At first we would like to thank ROCCAT for offering us a sample of the Vulcan 100 Mechanical RGB Keyboard for testing and reviewing.

 

 

About ROCCAT:

 

“ROCCAT designs the best gaming products in the world. We combine detail-loving German innovation with a genuine passion for what we do. The result is a forward-looking product portfolio adaptable to the gaming trends of tomorrow. The industry-leading experiences we develop are born of a deep affinity with gaming community that we ourselves are very much a part of.

 

We achieve this by having an outstandingly talented team comprised of gamers, visionaries and industry experts. Working at ROCCAT is fun, challenging and fast-paced, with no two days ever the same. Our background in gaming reflects itself in how we work, with a strong emphasis on teamwork, communication and mutual trust. We’re all on the same mission. Are you in?”

 

Product Features:

 

New technologies

 

The Vulcan is the first keyboard to feature ROCCAT-developed Titan Switches. The switches, designed from the ground up, were built for gamers craving a key stroke that was swift and precise while still being tactile.

 

As well as a tactile and silent 1.8mm actuation point with a 3.6mm travel distance, the switches feature structural housing to reduce wobble while being pressed. They bring electrical contact bouncing to a minimum, allowing firmware to recognize input 20% faster. The key caps are also ultra-light – 50% lighter than standard – for that rapid response.

 

Built to last

 

An anodized aluminum plate reinforces the Vulcan’s structural integrity and protects against wear and tear.

 

The detachable palm rest and low profile keyboard design improve ergonomics, making it suitable for long periods of game time. Key caps are specially designed for easy maintenance. They match the spacing and surface area of traditional caps but feature a shortened height to make cleaning easy, complementing the Titan Switch’s dust-resistant housing perfectly.

 

AIMO Illumination

 

The Vulcan provides the best possible platform for the AIMO lighting engine.

 

Each switch features an individually configurable, long-life LED capable of displaying 16.8M colors in a variety of special effects. Transparent switch housing means the multicolor lighting shines impressively and is spread evenly from every key.

 

AIMO represents both a lighting engine and an eco-system at once. Its functionality grows based on the number of AIMO-enabled connected devices. It reacts organically based on your usage, presenting state-of-the-art illumination scenarios without the need for configuration.

 

Vulcan 100 AIMO

 

Per-key configurable AIMO illumination features in the mid-series Vulcan 100 AIMO, for brilliant and vivid lighting.

 

The integrated media wheel allows for quick and easy control over common video and audio settings, and an anodized aluminum top plate reinforces the keyboard and protects it from knocks.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

1.8mm actuation point (tactile, silent)

3.6mm switch travel distance

512kb integrated macro & settings memory

All keys remappable

ROCCAT® Easy-Shift[+]™ technology

32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 based processor

1.8m USB cable

1000Hz polling rate

ROCCAT® Swarm software suite

 

Vulcan 100 AIMO specific details

 

950g weight

RGB per-key illumination with 16.8m colors

462mm x 160mm x 32mm dimensions

 

The latest high-end keyboard offerings from ROCCAT take part of the Vulcan series and are three in total: Vulcan 120, Vulcan 100 and Vulcan 80. The Vulcan 120 and Vulcan 100 are basically the same keyboard, only that the 120 also comes with a magnetic wrist rest as a bundle, while the Vulcan 80 is also missing the RGB lighting, the media keys and the media wheel. Vulcan 80 does also feature a black aluminum chassis instead of a brushed silver one as on the 100 and 120 models.

 

The product is shipped inside a regular cardboard enclosure, with a photo of the keyboard in operation on the top cover, along with the ordered layout:

 

 

 

On the side, we will see the package contents listed, along with the system requirements:

 

 

 

The main product highlights are described in more details on the back:

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will get to see the keyboard secured inside. Seems that ROCCAT is using the same box as with the Vulcan 120, since there is also a compartment where the wrist rest should sit:

 

 

 

The documentation is secured in a separate re-sealable envelope:

 

 

 

We will find here a set of case stickers, the Quick Installation Guide but also a Disposal Information leaflet:

 

 

 

 

Vulcan 100 is really gorgeous with its anodized aluminum plate and the ROCCAT-developed Titan switches are mounted right on it, for easy maintenance:

