Over the last 15 years, ROCCAT has garnered a reputation among the PC community as one of the best PC peripheral makers on the market. From their incredible lines of headsets, lighting-fast gaming mice, and stunning keyboards, ROCCAT certainly took the industry by storm, reigniting a passion for ingenuity and innovation in nearly every product they’ve released. However, despite being rooted in the PC community, there is one void that has been left unfulfilled since the company first launched. That void? A mini keyboard that comes in a form factor of 65% or less.
Thankfully, that day has finally arrived, as ROCCAT unveiled last month their first mini keyboard in the Vulcan line, the ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini. Boasting a form factor of 65% of a standard keyboard, the ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini dishes out an impressive array of features, all packed in a comfortably small, built package.
The Mini Keyboard to Rule Them All
Look, mini keyboards by no means are anything new. In fact, looking at the market, you’ll find that there is a broad range to select from, as with any other PC peripherals. However, picking the right one is no doubt the hardest part, especially since so many of them seem to share so many similarities. After all, there is only so much you can do with a keyboard, more true for keyboards designed in smaller factors.
So of course ROCCAT entering the fray may at first just seem like them wanting to jump on the success that these keyboards have brought. Sure, that’s probably true, they’re a company after all, but they’re also ROCCAT, meaning that they don’t take half-measures in their products. The Vulcan II Mini is, in my personal opinion, easily the best mini keyboard I’ve ever used.
Coming in at 65% the size of a standard keyboard (that’s 12.75 x 4.57 x 1.22 inch to be precise) the Vulcan II Mini sheds away the number pad, as well as empty keyboard space and non-commonly used keys in order to achieve its compact size. That’s 35% more space now on your desk, which means you have more moving space for your mouse or whatever you desire it for.
The build of the Vulcan II Mini is sturdy, with an anodized aluminum top plate for some added weight and durability. The keys are layered with a smooth matted coat, and the presses are effortless, with a nice sounding click for feedback.
The board is pretty low-profile, though, for those who want a little bit of height at a slight degree, you’ll be happy to know that there are some stands (shown in the picture above) on the bottom.
And at 500 grams (just a little over a pound), the Vulcan II Mini is a pretty lightweight keyboard, perfect for those looking for something small and light enough to travel with. There are some strips of rubber on the underside, so if you’re worried about it sliding everywhere on a surface, it won’t.
For connectivity, it has a USB-C port and comes with a detachable braided USB-C to USB-A wire, which is 1.8m or a little under 6ft in length. That should be plenty of length for most PC setups, though you can always use your own if you want it shorter or longer.
We’ll get into the other design features in a little bit, but out of the box, I’m pretty impressed with the overall build quality of the Vulcan II Mini. It looks and feels great. I’m not usually a fan of white keyboards due to how dirtier they can get, but that silver anodized aluminum plate was just too gorgeous to ignore. On the black variant, it’s still a beautiful piece of material to look at, but it’s darkened to fit with the rest of the color. In the end, that’s all personal preference, but the white variation would not be a bad choice in this case.
Now what makes the Vulcan II Mini such a standout is how much it wants you to know that just because it’s a mini keyboard does not mean it doesn’t come packed with full keyboard features. Being a 65% (versus 60%) board, ROCCAT was able to keep the arrow keys along with other keys on the Vulcan II Mini. Comparing it to its older brother, the Vulcan Pro, you can see how much smaller it is.
Yet despite the size difference, the Mini has every one of those keys available (minus the volume knob, mind you.)
In total, there are 30 smart keys, otherwise known as keys with secondary functions. Most of these functions are the ones you can come to expect like, volume control, brightness, F keys, etc. The size of the keyboard makes it really easy to access all these secondary functions, and while I didn’t use them much during my gaming session, I did find them extremely useful during productivity, such as writing or editing some videos in Premier.
However, with the Swarm software that you can download for free off the ROCCAT website, you’ll be able to do even crazier things as every key, including their secondary functions, are all customizable. You don’t get that with a lot of mini keyboards, and ROCCAT makes it so easy to do so.
But one big marketing highlight is that ROCCAT has achieved a world-first with the Vulcan II Mini, that being that all 30 multi-function keys are equipped with dual-LED. Sure that doesn’t seem like that big of a thing, but it’s actually really nice to be able to look down at a keyboard and instantly see which keys are multifunction. Pressing and holding down the FN key will brighten up any of these keys’ lower marked function, dimming when the button isn’t pressed. It’s a fantastic addition, and hopefully down the road ROCCAT decides to add a deeper level of customization utilizing the dual-LEDs.
