Turtle Beach’s Vulcan II TKL Pro arrives at around AU$249, positioning it firmly in the premium gaming-keyboard bracket. At that price, expectations are high — not just for performance, but for design, comfort, and modern conveniences. And in many ways, Turtle Beach absolutely delivers. The keyboard looks stunning, feels refined, and brings high-end magnetic switches that genuinely elevate the day-to-day experience.
But in 2025, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that many competitors now bundle robust wireless options into the same price range. While the Vulcan II TKL Pro shines in almost every mechanical aspect, its wired-only setup raises a fair question: is a cable still acceptable on a flagship gaming keyboard?
Design & Build
The Vulcan II TKL Pro makes a strong first impression. Its slim aluminium top plate and floating keycap design give it an industrial, modern look that stands out on any desk. It keeps the Roccat DNA from which it descends. I’m glad when Turtlebeach bought the brand they kept the unique design alive.
The exposed switches aren’t just visual flair — they also make cleaning easier and give the lighting a unique glow that diffuses beautifully around the edges of each key. Despite being lightweight, the keyboard feels solid and reliably rigid. There’s no flexing when you press down firmly, which is impressive for such a minimalist chassis. The compact tenkeyless layout frees up mouse space and feels tailor-made for competitive gaming setups.
The only real drawback in the construction is the included wrist rest, which leans more budget than premium. It works, but it doesn’t match the build quality of the keyboard itself. The ABS keycaps also pick up fingerprints faster than you’d like, and their shine will develop over time. Still, the overall design is one of the Vulcan II TKL Pro’s standout strengths.
Features, Typing & Gaming Performance
Turtle Beach’s use of Hall-effect magnetic switches is where this board earns its “Pro” badge. These switches allow for finely adjustable actuation points — from feather-light touches at 0.1 mm all the way to a deep, deliberate 4mm press. That level of granular control is rare and immediately noticeable in fast-paced games. You can tune WASD for lightning-quick movement, give ability keys higher resistance to avoid accidental presses, or even enable analogue-style inputs in supported games.
The switches themselves feel exceptionally smooth, something reviewers across the board agree on. There’s no scratchiness, no wobble, and the movement is consistent across the entire layout. The typing experience, however, takes some getting used to. The floating key design creates slightly larger gaps than conventional boards, which can lead to the occasional mis-hit until you adjust. Once you do, the keys feel responsive, satisfying, and surprisingly quiet for a gaming-focused board.
In gaming scenarios, the Vulcan II TKL Pro thrives. Rapid Trigger technology allows keys to re-arm the instant you lift your finger, which reduces input delay and makes repeated movement inputs feel incredibly fluid. Whether you’re micro-adjusting in a shooter or strafing in an MMO, the responsiveness is a genuine competitive edge.
The only noticeable limitation comes from the board’s reliance on a USB-C cable. In an era where wireless latency is virtually indistinguishable from wired, being tethered feels old-fashioned. While some players will always prefer the reliability of a cable, others expect cable-free freedom at this price.
Software
Turtle Beach’s Swarm II software unlocks the full potential of the keyboard. It’s where you adjust actuation depth per key, create multi-stage inputs, customise lighting, or set profiles that save directly to the onboard memory. It’s powerful, and when everything works, it gives you a level of keyboard customisation that very few competitors can match.
The experience isn’t perfect, though. Several reviews mention that Swarm II can be unintuitive, with menus that feel scattered and occasional crashes during deeper configuration. Firmware updates can also be temperamental. None of the issues are deal-breakers, but the software feels a step behind the polished ecosystems offered by Razer, SteelSeries, and Corsair — especially for a board marketed at high-end users.
That said, if you’re willing to learn the layout and tolerate the occasional quirk, Swarm II transforms the keyboard from “very good” to “extremely capable.”
Verdict
The Vulcan II TKL Pro is one of the most visually striking and mechanically impressive keyboards Turtle Beach has ever released. Its aluminium construction is beautiful, the magnetic switches feel phenomenal, and the level of tuning available to players is genuinely next-level. For gaming performance alone, it competes confidently with — and in some areas surpasses — other premium TKL boards.
But the wired-only approach feels dated in 2025, especially when similarly priced keyboards offer excellent 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth options without compromising latency. If wireless matters to you, the Vulcan II TKL Pro may feel like it’s missing a key feature that should be standard at this price.
Still, if you’re someone who values precision, customisation depth, and a gorgeous desk aesthetic — and you don’t mind keeping things wired — this is easily one of the strongest compact gaming keyboards on the market. It’s fast, it’s smooth, it’s thoughtfully engineered, and it delivers a typing and gaming experience that stands out even in a crowded, competitive field.
Turtlebeach Australia provided the Vulkan II Pro TKL to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
