
enlarge † ROG Strix Flare II Animate keyboard with the Delta S Animate headset.

Asus

But while the Razer keyboard’s palm rests have their own dedicated lights, you’ll need to remove the diffuser from the bottom of the Asus keyboard and stick it to the palm rest to illuminate it. Razer makes having a light up palm rest easy; Asus makes it look like it’s a chore.

Aside from the lights, Asus’ clacker goes above and beyond, even for a gaming-focused product.

8,000 Hz polling rate and other luxuries

2021 was the year of the hertz, with more and more peripherals showing extreme polling rates. It looks like 2022 will continue the trend, as the ROG Strix Flare II Animate and its non-animated counterpart, the ROG Strix Flare II (also announced today), have a polling rate of 8,000 Hz.

Most keyboards have a polling rate of 1,000 Hz, which means they report to the connected PC up to 1,000 times per second. The ROG Strix Flare II keyboards report up to 8,000 times per second, resulting in a total input delay of 0.125 ms (1/8 ms) compared to 1 ms for a 1000 Hz keyboard. The new 8,000 Hz keyboards will join, for example, the 2021 Razer Huntsman V2 and Corsair’s K70 RGB TKL and K65 RGB Mini.

You can remove the light diffuser from the lip of the keyboard and attach it to the palm rest.
enlarge † You can remove the light diffuser from the lip of the keyboard and attach it to the palm rest.

Big numbers may look exciting, but chances are you haven’t noticed your keyboard getting stuck behind your fingers. Unless a keyboard is extremely subpar or has a poor wireless connection, most people would say that standard keyboards produce no discernible delay. When I tested the 8,000 Hz Huntsman V2, I couldn’t tell the difference between gaming at 8,000 Hz and 1,000 Hz. It takes a tech enthusiast, like a professional gamer, with a super-fast computer and monitor to take full advantage of an 8,000 Hz keyboard.

However, the ROG Strix Flare II Animate has more to offer. Keycaps use a premium PBT plastic and doubleshot legends that will not fade. The switches are Asus’ take on linear red, clicky blue, and tactile brown, but they’re also hot-swappable, so you can easily turn them off.

You can remove the switches from the keyboard without soldering.
enlarge † You can remove the switches from the keyboard without soldering.

Asus

Sound-damping foam should also bring a quieter keyboard with less pinging, so we’re keeping our ears open. Each key is also programmable, including macro recording, and you get a USB pass-through port.

Sound dampening foam on the bottom of the case.
enlarge † Sound dampening foam on the bottom of the case.

Asus

Price and release date

All this comes with an exorbitant price tag, even by mechanical gaming keyboard measures. The ROG Strix Flare II Animate will cost $220 when it launches later this month.

If that’s too expensive for you, the ROG Strix Flare II, which doesn’t have an animated matrix, hot-swappable switches or light diffuser for the palm rest, is a slightly lower $180. It’s also coming in late January.

This article has been updated to clarify 8,000 Hz keyboards.

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