ASUS RoG STRIX Flare Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

A Closer Look and Performance

The keyboard comes hard-wired with a fairly thick braided cable. It’s got a good length to it though and comes with two gold-plated USB headers. You only need one for the keyboard though, as the other is for USB pass-through, which is relatively optional.

The design of the keyboard is absolutely fantastic. I mean, sure, it’s a normal keyboard in terms of key layout, but it has a few little nips and tucks that set it apart from the crowd.

Republic of Gamers

One of the obvious additions is branding, and there’s a nice RoG logo tucked down the side of the space bar. In fact, quite a few keys are hiding secondary functions by placing text on their bottom edge, but we’ll get to those in a moment.

The bezel on the keyboard is pretty slim, particularly at the front. There’s a larger amount of chassis towards the top of the keyboard though, but that’s to help accommodate the multimedia controls and shouldn’t hinder your desktop ergonomics in any meaningful way.

Multimedia Controls

In the top left, you’ll find a volume scroll wheel, which can also be clicked down to mute/unmute your master audio.

To the right of those, you’ll also find Windows Lock, LED brightness control, and dedicated multimedia controls. These are all awesome additions, and perfect for playing music while you’re working or gaming, without having to tab out or pause your game.

The Power of Fn-Shift

The keyboard does come with Armory software, which is awesome. However, if you prefer something more direct, most things can be adjusted directly on the keyboard. The repeat rate can be changed, as can many of the lighting effects with the Fn Shift function.

There’s a full-size number pad, obviously. I’m not sure if they’ll make a TKL version, but I’m happy to have the full-size one here today.

Presets and Macros

There are more hidden features here too, with six profile buttons allowing you to toggle through your keyboard pre-sets. You will have to configure these through the software, but once done, it’s all just a button tap away, so it’s worth putting the time in to configure. If you want a profile for your favourite games, editing software, and more, you can do it with ease.

Custom Lightbar?

Tucked into the top of the keyboard, this clear plastic insert with an ASUS eye on it. This lights up with the same RGB lighting. What’s neat, is you get a blank insert in the box, which you could etch yourself with your team logo, dank memes, or anything really.

Around the back of the keyboard, you’ll find a single USB port for pass-through. This can be used to connect your mouse, game controller, headset, a flash drive, even your mobile phone. It just saves you reaching behind your PC for a spare port, putting it within easy reach.

Grip For Your Life

On the underside, the keyboard features five durable rubber grips. You can really mash away at this thing and it won’t slide around thanks to the grips, and the general weight of it.

The kickstands are nice and durable too, and also have rubber grips while deployed.

Hey, remember that lightbar I said you can remove? Well, it’s pretty easy to do, just yoink it out the back!

But wait, there’s more!

This keyboard just keeps on bringing the tricks, and in the box, you’ll also find this chunky and durable wrist rest. It matches up with the gunmetal grey finish of the keyboard perfectly and looks pretty fantastic. In a market that is lousy with black keyboards, this grey design is a welcome break. Also, it’s the same grey they use on many of their high-end motherboards, certainly not a coincidence.

The wrist rest provides a much more comfortable hand position while working or gaming. Personally, I can’t use a keyboard without one these days, so I’m very happy to see one included. What’s super neat, is that there’s a change in the pattern on the keyboard, and that flows into the wrist rest design, giving it a brushed metal triangle area that really nails the aesthetics.

RGB to The Moon!

The lighting on this keyboard is up there with the best on the market. The colours are super vibrant and rich, with a silky smooth transition rate. I hate the RGB colour flow effect, as I don’t need my PC puking rainbows, but it’s a great demonstration of the lighting capabilities. What’s really neat is that that keys all light up, with a great underglow, as well as lightbars on the sides of the keyboard, and the RoG logo in the top right. Overall, you couldn’t ask for much more light and effects than it has to offer. Plus with their SDK, it can be programmed to work with game effects and more.

Cherry MX Does What Cherry MX Always Does

When it comes to performance, it’s exactly what I expected. Cherry MX switches deliver the same performance every single time, and this is no exception. What sets it apart, is that the keyboard is durable and well planted, so the keys feel snappy and responsive in their trust keyboard chassis. The keyboard has a nice feedback without being overly noisy, and for working and gaming, you’ll be looking for excuses to keep tapping away.

The powerful macro engine, and easily accessible gaming mode and other functions built into the keyboard are awesome. All the tools you need are right at your fingertips. However, I recommend you take some time with the optional software, and configure the finer details like macros, lighting profiles, shortcuts, etc, as you can really improve your gaming experience in the long run.

Overall, a truly faultless gaming keyboard, prime for any situation.