While motherboards, graphics cards, and gaming laptops are the main products of the ROG family, ASUS also offers PC accessories such as gaming keyboards, mice, and headsets. We got to review the ASUS ROG Falchion wireless small form-factor mechanical gaming keyboard and here are our thoughts about the new device.
Design and Features
Compact-sized mechanical keyboards are quite popular among gamers, especially for those who want to carry one to multiplayer LAN parties, or simply for the fact they want more table space. While it’s small in size, ASUS mentions that the ROG Falchion offers a 65% keyboard layout, including the inclusion of navigational keys. Interestingly, the whole package resides in 60% of a full-sized keyboard
The dimensions of the keyboard are 305 X 101 X 38.5 mm and the weight is only 520g. To enhance the typing experience and ensure durability, the Falchion uses ROG PBT Doubleshot keycaps that feature a mid-height design and a shorter stern to reduce issues such as key wobble.
As you can see, the directional keys are located on the extreme bottom right side, next to the vertically placed DEL and Page Up/Down keys on the extreme right side. As compared to other small form-factor keyboards, the directional keys, DEL, and other useful keys don’t require you to use the Fn function key to activate it. The spacebar has the REPUBLIC OF GAMERS branding on its front side and the Esc key with the ROG logo.
It was easy to get used to the keyboard layout in a few minutes, even when changing from a full-sized keyboard to the Falchion and I had a good typing experience. The ROG Falchion that we got for review featured the Cherry MX RED RGB switches, designed to offer smooth and quiet keystrokes with a softer spring. Cherry MX RED switches are also known to offer linear responses without the clicky sounds as compared to Cherry MX BLUE switches. The actuation force needed is only 45g, along with the key travel distance of 2mm, and with 4mm travel when pressed to the bottom.
An interesting aspect of the keyboard is the inclusion of the interactive touch panel on the left side. While the main role of the touch panel is to adjust the volume, you can also assign to switch between apps or other operations such as copy and paste functionality. The touch panel can also be used as a macro key while gaming or in normal use. However, there were instances where I had accidentally touched the control panel while typing or simply when I was repositioning the keyboard on the table and this could be a problem while gaming or typing. Thankfully, there is a key that disables the panel when pressed with the Fn key.
There is also a light bar that indicates the status of the battery. Speaking of which, the Falchion is capable of operating up to 450 hours of use in wireless mode, but it can reduce when the RGB lighting is also used. The device uses a 2.4 GHz RF connection for near-zero latency and stability while gaming. And yes, the keyboard does work when plugged with a USB-C cable. There is also a dedicated switch to turn on or off the keyboard and a slot to place the wireless dongle.
ASUS has also provided a transparent polycarbonate keyboard cover that can be used to store your keyboard in style while you carry it to LAN parties. And when you are ready to game, the cover can also be placed under the keyboard, providing an extra layer of support and also offering a diffused view of the RGB Aura Sync lighting. You will be able to customize the RGB lighting on a per-key basis via the Armoury Crate application.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a good mini gaming keyboard that has most of the layout of a full-sized keyboard, then the ASUS ROG Falchion wireless gaming keyboard is a good choice to consider. The keyboard uses a 65% keyboard layout with directional keys in a 60% form-factor of a full-sized keyboard. The keyboard is lightweight and also comes with a transparent polycarbonate keyboard cover to protect it while you take the keyboard to LAN parties.
The Falchion features the Cherry MX RED key switches that offer a quiet and satisfying typing experience without the audible clicky sounds and the keyboard also uses the ROG PBT Doubleshot keycaps for better durability. The RGB Aura Sync lighting can be customized for each key separately. The keyboard can work on both wired mode with a USB-C connection and wireless mode with a 2.4 GHz RF connection, with near zero latency, and better stability while gaming. There is also an innovative touchpad that is used to control the volume and also can be assigned as a macro key.