Would you pay $799 for a wireless, mechanical gaming keyboard? That’s the price tag on the new Asus ROG Azoth Extreme. It’s a steep ask, but consider what Asus is offering: a 75% board with 8000Hz polling over 2.4GHz wireless connection, adjustable gasket mount, carbon fibre positioning plate, silicone wrist rest, pre-lubed switches, and a three-way control knob paired with a full-colour OLED touchscreen.
This board’s features certainly justify its “Extreme” moniker. It improves on practically everything that its predecessor the ROG Azoth which was my favourite keyboard from last year. Despite that, it’s missing some modern gaming features like magnetic switches or Rapid Trigger. So, the question remains—is it worth $800, or should you save your money? After using the Asus ROG Azoth Extreme for work and play over several weeks, I’ll be honest—this board is overkill for me and probably for most of you. It’s clearly designed for the most demanding consumers who crave not just performance, but a statement piece for their desk.
Design and Build Quality
The first thing you’ll notice about the Asus ROG Azoth Extreme is its uncompromising build quality. Crafted from an all-metal chassis, the keyboard exudes durability and heft that assures its premium nature. A bladed pattern across the top and bottom of the board evokes a Cyberpunk aesthetic—it only needs a neon paint scheme to truly pop. Asus employs a 12-step manufacturing process, including sandblasting, anodizing, and CNC machining, which is evident in both look and feel. This is one hefty board, weighing 2.2 kilos with the wrist rest included. You won’t be lugging this around in your backpack to school.
Internally, Asus opted for a three-layer dampening design: PORON dampening foam, a switch pad, and a silicone pad effectively minimize vibrations and pinging. The Azoth Extreme also features a carbon fiber positioning plate, offering metal-like rigidity for a crisp typing sensation while retaining enough elasticity to absorb shocks and further reduce vibrations. All this rests on an adjustable gasket mount, allowing users to switch between a hard or soft key feel with a flick of a switch underneath the board.
The silicone wrist rest is incredibly comfortable—so much so that I can’t use the board without the extra comfort and wrist protection it provides. It’s a shame it doesn’t have a magnetic attachment to keep it aligned with the keyboard, but given how rarely the Azoth will move, that’s not a significant issue. Once it’s on your desk, you’ll want it to stay put. This board won’t budge during intense gaming sessions.
Speaking of magnets, even the height-adjustable feet are polished metal cones that come in two sizes and attach to the back of the board. I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel posh using it. This isn’t just a keyboard; it’s a statement piece. You even get a laser-engraved nameplate, which you can customize with your name or preferred text, that magnetically attaches to the back of the keyboard.
Enhancing its futuristic appeal is a 1.47-inch full-color OLED touchscreen display, paired with a three-way knob. The OLED panel on the old Azoth was monocolour and non-touch. Positioned at the top right of the board, this screen showcases keyboard status, PC/Mac indicators, battery level, multimedia information, system details like CPU temperatures, and custom animations. The knob enables navigation through various functions and adjustments, though I anticipate most users will primarily employ it for volume and media control. However, I’m not impressed with this year’s knob implementation.
The knob is designed to be pushed up or down for adjustments, pressed down, and pressed in from the side. Unfortunately, the downward press is overly sensitive, frequently resulting in accidental inputs when attempting to adjust the volume. This occurs often enough that I found myself avoiding the toggle for routine tasks like volume adjustment—ironically, the very function you’d want to use it for most. It’s the sole weak point in the Azoth Extreme’s otherwise impeccable build, standing out like a sore thumb.
Key Switches and Typing Experience
The Azoth Extreme boasts Asus’s proprietary ROG RX Snow Optical switches—linear switches with a swift 1.8mm actuation. These switches are engineered for smoothness, stability, and speed, coming pre-lubed from the factory. Longer keys like the spacebar, enter, and shift keys employ ROG keyboard stabilizers with extra lubrication for improved acoustics and feel. The keys feature mid-height keycaps and shorter stems to minimize wobble. Each switch is topped with ROG PBT doubleshot keycaps, sporting a subtle texture to prevent finger slippage.