Speaking of being customizable, this time around ROCCAT has assured that their newest keyboard can be fitted with most third-party cross-mounted keycaps.
Make It You
If there is one thing that almost everyone can agree on about ROCCAT, it’s that they offer the utmost level of customization for their products. Especially, the RGB lighting. The Vulcan II Mini is similar to past offerings from ROCCAT in terms of RGB lighting, meaning it is fully customizable via the Swarm software. You can select from presets offered by the software or get creative and customize full sets of keys together and even each individual.
Literally, whatever you want in terms of lighting and ROCCAT will have you covered.
What I do like most about the Vulcan II Mini, as mentioned prior, is that you can now easily fit a bulk of third-party keycaps.
That’s the new and improved Titan Switch, which is dubbed Titan II. As you can see, they now sport an open cross configuration, whereas before, they had more of an enclosure to them.
That means you should be able to use your favorite kind of keycaps. Maybe you want something with some layers so light doesn’t bleed out as much from the RGB? Or maybe you want them to shine more and have some transparent ones? Maybe you don’t want white and black keys, but instead different color ones? Well, that’s all possible!
The only thing is finding keycaps marked with three functions and the same ones as the Vulcan II Mini may be a bit hard. Here’s hoping ROCCAT starts offering their own sets eventually, as I do find their keycaps to have a great touch to them compared to many others.
Let’s not forget about the detachable USB-C cable. I know it doesn’t seem like a big thing, but being able to detach the keyboard without messing with your own cable management is a massive plus. Also, for anyone out there with your own custom cable, such as a coiled one, or whatever, you can use it as long as it’s a USB-C connection.
Great for Any Situation
So how does the ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini fair in its actual use? Well, I’ve typed pretty much all my reviews and news posts over the past few weeks with it, as well as use it for gaming on both my PC and even my PS5 and Xbox Series. I found it to be very adaptive in either case. It does exactly as I’d expect out of a mini keyboard, and the amount of space it saves gets used up by my mouse, which is pretty beneficial for obvious reasons.
As for the new and improved Titan 2 optical switch, it’s insanely responsive. I’ve spoken about this switch multiple times in past ROCCAT products, and I’m glad to see the company continue improving on it. It’s hard to say just how much it’s been improved over the original outside of the design, but nonetheless you’ll certainly love the responsiveness it has to offer. It’s fast, and any gamer out there knows that speed is everything, even if it’s just a tiny fraction.
I suppose that should be more of an indicator of how reliable the Titan 2 switches are at the very least. You know that when you press, it’s going to register. No worries that it’s a mechanical error. I can’t attest whether or not it can really last for 1 million clicks because I’m likely not to reach that number for any given key. Still, it’s nice being assured that longevity is something the company looks out for because there is nothing worse than having a new product break on you in less than a year. Luckily, I’ve yet to encounter any Titan switch-supported hardware from ROCCAT that has done just that.
Elsewhere, the board does come with 4MB of onboard storage, allowing you to save multiple profiles directly to the keyboard. These profiles can be anything, from certain RGB lighting, to even macros/key configurations. That makes switching between certain activities a breeze, like going from a first-person shooter, to say an MMO. Different genres of games often have you switching up your key binds, but the Vulcan II Mini makes that transition seamless.
If there is one very minor thing I would change, it would be the RGB on/off key being so close to the function button on the bottom of the board. Luckily you could just remap the key to another position and swap it out, which is why I said “very minor” but it is something you can easily bump into.
Verdict
The ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini Keyboard is essential for those looking to save some space on their desktop setups, or wanting something more portable over a standard keyboard while offering all the features a full keyboard has, plus some. It’s a pricey one ($149.99,) but if you’re here looking for a mini keyboard to begin with, you’ll probably notice it’s well within the range of other offerings. However, that’s where the comparisons stop, as ROCCAT loaded the Vulcan II Mini with all its signature features. Fully customizable RGB lighting system that works with all their other products, Titan II switches that provide you with that much-needed edge, and onboard memory for easy swapping between key setups, all packed in a compact design that is absolutely stunning in any environment it’s in. You just can’t go wrong with this one.
Pros:
- Beautiful compact design with a low profile. Kickstands are built right in should you want more height.
- Fully customizable RGB lighting, with dual-LED in multi-function keys.
- Detachable cable and Titan II switches adopting more standard cross connections make customization more personal.
- Onboard memory to save custom profiles – These can be RGB lighting setups, macros, and even your key configurations. Makes switching between different activities a breeze.
- Fast and responsive, perfect for any situation.
Cons
- It might be a tad too pricey for some at $149.99
ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini Keyboard was provided by the publisher for review purposes. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.
