Review

HyperX Alloy Elite 2 keyboard review: Total CTRL

HyperX's latest keyboard ups the ante for gaming peripherals. Our review.

July 29, 2020 9:00 AM

With the resurgence in popularity of PC gaming and the constantly growing world of livestreaming, several companies are vying to be the go-to manufacturer for PC peripherals. HyperX is one of the most prominent names in this space. From computer mice to keyboards and headsets, this subsidiary of Kingston Technology is constantly working on new gadgets for PC gamers and streamers. Their latest keyboard, the Alloy Elite 2, looks to take a big leap forward from their previous offerings. I got to spend a couple of weeks using the new peripheral and was quite impressed with how it improves on the original Alloy Elite.

Bigger and better

Before I even plugged in my new keyboard, I was shocked at how much larger the Alloy Elite 2 is compared to the first Alloy Elite keyboard. Coming in at nearly 500g heavier than the Alloy Elite, the Alloy Elite 2 is certainly a bulkier peripheral. Those who prefer sleeker gadgets may be put off by this initially, but I found that the extra space was used perfectly.

The Alloy Elite 2 is also about 1.5 inches longer from top to bottom than its predecessor. This is because of the newly added media key bar at the top of the keyboard. Here, you’ll find buttons for brightness, RGB color, and game mode. On the other side of the bar are buttons to rewind, fast forward, play/pause, and mute media. There is also a scroll wheel for volume adjustment.

Quality of life changes

The decision to move these commands from being the alternate function on standard keys and giving them their own dedicated buttons is a change that I find incredibly convenient. Being able to just reach up and hit the pause button on my keyboard lets me immediately pause my music or YouTube, without having to use my mouse to navigate to the proper window and stop the media. If I’m typing in one window, while a video is playing in the background on my second monitor, I can just tap the pause button and the media will immediately stop.

The scroll wheel is also really convenient for quickly tuning the volume. It’s easily the simplest way to adjust volume on the fly without having to open or navigate any menus. I also appreciated being able to quickly toggle game mode on and off, so that I wouldn’t disrupt my games of Valorant when I fat fingered the Windows button.

Another design change in the Alloy Elite 2 is in the USB functionality. This new keyboard allows for USB pass-through. In addition to this, the USB cord that stems from the back of the keyboard is much bulkier than the cord in the first Alloy Elite and cannot be unplugged from the keyboard. Something to be aware of when it’s time to store or travel with the Alloy Elite 2.

Key improvements

As a writer, it’s important to me that a keyboard feels good to type on. I’m a fan of clicky typewriter-esque keyboards that annoy the people in my general vicinity. The keys on the Alloy Elite 2 feel less stiff than those on the original device. Keys don’t need to be pressed all the way down for their inputs to register, making this keyboard a bit quieter than the Alloy Elite 1. Though I am a fan of the clickity clackity keyboards, I found myself making less typos and missing inputs less when using the Alloy Elite 2. This is all thanks to the red mechanical switches beneath the keys.

Those that are fond of RGB lighting in their gaming products will appreciate HyperX’s latest keyboard. The keys on the Alloy Elite 2 are made with translucent pudding caps that allow the device to light up much brighter than its predecessor. Those that don’t care too much for the glitz and the glam can dim the RGB lighting, or turn it off altogether. There is also a newly added lightbar behind the last row of keys, which beautifully reflects against the media key bar.

Staying in CTRL

HyperX’s latest keyboard is a force to be reckoned with. With dedicated keys for media and audio control, the Alloy Elite 2 offers a convenience that is unmathced by any other keyboard I’ve used in the past. The mechanical switches make for improved accuracy, while the translucent pudding caps take the keyboard’s RGB effects to the next level. The Alloy Elite 2 is a big swing, and a big hit for HyperX.

This review is based on a physical product provided by the maufacturer. The HyperX Alloy Elite 2 can be purchased from the company's website for $129.99.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_

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