In recent years, compact keyboards have started to gain popularity among gamers. That’s ASUS decided to keep up with the trends and presented its first device in a compact format 65% – ASUS ROG Falchion… We recently received it for a test and today are ready to share our impressions. The cost of the keyboard in the official store ASUS is 15 490 rubles…
COMPLETE SET AND APPEARANCE
The keyboard comes in a colorful thin cardboard box, mostly black with red and black sides. The front shows the keyboard itself, the Republic of Gamers logo, the model name, and also lists features such as the proprietary AURA Sync backlight and the switches used in the design. On the reverse side, the manufacturer spoke in more detail about the characteristics of the new product, but only in English. Inside the outer packaging is another box, already made of a denser black cardboard with the ROG logo on the front side. ROG Falchion is packed in a black polyester bag and protected by formatted cardboard around it. The kit includes a protective polycarbonate case, a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable, a USB-C (F) to USB-A (F) adapter, a set of Republic of Gamers stickers, a warranty card and a quick guide.
ASUS ROG Falchion is an ultra-compact 65% wireless keyboard. The top panel is made of gray aluminum, and the bottom is covered with durable matte plastic, except for the ROG logo with a glossy texture. At the bottom there are four rubberized feet that firmly hold the keyboard and prevent it from sliding. In addition, there are two rubber-tipped folding feet that raise the back of the keyboard for ease of use.
The ROG Falchion measures 305 x 101 x 38.5 mm and weighs 526 grams without a protective case and 687 with it. Another 1 gram is the 2.4 GHz radio transmitter, which the manufacturer has placed on the rear edge of the keyboard in a special recess. In the same place to the left there is a switch for turning the ROG Falchion on and off. In the middle there is a connector for connecting the keyboard in wired mode and charging it. The cable is 1.9 meters long and has a nylon braid. The cable in combination with the adapter can be used as a USB extension cable to place the USB receiver closer to the keyboard and reduce the possibility of interference during signal processing.
KEYS, FEATURES, BACKLIGHT & SOFTWARE
A total of 68 keys on the keyboard with American ANSI layout. On the right side, there are full-size arrows, as well as the function keys Ins, Delete, Page Up, and Page Down. The keys are made in the “skeleton” style, that is, they are located above the body. All of them, with the exception of the gap, have a concave surface, and can also be easily removed if necessary. Keycaps are made of transparent glossy plastic 1 mm thick and painted black. The backlight diodes are located only on one side of the switches, which is why only the Latin letters on the keys and the area between the keycaps are well highlighted, and the Cyrillic and side designations have a muted glow tone. Combining the FN button with different keys allows you to use additional modes of operation. For example, blocking the start when combined with the Windows button or FN + INS (aka FN LOCK) to switch the numeric buttons to additional F1-F12 modes. In addition, you can configure macros from the keyboard and save up to five custom preset profiles without installing any software.
ROG Falchion keyboards come with four RGB Cherry MX switches: Red, Brown, Blue and Speed Silver. In our test unit, Cherry MX Red was installed in a transparent case. These are some of the most reliable and proven linear switches on the market. They have a linear response with no audible click. The MTBF here is 50 million clicks. Only 45 g of effort is enough to start pressing the button, and the mechanical structure in each button is triggered when pressed at a depth of 2 mm. The full key travel is 4 mm. In practice, clicks work quickly and clearly. All buttons are exactly squeezed, no matter where you press, with the exception of the space. In addition, the keyboard supports NKRO anti-hosting, thanks to which you can activate all buttons at the same time in any combination.
The main feature of ASUS ROG Falchion is the touch panel on the left edge of the case. It has convex notches in the form of + and – signs, as well as 7 dots, which are illuminated together with an LED strip on top, duplicating the current color of the side displays. Thanks to this system, by default, you can conveniently adjust the sound on your PC by sliding your finger on it from bottom to top and back.
However, using the proprietary Armory Crate app, you can configure various actions (macros in games, app shortcuts, multimedia functions, and more) when sliding in two directions or pressing the panel at the end, gray or at the beginning. The built-in backlight is able to signal the current charging of the keyboard and synchronize with the rest of the computer backlight.
An unusual accessory can be called a protective cover made of polycorbanate, which will allow you to cover the top of the keyboard and conveniently carry it with you, as well as protect the key from dust and damage during a long idle time.
When using ASUS ROG Falchion, it is enough to simply turn the case over and place it under the keyboard so that it does not take up space on the table, and the slots on the back and side do not block access to the touch panel and the manipulator interfaces. On the outside, the case has a nice brushed metal finish with an embossed logo and four rubber feet to fit under the keyboard. Inside the case has a rubber pad, which should not damage the plastic caps when covering the keys.
ASUS ROG Falchion received a built-in 4000 mAh battery. It allows the keyboard to operate wirelessly for up to 450 hours, provided the backlight is turned off. With backlighting at maximum brightness, the keyboard lasts about 50 hours. In addition, it goes into sleep mode by default after 3 minutes (it can be turned off and configured in the app) to save money and instantly exits it if you press any button.
Convenient customization of ASUS ROG Falchion, like other ROG or TUF devices, is available through the proprietary Armory Crate app. The application allows you to reassign all buttons and touchpad to the desired functions (Windows commands, mouse functions, launching applications, etc.) or recorded macros. In addition, the program allows you to conveniently adjust the brightness and glow effects of the built-in RGB-backlight, as well as to synchronize with other devices of the company that support AURA Sync. Through the app, you can update the firmware, monitor the battery level, turn on the power saving mode and the time for the keyboard to go to sleep.
TOTAL
ROG Falchion is a successful experiment in ASUS ‘attempt to create a very compact keyboard. The manufacturer has incorporated in this product not only reliable switches and a pleasant ergonomic design, but also interesting ideas, such as a touch panel and a protective cover, and most importantly, great autonomy, which is so lacking in many gaming devices. Not to mention the highly customizable software. The model should appeal to fans of compact keyboards. However, the price may turn out to be unusually high for many.
Author: Sergey Dyakonenko (Madnfs)
Read also: “For those who are not afraid to dream”: ASUS gives a gaming smartphone ROG Phone 5 with a discount of 5 thousand rubles…
