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The Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand covers just about every facet of your gaming needs, from motherboards and laptops to high-performance keyboards—and for our money, its track record is pretty good. From the excellent and highly customizable Asus ROG Azoth to the comfortable low-profile ride of the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile, ROG has proven itself a dependable name in the keyboard realm. The ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless ($179.99) continues the tradition, providing a satisfyingly stable experience when both gaming and typing, thanks in part to its rock-solid build quality and hot-swappable design. It earns an Editors’ Choice award for high-end enthusiast keyboards and rates up there with the best from the likes of Corsair and Razer. Design: The Longer the Name, the Bigger the Board”Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless” is a mouthful of a name, but it’s fitting for a full-size board, albeit one that’s not quite as big as you might expect. Using what Asus calls a “96% layout,” the ROG Strix Scope II packs all the keys of a full-size board into a slightly smaller frame. It’s not a near-industry standard like much smaller 60% and 75% layouts now are, but we welcome a keyboard with compact-size aspirations but with all the keys of a full-size layout. You’ll still find a number pad and arrow keys where you’d expect them, with secondary functions relegated to other keys across the top two rows.
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The keyboard pairs a plastic chassis with a metal top plate, giving the board a sturdy build that remains steady whether you’re dealing with high-pressure firefights or crushing some late-night writing.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Measuring 5.8 by 14.8 by 1.5 inches (HWD), this gaming keyboard comes in your choice of black or white color schemes. As you’d expect from a gaming keyboard at this price, it offers per-key customizable RGB lighting to complete the aesthetic. But the RGB lighting is nothing to write home about. One of the Scope II’s few downsides, it’s actually pretty dim compared with other in-your-face light shows we’ve seen from full-size keyboards like the Roccat Vulcan II Max or even-smaller 60% boards like the Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless. That’s the case even with the RGB brightness turned all the way up. This won’t be an issue for some gamers—including many aspiring pros in the target market here—who prefer little to no RGB on their products. However, it might upset streamers or gamers looking to build an aesthetically pleasing battle station.
At 2.2 pounds, the Scope II is slightly heavier than the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, but this weight gives the keyboard a sturdy frame that hard-core gamers will appreciate.Turning the keyboard over, you’ll find two feet along a slight hump on the back that gives the keyboard some additional height. At the top, you’ll find a USB-C port and slot for the 2.4GHz wireless adapter that utilizes Asus SuperNova technology (more on that later). Also here is a switch that toggles the connection among 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, and wired connections. A magnetic wrist rest is also included, though it’s pretty stiff. My favorite wrist rests are the magnetic varieties that come with Razer’s BlackWidow keyboards, but to Asus’ credit, this rest is better than the barely-there wrist rests included with the Logitech Wave Keys or MX Keys S.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The keys and key switches are far more comfortable. The Scope II uses the Asus house brand of PBT double-shot keycaps, which utilize mid-height keycaps and shorter stems to reduce key wobble. The keyboard also employs a specially tuned, lubricated switch stabilizer that greatly reduces keystroke friction and offers smooth, stable keystrokes. This is a far cry from the chattering keys we observed while testing the Logitech Pro X 60. The Scope II comes with one of two key switch types: the NX Snow and NX Storm mechanical switches. Our review unit is equipped with the former, a linear switch. With a 1.8mm actuation point, the NX Snow has a weighty, satisfying click that Asus calls “thocky.” The NX Storm is a clicky switch with a similar actuation point and higher tactile force, all of which provide a crisp, clacky sound.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
In testing, every button press felt responsive, with nary a shaky or mis-pressed key. But even if you’re not a fan of the Strix’s keys, you can swap them out with the included keycap and key switch puller. The board is hot-swappable, which should be a bonus for keyboard tinkerers and those looking to invest in a single keyboard for a long while.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The top right corner of the keyboard is where both the multifunction button and control wheel live, and these two controls help the keyboard stand out among other gaming keyboards. I admit that I first disregarded the wheel as just a volume roller, which it is, but it also can be used in various other ways. Pressing the multifunction button cycles among four presets for the wheel, which control volume, media, RGB lighting, or a preset customizable in the Armoury Crate software utility. The option active is highlighted on a thin strip between the number pad and the Enter button. Software: A Crate of CustomizationArmoury Crate is where you’ll edit your keyboard’s RGB settings, macro recordings, shortcuts, and key assignments. The app itself is reminiscent of Razer Synapse, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Like Synapse, many options are on display, which can feel overwhelming. And all the advertisements and requests to sign up with your email also take away from the app’s ease of use. To me, the simpler the utility, the better, though gamers willing to get lost in the weeds of customization will appreciate how much is on offer (including some really cool wallpapers). I also noticed a few instances where the keyboard wasn’t detected right away when I launched the utility, which made the whole process that much more cumbersome.Armoury Crate will also keep you up to date with the latest news from Asus, sync your products’ lighting via the Aura Sync feature, and even offer you a way to access your game library from the app. With six profiles available, users can easily tweak their boards to match their favorite games. This doesn’t solve the RGB brightness issue (Asus might just need to upgrade its LEDs), but it does give the keyboard some character.
(Credit: Asus)
Casual gamers will have a lot to work with here, while those who love customization will find plenty to love from the options available in Armoury Crate and the flexibility that comes with a hot-swappable keyboard.But what about the esports crowd? Asus hasn’t forgotten it. As with HyperPolling for Razer boards and Lightspeed for Logitech ones, the ROG SuperNova wireless technology is a key strength of the Scope II, even if it’s not unique. It optimizes wireless data transfer to deliver less than a millisecond of latency. SuperNova offers impressive power efficiency, too, something that actually sets it apart from its competitors’ similar offerings. Asus promises a whopping 1,500 hours of battery life with RGB lighting off, a far-and-above better offer than some recent gaming keyboards we’ve reviewed, like the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless, which offers 266 hours without RGB. With RGB on, you’ll get about 90 hours of gameplay out of the Scope II.Verdict: One of the Best Premium Gaming BoardsAll of this comes in at $180, a steep asking price for any keyboard, but the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless makes a compelling case for itself. Our complaints—mainly the dim RGB lighting and stiff wrist rest—are minor when compared with everything else that this keyboard has to offer. It is pretty expensive, which does move it out of the realm of casual gamers on the hunt for a keyboard, but if you don’t mind burning $180, the Strix Scope II is worth the investment. Our favorite keyboard in this price range is still the Razer BlackWidow V4 75%, but the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is an excellent pick if you’re looking for a full-size keyboard engineered for serious play.
Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless
Pros
Compact frame for a full-size keyboard
Hot-swappable key switches
Excellent battery life
Asus key switches feel great
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The Bottom Line
The Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless takes a spot among today’s top-tier enthusiast gaming keyboards. It offers an excellent build, plenty of customization options, and a stellar typing feel.
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