Roccat are a big brand in gaming (part of the Turtle Beach family no less!), so there are definitely some expectations around quality here. And let’s be honest, build quality on membrane keyboards can be wonky at best. Whilst not surprising, I’m pleased to see that the Roccat Magma is as well-built as they come.
Full disclosure, too. I was sent the Roccat Magma by a PR company. That doesn’t impact my personal views or critical thoughts on this keyboard.
After recently reviewing a membrane keyboard for my friends at Fullsync.co.uk and the HyperX Alloy Origins, I’m on a bit of a roll with keyboards. So it made sense to dive right in!
I’ve played Cyberpunk 2077 for about 10 hours, PUBG for about 5 and been writing emails/reviews with this board. Clocking in at around 25 hours of use for this review.
Build
Plastic chassis, plastic faceplate (frosted-clear plastic, that I love!) and plastic keys. All super-solid. The Roccat Magma isn’t your average “chuck it out as a gamer keyboard” deal, it’s well built and clearly designed to last.
I will say that the back-left leg seems a touch shorter than the right on the unit they sent me, so it has a tiny wobble. But that’s likely just this specific unit.
The Roccat Magma even comes with a clip-in wrist rest. That’s something you don’t often see that at this price point. I’d suggest it would be nicer as a smooth plastic, though. The ribbed texture is a little rough on the wrists. Still the fact that it comes with one at all is impressive!
What Roccat have delivered here in terms of build quality is, in my opinion a touch better than you would expect at the retail price of £49.99 (approx). The Magma is sturdy, solid and feels made to go the distance with your gaming marathons.
Of course, we don’t talk about switches here, because the keys press onto a rubber membrane underneath the funky frosted plastic. Similar to the keyboards you used to get at school or work, you don’t expect this to hold up against it’s mechanical counter parts. The difference with the Roccat Magma, though, is that somehow, they’ve made each button feel like it’s a unique switch.
The keys are responsive and the always-anticipated spongy presses on the membrane are minimal. It’s really weird, and honestly, very clever. Roccat seem to have delivered a responsive and functional gaming keyboard with the Magma. What’s more, it’s made me question the very nature of membrane keyboards as gaming peripherals. The Roccat Magma is no joke!
Don’t forget that being a membrane keyboard also means that key presses are very very quiet compared to mechanical counterparts. As a dad of a sleeping infant, that’s a massive plus!
Fifty quid might seem steep for a non-mechanical board, but it’s certainly built like it’s worth more.
Style
Can you call a peripheral a “gaming” peripheral if it doesn’t have colourful lights?! Well, yes, of course you can, but the Roccat Magma isn’t going to take that shiny joy away from you.
The lighting on this beauty, is inspired. Soft, almost frosted plastic between the keys and the internals (membrane and board). Diffused and softened in a way I’ve never actually seen in a keyboard before.
Backlighting the whole board with soft colours, powered by the “Aimo lighting engine” using 5 zones and 10 LEDs, it just glows in a truly stunning way. I love the lighting here.
The Roccat Magma is no slouch in the style department, I think that’s the most appropriate way to put it. The solid build, combined with the soft back-lighting gives you something that’s literally quite beautiful. I’m a big fan.
It looks great on your desk at night, and the rounded corners of the chassis, combined with the soft lighting give you your money’s worth in the style department.
Is it worth it?
Buying any hardware should be considered an investment, gaming peripherals especially, as the price tag can be quite off-putting when you look into it.
The Roccat Magma retails around the £50 mark, and when you think you could buy a membrane keyboard from Tesco for a tenner, you might baulk at the concept. The fact is, Roccat clearly know what they’re doing, though. On top of the fact that they build gaming peripherals as their core business, they’re also a part of Turtle Beach. There’s pedigree here, and it shows.
Built solidly, comfortable to use and looking lovely, the Roccat Magma is great. But it stands itself apart because the keys are so responsive, it genuinely makes you forget that it isn’t a mechanical or liner-switched keyboard. This is nothing short of amazing. Combined with the quiet key presses, you’re really getting something special.
When asked to look at the keyboard, I was initially disappointed that it wasn’t one from their mechanical range. But honestly, it took all of five minutes for that to fade away.
What a wonderful piece of kit from a company that clearly knows what they’re doing. I’ve used this for gaming and for writing/general use and noticed just how good it feels for every purpose. It’s a solid all-rounder, and the Roccat Magma is exceptional.
The highest rating possible from ninjarefinery.com
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