 

 

 

The new switches are tactile and feature a 1.8mm actuation point with a 3.6mm travel distance; the structural housing was made in such a way in order to minimize wobble while being pressed, while the keycaps are low profile and 50% lighter than the standard. The transparent plastic housings allows the RGB lighting to shine through, in order to create an interesting effect:

 

 

 

Quite a bit of extra functions can be accessed from F-keys:

 

 

 

 

 

The Scroll Lock key does also double as a Game Mode on/off key:

 

 

 

The Volume knob also doubles up as a controller for the LED brightness, thanks to the buttons nearby:

 

 

 

The Insert/Home/PgUp/Del/End/PgDn keys are ideal for accessing different macros:

 

 

 

Easy-Shift[+] button is present on the Caps Lock key, that doubles the programmability of the keys:

 

 

 

The usual key arrangement is present on the left and right sides of the Spacebar:

 

 

 

 

For this particular model, ROCCAT has chosen to include the status LEDs under the numeric keypad:

 

 

 

The Vulcan 100 keyboard chassis is quite slim, with a total keyboard height of 32mm:

 

 

 

 

On the bottom, the keyboard is padded with rubber feet, so it will remain steady on the surface we will use it onto:

 

 

 

The kickstands do also feature rubber padding:

 

 

 

 

The middle keyboard sticker does show the product serial numbers:

 

 

 

As we have seen with many other high-end peripherals, the cable is braided for extra durability:

 

 

 

The USB connector does feature the product logo:

 

 

 

After connecting the keyboard to a spare USB port, we will see the RGB lighting in its entire splendor:

 

 

 

 

As we have seen with other manufacturers, ROCCAT has its own Swarm unified software, which recognizes all compatible peripherals; after installing it and updating to the latest version, we will have full control over the Vulcan 100 keyboard. The first menu tab does contain a “pinned” area, where we can add the options we do work with most frequently, for faster access:

 

 

 

In the General Features area, we can adjust the Sound Feedback option, adjust Character Repeat or Reset settings to default values:

 

 

 

The Key Assignment menu does allow the user to drag-and-drop pre-defined functions to the programmable keys or define new actions via macros:

 

 

 

We can set two functions for each key: one is the Game Mode function and the other is the Easy-Shift[+] option:

 

 

 

 

Different game presets come with Swarm:

 

 

 

The Key Illumination menu does allow the user to select from many defined presets:

 

 

 

AIMO Intelligent Lighting

 

Wave

Snake

Fully Lit

Heartbeat 2.0

Breathing 2.0

Fade FX

Ripple FX

 

Custom mode does allow setting different LED lighting effects for a specific key or zones:

 

 

 

 

For some effects, we have preset color themes available:

 

 

 

 

This keyboard also supports AIMO features, which can be customized from the respective tabs (and more!):

 

 

 

 

The Profile Manager does allow easy management:

 

 

 

Macros can be created in a separate menu window:

 

 

 

 

We have used the keyboard to write several documents and run a few games; the new Titan switches have a similar feel to MX Brown and thanks to the low profile design and the 1.8mm actuation point, the Vulcan 100 can keep up even during intensive gaming sessions. The keyboard is not as silent as we would have wanted (for that you’d better go with a Cherry MX Silent variant or LP Speed), but during LAN parties this aspect is not that important.

 

Thanks to the way the switches are mounted on the aluminum plate, maintenance can be easily performed for cleaning purposes and the transparent body of the Titan switches does allow plenty of light to shine through. Without a doubt, the keyboard looks great at night and we also have the ability to fine-tune the LED brightness so the effects won’t be tiring for our eyes.

 

Swarm software allows plenty of customization, from miscellaneous Windows settings to per-key programming (macros and LED lighting). Since it is unified, Swarm is able to recognize other AIMO-compatible devices as well, in order to obtain synchronized lighting across all peripherals.

 

Vulcan 100 is not very cheap online, we found that the prices are hovering around 140 Euros, depending on the chosen layout as well.

 

ROCCAT Vulcan 100 Mechanical RGB Keyboard is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to ROCCAT for making this review possible!