TheAlienware Pro Gaming Wireless Keyboardis a 75% mechanical with outstanding build quality and fantastic functionality for typists and gamers alike. However, it comes at a high price tag of $199.99 and has lackluster software, but the good of this keyboard may more than justify the drawbacks.
Alienware Pro Gaming Wireless Keyboard
The Alienware Pro Gaming Wireless keyboard offers superb build quality, an incredible typing and gaming experience, and breathtaking RGB lighting. It is designed with gamers in mind, having been designed with input from professional eSports teams like Team Liquid. This keyboard provides numerous customization options, from hot-swappable switches to macro and lighting programming via the Alienware Command Center software, which is a bit buggy. Though this keyboard is pricey, it is arguably one of the best on the market for gamers.
The Build Is Sturdy, High-Quality, and Compact
As a 75% keyboard, Alienware took immense attention to detail to perfect the user experience with the hardware itself. Alienware advertises numerous features like two-layer sound dampening, adjustable silicone-padded footing for grip, and other design choices for long-lasting quality in its keycaps and switches.
Coming in black as well, the keyboard produces a nice, albeit loud, almost “thocky” sound that many keyboard enthusiasts may spend hours customizing to achieve.
This isn’t as deep of a “thock” as the most advanced keyboard enthusiast might achieve, but its clicky keys are nowhere near as high-pitched and grating as many other mechanical keyboards, though the clicks are still a bit louder than some mechanical options.
The rear interface of the keyboard is additionally well-designed. Connectivity is extremely simple and straightforward, the power switch is obvious, and there is even a slot for the 2.4 GHz USB dongle that is spring-loaded for easy placement and removal of said dongle within the keyboard.
My only personal complaint with the design of the keyboard is that it lacks a wrist rest for ergonomics, and the silicone feet are a bit too small—extending them only makes a tiny difference, and larger feet for a taller angle would have been preferred. That said, the keyboard does have an ergonomic angle built-in whether you extend the feet or not.
A Keyboard Built for Customization
The Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard offers a huge degree of customization, which is fantastic to see. It comes with high-quality red Alienware linear mechanical switches, but these are hot-swappable with any compatible switches. Alienware clearly indented for keyboard to be customized, with a tool for safely pulling keycaps and hot-swapping switches included in the box.
However, the built-in hardware is already nearly perfect for its intended audience of gamers. Unless you personally have a strong preference for a certain style of keycap or variety of switch, you’ll probably be more than happy with the built-in options. This is actually a bit ironic: the keyboard is customizable, yet it’s so good that you’re frankly incentivized not to customize it.
Wireless Connectivity and Setup
The Alienware Pro Gaming Wireless Keyboard offers 4 methods of wireless connectivity: one 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi dongle, and 3 Bluetooth connections. Switching between devices is quite easy, with only a tap of the connection button needed.
To connect the device via 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, simply plug in the dongle that has a convenient storage slot on the keyboard’s back side into a USB-C port. The keyboard additionally comes with two additional methods to connect this dongle: a USB-A to C adapter for direct plugging, and a USB-A to C cable with a separate double-female plug that contains a port for the dongle and a port for the cable.
This may seem excessive, but it’s actually quite a thoughtful series of design choices. For those who prefer to use the device as a wireless keyboard but still want easy access to a charging cable, you’re able to have the USB-A to C cable nearby with the dongle connected, then unplug the dongle for easy access to charging when desired. Similarly, the USB-A to C adapter allows for the dongle to be placed out of sight, such as in the rear ports of a desktop PC.
Last, if the keyboard is connected via a wired USB connection, all wireless connections are superseded. If you’re using the keyboard with a laptop wirelessly, then plug it in to your desktop to charge it, you can only use it with your desktop via the current wired connection.
Additionally, this keyboard does work on a Mac—I used a MacBook to test wired connections superseding wireless—but unless you customize your Windows button to match a Mac’sCommandkey, you’ll likely be a bit confused using this.
