ASUS ROG Azoth review – Accio, keyboard!

It might sound like it was named after a sorcerer who can be found wandering around in Diablo IV, but the ASUS ROG Azoth keyboard isn’t a spell-slinger. It is magical though, as this mechanical keyboard that hails from the Republic of Gamers (ROG) hits the mark when it comes to being both a superb slice of productivity and a good-looking peripheral for gaming. It’s the best of both worlds, and while it’s not cheap (it’s expected to retail in the R6-7K bracket in South Africa), it’s simply a first-class experience that’ll make your fingers feel like they’re dancing in tactile heaven.

Out of the box, the keyboard really does a great job in reminding you that you shelled out for a premium product. The ROG Azoth feels like it could stop a hammer blow from mighty Thor. There’s a selection of key–with per-key RGB–resting on top of a solid slab of aluminum and a steel plate, which allows for a slightly less flashy design that hides the switch housings. As for the keycaps themselves, they’re good ol’ PBT plastic from thick castings. Even after three weeks with my grimy fingertips hammering away at them – while writing up stories of Destiny 2 patches, and the next Final Fantasy VII game launching on two discs (two discs!) – they remained surprisingly grease-free.

As mentioned, these are per-key RGB lit, the standard ASUS font looks elegantly sharp, and the backlit setup made this TKL-less wireless keyboard very useful during a few rounds of load-shedding. Beneath each keycap is an Azoth NX switch, with this particular model that I used for review having linear red switches. Also available with clickier brown and blue switches, the red switches on this review sample are incredibly smooth and sleek in action.

Thanks to a combo of foam, gasket mounts, and silicone, each press of the key is nearly silent and feels soft, but never squishy or hollow. That makes for a keyboard that sounds and feels great to work on, with a sound profile that doesn’t come off as overbearingly clicky. Of course, tastes may differ, and ASUS has wisely designed the ROG Azoth to be easily customizable with other keycap sets as you can hotswap them in and out.

And then you notice that little OLED screen in the top right corner.

Is it gimmicky? Actually, you’d be amazed at how useful this little display can be, as it can transmit useful system data, provide you with updates on how your hardware is performing. And it can be customized to show off important reminders, little animations, notifications, and more. I didn’t quite figure out how to get Doom running on it though. Next to the screen is a little dial that can be used for switching between functions, adjusting various settings, and cycling through keyboard effects. It’s not super precise, but it is functional enough to feel like a vital organ on the ROG Azoth.

So what’s the battery life like then? ASUS boldly claims that the ROG Azoth can run for thousands of hours off a full charge if the RGB and OLED display have been turned off, and in my own testing, I don’t think that the company is pulling a fast one. As someone who spends the majority of his day behind a computer, it was reassuring to see that I’d barely made a dent in the battery after a week with the fancy features switched off, while the more energy-intensive extras did slowly whittle down the battery. Realistically, you can probably go at least a week before you’re prompted to stick a USB-C cable into the keyboard and give it a fresh supply of go-go juice.

It’s worth mentioning that the Bluetooth connection was incredibly reliable. This is done with an included USB dongle, and when not in use, you can store it in the keyboard itself. Another option you can use is SpeedNova wireless on a 2.4Ghz frequency, which gave me no problems at all.

Like other ASUS products, the ROG Azoth pairs very nicely with the company’s Armory Crate app. This is where you’ll get the bulk of your digital customization, as you’re able to easily adjust the RGB lighting, set up profiles, and fine-tune the OLED screen to display a macro of Metal Gear Rising animations. Only me? Well alright then. There five profiles in total that you can quickly swap between for custom keymaps, and Armory Crate does a fine job in making that process easy to use.

I can’t say I ever felt the need to get that in-depth with customization–aside from my GIF shitposting on the OLED screen–but it’s always nice to have the option to easily put my own stamp on the hardware.

The question is, just how much are you willing to drop on a keyboard? There’s no getting around the fact that the ROG Azoth is a premium product with premium pricing, as all that durable gear, slick design, and amazingly functional extras command the prettiest of pennies. You also have to factor in that for TKL keyboard, it’s not the most portable device due to its sturdy heft, unless your back muscles are fortified with gamma radiation.

But it’s hard not to be impressed with the keyboard, as it feels like it was built to last, typing on it feels superb, and gaming feels even better. It’s the Ferrari of keyboards, and everything else feels like a Kia Picanto in comparison.