NZXT Function Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The NZXT Function 2 Mini TKL Optical Gaming Keyboard is available today with an MSRP of £139.99/$139.99, which is pretty reasonable given that The original Function that launched two years ago was £149.99/$149.99, albeit that recently dropped to £139 but has since sold out as it’s end of life. However, it’s even better value given the generational upgrades that are included, such as the more premium keycaps, the adjustable actuation, additional switches, increased polling rate and enhanced sound dampening.

Overview

The original NZXT Function keyboards were impressive when they landed two years ago, but the competition is stronger than ever these days, so it’s good to see NZXT up their game and make the Function 2 an even more competitive product to keep up with the times.

On the old model, the PBT keycaps were a £9.99 optional upgrade, but now they’re included as standard in the retail model and not just from the NZXT Bld customization website. The old model used 3rd party Gateron Red Mechanical Switches, but now they’re a specially designed NZXT Swift Optical Mechanical Switch which are even more premium, come pre-lubricated, are light and fast, and even come with a 2-point adjustable actuation (1mm or 1.5mm).

The switches are now hot-swappable and while no additional switches come with the old model, you get two extra switch types in the box. There are four 35g actuation and four 45g actuation switches for you to play with, perfect for applying to WASD. The default switches are rated at 40g actuation force. However, you could drop in your own aftermarket switches too, if you so desired.

Instead of one layer of sound-dampening foam, there are now two, as well as a tape-enhanced PCB which further reduces the hollowness of the keyboard and just makes it feel and sound more premium while typing.

The CAM software is required for the more extensive keyboard customisation and lighting profiles, but these settings can be saved directly to the keyboard too. CAM software is decent now too, I wasn’t a fan of it when it first launched, but it’s certainly a lot more stable and works effortlessly with a wide range of NZXT products, making it perfect for syncing RGB profiles between them.

Should I Buy One?

If you have a first-generation NZXT Function, you’ll likely be very happy with it, and there’s certainly some benefit to upgrading to the new model, the differences may each be small, but they just add up to a more premium feeling and functioning keyboard overall. While the design is a little more understated than most, I like that aesthetic, but the underlying features are on par with the best of the best flagship keyboards built for those who design an enthusiast typing experience or eSports-worthy gaming performance.