Software and Summary
No gaming keyboard would be complete without a supporting software suite, and Roccat's goes by the name of Swarm. We often state a preference for UWP Windows Store apps that favour streamlined installed and automatic updates, and installing Swarm reminds us why; the utility wouldn't install on our Windows 10 test platform without first downloading a required 2017 C++ Redistributable, and subsequent software updates are by no means seamless.
Still, Swarm is worth installing if you wish to customise key layout, record macros and create profiles that can be saved to onboard memory and activated automatically when launching user-defined apps. Remapping keys is easily done, Roccat includes a bunch of pre-recorded macros for numerous popular games, and if for some reason you miss the racket created by a mechanical keyboard, you can configure Horde Aimo to make a noise with each key press. SiFi Sound is particularly alarming.
Summary
Roccat's Horde Aimo 'membranical' gaming keyboard is far from perfect, however a couple of noteworthy features have made it an enjoyable peripheral to play with.
The membrane keys, while inferior to mechanical, are comfortable to use and reasonably quiet, a low-profile column of dedicated macro keys is well implemented, and the tuning wheel has genuine potential for both gameplay and productivity.
There's room for improvement - the RGB backlight is anaemic and pricing is a tad high for a membrane-based solution - yet while we can't see ourselves trading our mechanical keyboards anytime soon, we come away feeling as though more keyboards need to have a dial built-in as standard.
The Good |
The Bad |
|
Tuning wheel has potential Quieter than mechanical Half-height dedicated macro keys |
Plasticky construction Dim backlighting No USB passthrough |
HEXUS.where2buy*
The Roccat Horde Aimo gaming keyboard is available to purchase from Scan Computers.
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