Roccat’s Magma ($59.99, though available online for as much as $15 less) stands out from the crowd of entry-level gaming keyboards the moment it’s unboxed. At first, its milky-white key deck seems out of place, but as soon as the Magma is plugged in, Roccat’s intentions are clear. Forget RGB lighting that merely shines out through the legends or letters printed on each keycap. Don’t think about puny light strips placed along the edges of a keyboard. Instead, let the spectrum of colors illuminating the entirety of the Magma’s faceplate wash over you, to distract you from the unfortunate compromises Roccat made with the device to hit the price point.
Membrane Drain
Roccat equipped the Magma with “advanced membrane keys” that are supposed to offer the responsiveness PC gamers expect without the loud clicks and clacks of mechanical switches. This isn’t uncommon for low-cost keyboards, but as mechanical models become increasingly affordable, price should no longer be the primary reason someone opts for a membrane keyboard over one of its springy competitors.
The rubber membrane lies beneath a full 104-key layout with a dedicated function row, number pad, and so forth. Seven of the function keys double as media controls (three for volume, four for playback), and the nearby Scroll Lock key is also used to toggle the Magma’s built-in Game Mode, which disables the Windows key to prevent it from being triggered by accident. The Caps Lock key also doubles as the trigger for Roccat Easy-Shift[+], a clumsily punctuated feature that lets you assign secondary functions to keys surrounding the crucial WASD cluster.
This is a tried-and-true layout that prioritizes functionality over desk space. Unfortunately, it’s easy to accidentally enable Game Mode or Easy-Shift[+] and suddenly find yourself performing unexpected actions. I spent over a minute frantically trying to escape one game’s chat box, only to find myself repeatedly toggling between full-screen and windowed mode before I stumbled upon the sequence that finally let me focus on actually playing the game at hand.
That problem can easily be attributed to a lack of familiarity with Roccat’s software. Alas, the Magma suffers from a bigger problem: It’s just not that pleasant to use. Many of the keys feel mushy when pressed, but paradoxically, others feel too stiff. This is most noticeable with the Shift key, which often seemed to get stuck halfway through a keypress. Typing isn’t truly silent, either, although it’s quieter than with most mechanical keyboards. True silence might be worth a subpar typing experience; slightly muffled clicks aren’t.
On the plus side, Roccat has made some effort to improve the Magma’s ergonomics. The keyboard ships with a palm rest that I found pretty comfortable to use (though nearly impossible to keep clean, because its textured rubber holds onto detritus like its life depended on it). There are two extendable feet on the bottom of the keyboard, too, which can be used to change the tilt or typing angle. These features aren’t compelling enough to make the Magma a must-buy on their own, but it’s nice to see an entry-level keyboard give some consideration to user comfort.
Compromises Abound
Unfortunately, the rubber membrane isn’t the Magma’s only limiting factor. Roccat also opted for 26-key rather than n-key rollover, which most gamers won’t notice but still counts as a negative compared with other keyboards. Nor is there per-key backlighting; instead, the keyboard is divided into five light zones that each feature 10 lights capable of producing 16.8 million colors. The USB cable is thick, easily kinked rubber, too, instead of a higher-end material.
These compromises extend to the bundled software. Roccat Swarm is basically fine—it lets you assign different functions to keys, control the Magma’s backlighting, and save up to five profiles for in-game use. The installer looks like it was ripped straight out of Windows Millennium Edition, however, and it’s clear that Roccat hasn’t optimized the app for use on 4K resolution displays, judging by the often-blocky text and highly pixelated keyboard images in the software.
None of these problems should be a deal-breaker. The difference between 26-key and n-key rollover will be indistinguishable to most players; the five lighting zones seem all right thanks to the translucent faceplate; and Roccat Swarm isn’t the worst peripheral software I’ve used. Nor is it all that surprising to find a relatively low-quality cable on an entry-level keyboard; many companies reserve premium connectors for their higher-end products.
But all of these compromises do make it clear that the Magma is strictly an entry-level pick. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with that—it’s better to have options for every budget than to sell only high-end products—but it keeps the Magma from punching above its weight class and obliges you to keep your expectations modest.
This Keyboard Isn’t Lava
If this seems like an ASCII shrug of a review, well, the Roccat Magma is an ASCII shrug of a keyboard. There isn’t any flaw that warrants skipping over the product entirely, although mechanical-keyboard enthusiasts might disagree simply because it relies on a rubber membrane, but there isn’t anything that allows the keyboard to stand out apart from the lighting.
If you’re looking for a full-size, relatively quiet gaming keyboard that emphasizes RGB lighting at a bargain price, the Magma is worth a look. You’ll be making a number of compromises, but at least you won’t be spending a fortune in the process. If you’re not willing to sacrifice, you’ll find plenty of other gaming keyboards on the market, though most come at higher prices.
