ASUS RoG STRIX Flare Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

Peter Donnell / 6 years ago

Final Thoughts

How Much Does it Cost?

The ASUS RoG STRIX Flare Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is available from most major retailers. We’ve found it available for just £159.99 in box Cherry MX Red and Brown variants. “EEEK!” I hear you cry at the price, yes it’s expensive, but it’s pretty darn competitive given the specifications, and did you see how darn sexy it looks? Worth every penny. Of course, if it was £59.99, that would be cool, if unrealistic.

Overview

The latest from ASUS set out to impress and honestly, I think it went above and beyond. At the absolute core of it, strip away all the bonus features, this is a durable mechanical keyboard that delivers the kind of flawless performance you would expect. However, the little details stack up quickly to make this a proper premium quality flagship product.

RGB

Sure, there’s absolutely nothing innovative about this feature, but it’s very well integrated into the Flare it’s worth mentioning. The lighting engine offers plenty of customisation options too. While I doubt most people want that silly rainbow effect, having the choice of setting one fixed colour, any colour, is awesome. Even creating per key effects for gaming layouts, it’s your call. Adding that funky light bar and the side lights are nice too, giving it a bit more of a unique look.

Build Quality

The choice of materials used is top notch too. Sure, there’s plastic, but it’s all finish to the high standard you would expect of a product pushing into a triple-digit price range. The addition of a thick and durable braided cable, strong rubber grips, Cherry MX switches, and more, all perfect. However, it’s the right side of the keyboard which has this brushed metal effect that really stands out. The way they matched that effect on the wrist rest just gives the keyboard some visual wow factor.

Should I Buy One

I’m not such a gaming snob that I think everyone needs a £160 keyboard because they don’t. However, if you’ve got a bit more cash in your pocket that’s burning a hole, and you want all the latest bells and whistles, the Flare is a solid investment. It’s built well enough to last many years of savage beatings from the most aggressive gamer. It packs all the macros, profiles, lighting, and multimedia controls you’ll ever need (and then some). Then again, I think the aesthetics alone are so good that they may be enough to justify the price tag.