RGB Lighting and Battery Life Are Impressive
Just as impressive as the build quality, the Alienware Pro Gaming Wireless Keyboard has superb RGB lighting. The light is bright, and the device boasts 72 hours of battery life with lighting on. With RGB lighting off, the batter can last up to 798 hours over 2.4 GHz and up to 1800 hours over Bluetooth.
The RGB lighting has many options, and you can alternate between lighting presets with aPbutton on the top-right of the keyboard.
These presets can be programmed via the Alienware Command Center software.
Software Is Clunky but Useful
First, Alienware’s Command Center software is entirely optional to use and enjoy this keyboard. Its primary functions are for customizing key binds, lighting effects, and programmable macros. The software is intuitive and works as intended for the most part, and a version of the software was automatically installed on my computer when connecting the keyboard for the first time.
However, the software was prone to issues. Initially, I connected the keyboard via Bluetooth, and I found out that the keyboard was only customizable over 2.4 GHz or a wired connection. I switched to a 2.4 GHz connection, and while customization options were accessible, no changes were reflected in the keyboard.
Only when plugging the keyboard in via its USB-C was I able to customize it in the Command Center software. That said, customization did persist even switching back to wireless, so this is only a minor pain point.
Otherwise, the software’s features all worked, testing out various lighting and keybinding options. One nice feature is that theFNkey provides a failsafe on custom key binds: hold it down, and the original key function will work. Some customization features took a few tries to get setup properly, but once they worked once, they continued to work.
Overall, software is the weakest point in an otherwise fantastic keyboard, and software can be improved!
This Keyboard Owns Gaming
The Alienware Pro Gaming Wireless Keyboard literally has “gaming” in the name, and it more than delivered. Alienware advertises that this keyboard was designed in collaboration with eSports teams such as Team Liquid in making the most thoughtful design decisions for gamers, such as precise actuation force and a high-speed wireless polling rate. This care is extremely evident.
According to the product page on Alienware’s site, its switches are tuned to have specifically 40g of actuation force, as deemed by data from tournament-winning eSports teams. While I am not an eSports athlete and only a few steps above a casual gamer, this actuation force did feel substantially better than any other keyboard I’ve ever used.
The keys only need a light press, making quick inputs easy. However, they require just enough force that accidental inputs are nearly impossible: brushing against a key is unlikely to cause an unexpected input.
As for the gaming experience, I tested this in a couple of FPS titles, and after getting used to the adjustment in muscle memory, this keyboard did indeed provide the advertised high-quality experience, especially noting the fine-tuned actuation force.
It Offers a Satisfying Typing Experience
The majority of this review was typed using the keyboard, and it was highly satisfying to type with. As a 75% keyboard missing several buttons, such as the numpad present in a 100% keyboard, it finds many ways to overcome these barriers. Infrequently used keys likeHome,Pg Up, orEndare all accessible by holding theFnkey while pressing various keys on the right side of the keyboard.
For most people, this level of access is more than serviceable, but typists who frequently use these keys may be dissatisfied. That is a constraint of all 75% keyboards, rather than Alienware’s fault.
Otherwise, once again, the fine-tuned actuation force actually improves my typing accuracy significantly. I often tend to brush across keys when typing, and on other mechanical keyboards, I tend to make many small mistakes due to this. Whether it was the actuation force, placebo, or something else about the keyboard, my typing speeds certainly increased, and it provided a fantastic typing experience.
Should You Buy the Alienware Pro Gaming Wireless Keyboard?
Considering the $199.99 price tag, this keyboard is on the pricier side. As most of its features are designed with gamers in mind, most cannot justify the price, even with the fantastic typing experience and customization options. Far more affordable mechanical keyboards exist, and many other mechanical keyboards function perfectly fine for gamers.
Keyboard enthusiasts may also prefer another model. Many keyboard enthusiasts will likely elect to use their own custom switches and keycaps, as well as sound dampening. This means the built-in, ultra high-quality keycaps, switches, and sound dampening would end up going to waste, making the price harder to justify.
That all said, theAlienware Pro Gaming Wireless Keyboardis an absolutely amazing product. If you fall within the intersection of being a competitive gamer and keyboard enthusiast with disposable income, I can absolutely recommend this keyboard to you.
