I don’t know what goes into making a keyboard. I use one every day, but if you gave me the right ingredients to make a keyboard, I’d probably end up with some kind of burnt-grilled cheese. This is exactly why I can’t understand how the Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro is about the same size as the previous ROCCAT model but is better in every conceivable way. The Vulcan II TKL Pro has lost the ROCCAT name and has adopted the Turtle Beach branding, but one thing is for sure: the Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro feels light years ahead of the previous ROCCAT model.
Love at First Sight
The Vulcan II TKL Pro is a beast for gaming (it makes the ROCCAT brand proud), but it is also a dream keyboard for writers who have heavy fingers. Straight out of the package, the Vulcan II TKL Pro almost glows in its ghostly white colourway, and it hasn’t been plugged in yet. This time around, Turtle Beach includes a 5-foot, 9-inch USB-A to USB-C cable, the Vulcan II TKL Pro itself, a quick start guide, and a palm rest for a weary traveller.
I can’t get over how visually stunning the Vulcan II TKL Pro is. The face of the keyboard is littered with T-shaped ABS keycaps, which makes it easy to swap, mix, match, and customize your Vulcan II TKL Pro to the utmost potential. This makes the Vulcan II compatible with other popular companies like Drops and Kono, which are known for building quality customizable keycaps.
“The Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro feels light years ahead of the previous ROCCAT model.”
The Vulcan II TKL Pro keycaps included in the box are tailored to the shape of a human finger (that’s not to say a dog can’t use it, but they can’t), which feels better than every keyboard I’ve used so far, and it’s not close. Pressing into the groove of each keystroke is likened to trying on a three-piece freshly tailored suit, somehow each press feels like it was made for just me and I wasn’t measured.
From Keyboard to Swarm II
Aside from gushing over the grandiose presentation the Vulcan II TKL Pro offers, what’s under the hood is even more impressive. With the new Swarm II compatibility, Turtle Beach blows the door off the hinges with extra features that make this device a hell of a lot more than adding “Pro” at the end of the name (and including a palm rest).
First off, the keyboard allows the user to make up to five separate profiles after installing the Swarm II software and updating the keyboard as suggested. While this seems excessive, the rest of the functionality makes sense as to why so many are allowed. Turtle Beach also upped the presentation here, allowing devices with advanced AIMO RGB lighting to correlate through the Swarm II app, and all devices will dance with the same lighting at the same time. A neat feature that turns your tech into a 90s dance party.
Speaking of lighting, Swarm II allows users to customize settings such as hallway lighting effects that ripple through the keyboard when you press a key. But, where Swarm II turns this into an absolute monster is with customizable actuation points that operate as hair-trigger presses for EACH keystroke.
Silent but Deadly
You heard it right. The Vulcan II TKL Pro allows the user to adjust every single actuation point on the keyboard. I normally suffer from hitting the ‘M’ key on the way back from ‘P’, so by increasing the actuation of the ‘M’ key I was able to technologically solve my muscle defect. P now sits at 1.2 (out of 4.0 actuation), whereas M sits at 3.0. This isn’t the only feature Turtle Beach has up its sleeve; users can also key bind EVERY key for gaming, so if WASD is getting worn out, you can just move it over.
I was skeptical about how the actuation points would work in tandem with the Swarm II app, but I was blown away by how simple everything is. Turtle Beach also seemingly read my mind. When messing around with key binding, I went too far and forgot what every binding was. When this happened, I found it much easier to just swap profiles, and it resets the keyboard back to square one. This then allows you to adjust the settings for the other profile with normal key binds.
“The Vulcan II TKL Pro allows the user to adjust every single actuation point on the keyboard.”
As a bonus, these lighter actuation presses not only serve an agile gamer/writer, but someone with weak hands or a chronic illness (like arthritis or carpal tunnel) could even benefit from easier keystrokes, which can make this board a good candidate for elderly users. A day at the beach for everyone, indeed.
Macro ‘FN’ settings have also received a complete overhaul. Users can bind FN to another key that adjusts the macro settings to the keyboard. Changes like lighting effects, OS functionality, and even browser functions can be mapped to the user’s preference. With so many customization options, the Vulcan II is a changeling that can fit any scenario.
Gaming, But Better
Let’s face it: some gamers are controller players, and some are keyboard players, and I’ve always opted for controller. This keyboard may change the user’s mind. With the infinite key binding, the Vulcan II TKL Pro becomes a fighting/competitive gamer’s weapon of choice.
I was able to set two keys to one keystroke during a particularly brutal Chivalry II campaign, and throwing your secondary weapon is easier than ever before. I ducked a particularly aggressive swipe with a Highland Greatsword (I also mapped the space key to crouch) and was able to retreat and toss my belted mace as my assailant with a single button press. Play smarter, not harder. For the especially heinous ‘smarter-not-harder’ players, the Vulcan II TKL Pro can even allow the user to bind up to three button presses instead of two (although I haven’t found a reason for this). This is the most available on the market currently.
It’s also worth mentioning that plugging the Vulcan II TKL Pro into my Xbox Series X was seamless, and I was finally able to type to friends on my Xbox Elder Scrolls Online account without having to hunt individual letters with the +pad. With its lightweight frame, I’m able to scoop the Vulcan II off my desk and bring it to my consoles to plug and play. A taskmaster, but still, a keyboard.
The Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro is the best keyboard I’ve ever used. Besides all the advanced functionality, if a user just doesn’t want to use the secondary software with the keyboard, just don’t. Turtle Beach went back to the drawing board and made key presses much quieter, and even added a splash of colour to the board when a key is pressed. The keyboard’s switches come pre-lubed to provide the most seamless experience.
While the Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro is best equipped for those who are about to go into battle, even a writer can find incredible utility in this awesome board. The Vulcan II TKL Pro is an easy recommendation for people who use keyboards, no matter the cost.
