News: Roccat’s First Gaming Keyboard – No Wires!
The Vulcan II Mini Air is Roccat’s first 65% wireless gaming keyboard for PC (via 2.4 GHz Stellar Wireless) and Bluetooth devices like smartphones and tablets. An integrated proximity sensor works to save even more battery life (rated for 30 hours with full RGB lights) when you step away.
It’s chock-full of all the gaming necessities including:
- Full NKRO
- Anti-ghosting
- Pre-lubed Titan II optical switches with dual LEDs
- Custom RGB lighting
- Easy-Shift[+] for secondary key functions while gaming
- Up to 5 custom profiles with 4MB onboard memory
- Battery life: 30 hrs with RGB lights on full (tested up to 750 hrs with no lights)
- 3rd party keycap compatible
- Customizable with SWARM software
It seems Roccat is going all in on wireless gear. While their wireless mice work flawlessly, they “only” have 6-30 mouseclick signals. Keyboards are way more complex with around 67 different keypress signals (for 65% keyboards) to account for. And for gaming purposes, each keypress requires a near instantaeous action. Plus, it has to have a battery. A tall order.
You can always fall back to wired use by plugging in the charge cable provided.
The Roccat Vulcan II Mini Air is available in black or white and launches July 19, 2023. You can pre-order this product on roccat.com and (link below) for MSRP $179.99 US.
Full press release below:
ROCCAT’S BEST-SELLING & AWARD-WINNING PC GAMING KEYBOARDS GO WIRELESS WITH THE VULCAN II MINI AIR
The Vulcan II Mini Air is ROCCAT’s First-Ever Wireless Gaming Keyboard & Packs Performance, Durability, & Functionality into a Mini 65% Form Factor
White Plains, NY – June 20, 2023 – ROCCAT, the award-winning PC peripherals brand from best-selling gaming headset and accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: HEAR), today announced it’s taken its top-rated keyboard series wireless with the new Vulcan II Mini Air. The Mini Air is the wireless version of the acclaimed Vulcan II Mini. It is ROCCAT’s first-ever wireless gaming keyboard, packing performance, durability, and functionality into a mini 65% form factor. The compact footprint allows for more desktop space, while factory pre-lubricated TITAN II Optical Switches deliver buttery smooth, light speed response rates. PC gamers can connect the Mini Air to their favorite devices using ROCCAT’s 2.4GHz Stellar Wireless or via three unique Bluetooth channels. Plus, the Mini Air is the first optical keyboard with built-in proximity sensors that detect when gamers step away from their desk, which works in conjunction with ROCCAT’s Swarm software to maximize battery life.
The Vulcan II Mini Air retains the series’ signature sleek, low-profile ID, premium aluminum top plate, and beautiful AIMO RGB lighting powered by ROCCAT’s Swarm software. It also includes key features like ROCCAT’s Easy-Shift[+]™ button duplicator technology, full NKRO (n-key rollover), and anti-ghosting technology to ensure every keystroke and combination of key presses register as intended. The Vulcan II Mini Air launches July 19, 2023, and is available for pre-order now at www.roccat.com and participating retailers in select territories. The Vulcan II Mini Air has a $179.99 MSRP (€179.99).
The wireless Vulcan II Mini Air joins its wired Vulcan II Mini and Vulcan II Max siblings, both of which have received high praise from fans and reviewers alike. Noted as one of the most beautiful gaming keyboards on the market, IGN added the Vulcan II Max to its best gaming keyboards list (Best Mechanical Gaming Keyboard), as did Tom’s Hardware (Best Looking Gaming Keyboard), PCMag (Best RGB Gaming Keyboard), and CGMagOnline (Best Keyboard 2023). RTINGS noted, “The ROCCAT Vulcan II [Max & Mini] keyboards are outstanding for gaming,” while TechRadar gave the Mini a 4.5/5 review score. Additionally, consumer reviews on Best Buy show a 5/5 rating, along with a 4.7/5 rating on Amazon.
“ROCCAT’s Vulcan II Mini Air takes everything PC gamers love about the wired version and adds wireless portability and groundbreaking proximity sensor technology to deliver battery life that puts this mini keyboard in a category of its own,” said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “With continuous use and full RGB lighting running, the Mini Air delivers over 30 hours of battery life. When the Mini Air is continuously used for five hours/day with RGB lighting disabled, thanks to its proximity sensor it has the potential to deliver a up to a whopping 750 hours until it needs to be recharged.”
With the Mini Air, PC gamers can enjoy wireless freedom using ROCCAT’s gaming grade 2.4GHz Stellar Wireless, or seamlessly swap between three unique Bluetooth devices. The Mini Air’s unique proximity sensors detect when players are AFK and automatically adjusts RGB lighting to maximize battery life. The Vulcan II Mini Air is outfitted with ROCCAT’s Red/Linear TITAN II Optical Switches which are perfect for competitive games that demand speed, precision, and rapid keystrokes. The switches are third-party keycap compatible, come factory pre-lubricated for ultra-smooth actuation, have transparent housings for brighter RGB lighting, and offer a durable 150 million keystroke lifespan. Plus, the Mini Air’s 29 multi-function Smart Keys feature dual LEDs that allow gamers to better visualize when secondary functions are active. The Smart Keys combine with ROCCAT’s EasyShift[+] technology for added functionality, allowing the Vulcan II Mini Air to retain the same functionality as its full-sized counterparts.
The Vulcan II Mini Air can save up to five profiles of custom RGB lighting, key reassignment and more directly to its 4MB onboard memory, providing convenient portability. The Vulcan II Mini Air’s anodized aluminum backplate ensures structural integrity and sets the stage for ROCCAT’s AIMO RGB lighting technology, which produces vibrant displays right out of the box and syncs with other AIMO-enabled products. The Vulcan II Mini Air has double the RGB lighting refresh rate of standard gaming keyboards, with smooth and vibrant effects that create a truly immersive desktop lighting experience. ROCCAT’s Vulcan II Mini Air comes in Ash Black or Arctic White.
For more information on the latest ROCCAT PC gaming products and accessories, visit ROCCAT.com and be sure to follow ROCCAT on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
About Turtle Beach Corporation
Turtle Beach Corporation (the “Company”) (www.turtlebeachcorp.com) is one of the world’s leading gaming accessory providers. The Company’s namesake Turtle Beach brand (www.turtlebeach.com) is known for designing best-selling gaming headsets, top-rated game controllers, and groundbreaking gaming simulation accessories. Innovation, first-to-market features, a broad range of products for all types of gamers, and top-rated customer support have made Turtle Beach a fan-favorite brand and the market leader in console gaming audio for over a decade. Turtle Beach’s ROCCAT brand (www.ROCCAT.com) combines detail-loving German innovation with a genuine passion for designing the best PC gaming products, including award-winning keyboards, mice, headsets, mousepads, and other PC accessories. Turtle Beach’s shares are traded on the Nasdaq Exchange under the symbol: HEAR.
