A Closer Look
Wow, where did the keyboard go? The chassis on the HyperX FPS is extremely slim with barely any bezel beyond what’s need to contain the switches. While this is normally a big problem for stability, the FPS uses a stainless steel chassis that’s pretty heavy, but also very strong, so the keyboard is unlikely to break and won’t flex while you’re mashing at the keys.
The solid steel frame may add strength, but it also looks pretty slick too with its jet black finish it’s a nice match up with the black key caps and gives it a smart and fairly minimalist aesthetic.
The key caps have a matte finish to them, with large fonts to allow plenty of LED lighting to shine through from the mechanical switches.
Speaking of lighting, you’ll find the arrow keys come with lighting controls, which can be accessed through the FN-shift button.
The same goes for the top row, where you’ll find a range of multimedia controls, as well as the gaming mode function while can all be trigger via the FN-shift button.
The biggest change for this keyboard, actually the only change, is that it now uses the linear Cherry MX Red switches. The keyboard launched with browns, but as many gamers will tell you, MX Red are one of the best when it comes to frantic gameplay and I’m sure the MOBA gamers out there will be happy to see this switch implemented.
While it doesn’t offer the RGB thrill of some keyboards, it does feature single colour LED lighting, which still looks great and is very nice for those who play in a darker room.
Need to charge your phone while gaming? Not a problem! You’ll find a port right on the back to do just that.
Finally, one the base of the keyboard, a few small rubber grips, which don’t look like much, but combined with the weight of the keyboard they do a great job of keeping it firmly planted on your desktop.
Performance
This is a gaming keyboard, it’s obviously a keyboard that can be used for anything day-to-day too, but its main focus is competitive gaming. With that in mind, I immediately fitted these stunning gaming key caps which are included in the box. The 1-4 keys have a smooth finish.
The WASD key caps have a nice steel flooring style texture to them, giving them a little more grip, but it’s mostly an aesthetic thing, and they do look pretty cool.
The slim chassis of the keyboard is great for keeping a tab on how much desktop space your keyboard takes up. It’s not much, but a few centimeters less wide that most keyboards adds up for those with limited space.
Dimming the lights and firing up the LED lighting, the FPS comes to life with a rich red glow from the key caps, with a little bit of an under glow in between.
The switch from brown to red key caps has really tightened up the performance on an already incredible keyboard, tuning it to be a real game changer for fast paced gaming. The lighter and linear actuation of the MX Red switches makes them perfect for CS:GO, Battlefield and any other FPS title really. The key spacing is pretty standard, and the keyboard sits nice and low anyway, so you don’t need a wrist rest to feel comfortable.
Overall, this is still the same FPS keyboard we know and love, but with more switch choice, finding the one that’s right for you is easier than ever. Personally, I’ll take the faster and lighter MX Red switches of this new model, but which would you prefer?
