These days, everyone that plays on PC knows that RGB mechanical keyboards are the bread and butter of a true gaming experience. HyperX has a few different kinds of these keyboards and most recently released this Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with their brand new Blue Switches. As a gamer, I have to say that I’m very impressed with the overall quality in the feel of the keyboard as well as the unique customization options offered through its Ngenuity software. There are some slight caveats but they didn’t seem to overshadow the greatness that the company was aiming for. I’ll say flat out that this is one of the most breath-taking keyboards I’ve ever had the pleasure to use. The software while having some issues, is still a program that offers unique features that I’ve personally never seen in other keyboards. It’s the personalization piece that really makes this keyboard feel like an extension of myself when I look at it.

What’s In The Box

Upon opening the box you’ll find a small handful of things with only two of them actually being what you opened it up for in the first place. HyperX does a superb job of making the unboxing portion very easy and streamlined. You get the keyboard itself with a detachable USB-C braided cable. I’m actually quite pleased with the length of the cable as it has enough slack without it being too much to manage. It’s also not too short to the point of having to run an extension cable from it to the PC tower either.

Besides those key items, you’ll get 3 pieces of literature to scan through real quick. One being the instructions, another a welcome letter from the company, and lastly a document explaining that if you have any issues to contact their support team. I appreciated not being over-encumbered by nonsense tossed in the box. It’s cool to see how much HyperX does to make you feel like part of their gaming family right from the get-go.

Aesthetics And Build Quality

The RGB in this keyboard is truly a sight to behold. Every color can be micromanaged in a variety of different ways and it really gives you a sense of control. At least in my experience, the software included with an RGB keyboard gives you a couple of presets that you can change slightly. With this, you get to change just about every aspect of how it performs whether it’s the wave effect that sweeps across the board or the explosive effect that flows through, changing it from one color to another upon keystrokes.

It’s really a bright keyboard and the way that they’ve designed the RGB lights and where they’re located is very well constructed. I’ve had RGB keyboards in the past that don’t even come close to how much color this thing exudes from it. RGB is certainly a want over a need but man do I feel like I need it when looking at this. Kudos to HyperX for making a want, a necessity. I couldn’t imagine using another keyboard after this one. It’s also a really slim designed keyboard. Nothing clunky or over the top. There’s even a nice little display to show your numbers lock, caps lock, and the “Game Mode” identifier.

This is one of the most sturdy gaming peripherals I’ve ever had a chance to use too. It’s got a great weight to it and I even tried giving it a good bend from side to side. As I had suspected, it didn’t bend or even creak for that matter. Color me impressed. I’m a sucker for great durability in my peripherals. I’m not a rager when it comes to gaming but it’s the longevity that I respect in tightly constructed gaming gear, and that’s what I feel when using this product. Too often do we get peripherals that just don’t feel like they match the price we pay for them. You don’t have to worry about that with this though.

My only real gripe with the keyboard comes from some of the keys. Although I’ve never experienced issues with them responding accordingly to my keystrokes, I did find some of the clickiness in a few keys lackluster. Not for the fact that they weren’t as loud but for the way they actually felt. I just think a closer eye in the quality assurance department would tighten this issue up and stop it from happening altogether. They overall don’t bother me too much but when you’re paying $110 for a keyboard, you’d expect it to feel flawless. The fact that this is a really clicky keyboard because of its Blue Switches made it easy to find the odd ones.

Gameplay

Gameplay was really comfortable during my time with the keyboard. I normally play games in the dark so the backlit keys are my guide and they didn’t let me down, not once. Luckily, the feet beneath it have 3 different height positions so if you’re ever feeling cramped you could try another one. The keys are also very comfortable themselves because they have a soft coating on them. It almost feels like some kind of rubber but I don’t think that’s what it actually is. Nevertheless, it’s a pro when I think about it because it did a great job of keeping my fingers on track due to its very slight tackiness.

HyperX has done a great job with its own signature blue switches. Overall, the keys are extremely responsive and reliable. They’re very pleasant on the ears and never were anything less than ASMR to me every time my fingers would dance across them. I love having the feedback of the keys verbally responding to me at every keystroke. It’s a symphony of pops and clicks really.

Like I mentioned before, there are some keys that feel lazy compared to the rest but they didn’t give off too much negativity when looking at my experience as a whole. I got lucky and the keys that I had issues with were just things like the “Windows Key” and “Page Down”. Nothing too significant. I did however experience my “H Key” had gotten stuck just once and slowly slide back up. I strangely never experienced that issue again though, with any key.

The Ngenuity software allows you to switch the keyboard’s colors and effects and set them into 3 different profiles. There are so many possibilities to play around with when it comes to color schemes and it’s kind of insane. This is the definitive software to make your keyboard unique to you and I applaud it. While I say that, I do have to also criticize it for some bugs included. The software is actually only in beta but can still cause issues that make you think the keyboard has died. After doing some troubleshooting and Google searching, I found that a simple reset function can help bring the keyboard back from what looks like death. Not horrible and although it isn’t the keyboard’s fault, it’s what’s needed to make it look pretty so it’s kind of important for it to work correctly.

Not only does Ngenuity help make your keyboard look nice, but it can also be used to doctor your keybindings to fit your preference. I’m not one to do this but I did play around with it to see what was what. It’s pretty intuitive and satisfactory overall. The coolest piece though is the “Game Mode” key which allows you to block the function of certain keys from getting in the way of your gaming binge. It also includes 100% anti-ghosting and N-key rollover functionalities to prevent any gaming mishaps.

What It Could Have Done Better

Besides the one issue with Ngenuity I never really had any other problems with it. There are some quirks but once you get used to the software it becomes easy to navigate. It again is just in beta so I assume that these issues will be completely ironed out in the near future. Fingers crossed! The one issue that I will take a point off for though is the observations I had with the weak keys. They didn’t hinder me from getting what I needed to get done but they hold back the keyboard from being completely perfect. It’s not an end-of-the-world scenario but is something negative that needs to be brought up. I’m sure if anyone has seen this issue themselves and got in touch with the support team that they’d have absolutely no problem getting their keyboard fixed or swapped out.

Verdict

What HyperX has done with its Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is nothing short of excellence. While I had a couple of keys that fell short of greatness from the rest of the keyboard, they didn’t bring down the party that this beautiful keyboard has brought to my desk. A cascade of dynamic light will surround your fingers as you search for ghosts, question a sus crewmate, or even write a review. It’s a versatile and sturdy product that you won’t have to worry about breaking down on you any time soon. It joins the HyperX collection of incredible superior gaming peripherals.