Roccat is quite well known in the peripheral world by offering quality and affordable hardware for most of its products. The company has also had enormous success in recent years with its "Vulcan" product, which has been available in several versions/colours. This time we will see the latest: the Vulcan II Mini. If you are a fan of minimalism or a small format keyboard, you will surely be satisfied.
Let's start with the unpacking of the product which is as minimalist as the product since the box only contains the keyboard as well as a braided USB type Usb-C cable which is detachable from the keyboard which has two advantages for me: for moving the keyboard and replacing it in the event of damage to said cable (twisting, etc.). It will be quite rare for the second point on this type of product, but it is always a point for me to emphasize. For keyboard purists, the latest from Roccat is equipped with in-house Titan II switches which are associated with flat Keycaps.
This mixture has been quite widespread lately among equipment manufacturers in order to leave a lot of space for the lighting to express itself at its best. On the Vulcan II, it works more than well with its dual LED technology making the colors / effect changes quite smooth and without a hitch. This design is also beneficial for the luminous rendering which is much more intense than on the majority of keyboards (classic Vulcan, HyperX Alloy, ...). One of the other advantages also remains that dismantling the keyboard is much simpler than on a keyboard with conventional keys. However, when there are advantages, there are also disadvantages! The keys being "open" there is nothing that reduces the noise of the keyboard keys. Attention, the noise is not important but it has matter to exist all the same.
We can also talk about the points that can make people cringe, but which are becoming more and more the norm among manufacturers. First of all, the structure of the keyboard and the keycaps are essentially made of plastic. Even though this plastic is of very good quality, one would expect other materials in this price range. I think this choice was made for two reasons all the same: the weight of a small keyboard and the feasibility/cost of having small keys. I would also have liked this keyboard to be wireless more than with a detachable cable. But I have no doubt that the brand will soon release a keyboard in this range combining small size and wireless connectivity.
For people not familiar with 65% or even 60% keyboards, these are simple and effective names to say that the keyboard will have missing features. It's quite simple in itself, the 60% keyboard only integrates the left part of a keyboard focusing only on the typing keys by removing the numeric keypad, the "system" keys and the directional keys. The 65% format like that of the Vulcan II Mini is a hybrid between the classic format and the 60% where the choice was to keep the directional keys. One of the big advantages to removing material as I said before is a significant weight loss which brings the keyboard to a weight of around 500 grams.
Now let's get to grips with the Vulcan II Mini. The switch to a 65% format keyboard is a bit risky at first on everything related to office automation where you have to remember each time to go through shortcuts instead of the numeric keypad which is non-existent. On some points, this keyboard is much better than a 60% where the shortcuts to select text are made using the SHIFT + Arrow shortcut where you have to add the FN key in this combo which increases the complexity in shortcuts in short simple (yes you can use the mouse to make the selection but it is sometimes much faster, especially on code). For having used it on pure coding, I appreciated the latter much more than a classic keyboard even if the absence of the numeric keypad can be felt and you quickly get used to its absence. As for its much more portable format, it conquered me (I move quite often from the office to work).
On the design side, we are left with the classic design of the Vulcan keyboard series but in a reduced format. As I said before, the elements linked to the keys really highlight the RGB thanks to the ventilation of the switches and the absence of additional protection on the keys. As far as noise is concerned, even if there is no plastic to reduce that of the switches, the latter are quite quiet compared to Cherry Red for example. The Titan II home switches are rather well built and with good keystroke feedback which allows you in gaming or in office automation to have a certain comfort.
With Plug & Play technology, this Roccat Vulcan II Mini keyboard is a gem for me who is looking for a minimalist setup and where office automation is not my main activity. It is possible to download the Roccat Swarm software which will allow you to control and customize this keyboard by adding additional shortcuts in addition to those that exist natively. I have currently used the latter for more than two weeks, whether at work or in game, without it bothering me more than that in my use. If you are looking for a small format keyboard with good technical specifications, I can only recommend it. It is available in most high-tech shops for a price between 120 and 150 Euros.
