The Asus ROG Azoth has been my daily driver since it launched last year and it’s been a delight to return to after testing so many gaming keyboards in between. That’s why I watch its price activity like a hawk – this is a $250 device, but those numbers have been wriggling south for a few months now.
Walmart has just brought us the best deal yet. The red-switch Azoth is now available for $164.99 at the big box store, a full $85 down from its original MSRP. That’s particularly impressive considering Amazon has only just taken things down to $179.99 on the same model – and that was a sight to behold by itself. This deck has been stuck at between $180 and $200 since Prime Day, never budging until now.
The Azoth held onto that launch price for a long time. After all, it’s the best gaming keyboard I’ve tested so far, and Asus knows it’s a winner. That meant it was months before we even saw that price drip down to $200 last year, and since then it’s only ever dropped below that position a couple of times. That all changed this summer, though, when that steadier sales price started to emerge.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Azoth?
It’s rare that I keep going back to a gaming keyboard. Outside of using a different deck every few weeks for review purposes, I’m a big collector and there always seems to be something slightly newer, better, or more interesting out there to grab my attention. But every time I finish up a review, I keep pulling the Asus ROG Azoth back out. Personally, it’s the super light but still satisfying feel of its bouncy, energetic keys. Asus absolutely nailed it with its ROG NX switches, and it’s one of the slickest typing feels I’ve experienced so far. I never really have to worry about charging either, this thing has a monster battery life – around 2,000 hours with the OLED display and RGB lighting switched off (I normally average a good few weeks of constant use with both switched on). I’m also a sucker for hot-swappability. While I’ve generally stuck to Asus’s switches in this board, it’s easy to plug in a new set whenever I’m curious about a competitor. The Azoth has the look and feel of a custom keyboard with the speed and extra features of a gaming deck. It’s just behind the times in one area.
Hall effect switches are taking the keyboard world by storm at the moment. Just as hot-swappable gaming decks are coming up, so are these adjustable-actuation behemoths. They operate in a way that allows you to configure the exact amount of tension required for a keypress to register, and some can even be assigned multiple different inputs based on how far down the key is pressed. It’s a learning curve, and certainly not a silver bullet to glory. However, it does give you a finer control over your typing experience overall – even if you only use variable actuation on a few keys or games. Considering the jump to hall effect switches is a pricey one, it’s not a leap I would recommend to most players.
However, if you do play particularly competitive titles at a high level, you might miss these hall effect switches in the Azoth. Instead, there are a few keyboards I would recommend. The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is pretty expensive in its wireless edition, but a wired device will set you back $149.99 at Amazon right now. It features hall effect switches with a similar OLED display setup to the Azoth, but isn’t hot-swappable and doesn’t offer the luxurious typing feel of Asus. The Endgame Gear KB65HE is another option with a better typing feel than SteelSeries, and it’s actually my go-to for a 65% gaming keyboard. Still, you’re losing a lot of functionality in other areas, like wireless connection, dedicated media controls, hot-swappability, and that OLED screen. It’s currently $94.99 at Amazon.
Then we have the beast. The best hot-swappable keyboard on the market right now is the Glorious GMMK 3 and if you pick up the HE model you’re getting a fantastic typing feel, media controls, and those super adjustable switches. It’s an incredibly customizable deck, with Glorious’s Boardsmith configurator allowing you to personalize everything from gasket mounts to keycaps, though prices can rise significantly once you start totalling everything up.
I don’t think most players will feel the benefit of hall effect switches enough to warrant the sacrifice of other features or the price rise of a deck that does it all. The Asus ROG Azoth remains my go-to for everyday play, almost two years after its release, and is still my first recommendation for anyone looking to invest in a high-end deck.
We’re rounding up plenty more of the best wireless gaming keyboards on the market, as well as the best Razer keyboards if you’re going down a different brand route. If you’re looking to spend significantly less, I’d recommend checking out the best membrane gaming keyboards on the market instead.