For those who enjoy fine-tuning their typing experience, the keyboard’s adjustable gasket mount system offers a customizable feel. You can toggle between a firmer or softer experience using a switch on the board’s underside. I’ll be honest—it’s a subtle change that I struggled to notice, but your mileage may vary. In essence, the Azoth Extreme is a joy for both typing and gaming. And if you’re not sold on the stock switches, they’re hot-swappable, so you can easily swap them out for your favorites.
It wouldn’t be a gaming keyboard without RGB lighting, and the Azoth Extreme doesn’t disappoint. The per-key illumination is stunning and fully customizable through the Armoury Crate software. The keycaps allow light to shine through, with enough space between keys for a refined glow. You can use the control knob to adjust lighting presets and brightness without diving into Armoury Crate—a nifty feature. If you have other ROG peripherals, you can use Aura Sync to harmonize all your RGB lighting.
When it comes to gaming, the ROG Azoth Extreme truly shines. The RX Optical switches are particularly sweet for fast-paced games that demand rapid key presses. With low actuation force and short travel distance, each keystroke registers almost instantly, giving gamers a competitive edge. The OLED display adds convenience, allowing gamers to tweak settings on the fly without pausing their game.
The board also boasts a robust set of macro keys and customizable profiles. Whether you’re playing an MMO that requires intricate key bindings or a strategy game that benefits from rapid macros, the Azoth Extreme has you covered. You’ll need to use Armoury Crate to manage these features, but you can save several custom profiles to the board’s internal memory.
It’s worth noting that the Azoth Extreme lacks some features that have become standard on high-end boards in 2024—namely Hall-effect switches, adjustable actuation, dual actuation, and Rapid Trigger. Adjustable actuation lets you change the actuation distance per key, while dual actuation allows you to assign two functions to the same key depending on how hard you press it. Rapid Trigger, perhaps the most controversial feature, enables simultaneous actuation of two keys for techniques like jiggle strafing.
These omissions are surprising, especially for a board that costs nearly double the price of competitors like the Wooting HE 60+, Razer Huntsman V3 Pro, and SteelSeries Apex Pro—all of which offer most, if not all, of these features.
Connectivity and battery life
When it comes to connectivity, the Azoth has everything you need—and then some. The primary connection mode is 2.4GHz wireless, now supporting 8K polling with the included booster. While this is overkill for most users (I couldn’t feel a difference in responsiveness), some gaming prodigies might appreciate it. To activate this boosted speed, simply plug the standard dongle into a larger, more intimidating one. Overall, the wireless connection is rock-solid. Despite having multiple wireless devices plugged into my PC, I never experienced any issues with the Azoth.
For multi-device users like myself, the Bluetooth connectivity for up to three additional devices is a godsend. In theory, you can simultaneously connect three Bluetooth devices, one 2.4GHz device, and one USB-wired device to the board. Extreme? Perhaps, but it’s possible. Switching between connections is smooth, albeit a tad slow—the board takes about 3-4 seconds to switch between Bluetooth devices. It’s slightly disappointing for such a high-end board, but that might be nitpicking.
You can also connect the board via USB cable if you’re old-school, but why would you want to, except for charging? Speaking of which, charging is a rare necessity. The board easily lasts 150 hours with RGB lighting enabled, and far longer with it off. I’ve gone weeks without needing to charge—I’m pretty sure I’m exceeding Asus’s battery life estimates with my usage patterns.
Verdict
The Asus ROG Azoth Extreme is more than just a gaming keyboard; it’s a testament to what’s possible when premium materials and innovative design converge. Its robust build, exceptional key switches, and abundance of features make it a standout choice for those who demand the best. While the $799 price tag is undeniably steep, a custom keyboard built to the same standards would likely cost thousands of dollars.
As a lover of beautiful tech, it’s difficult to find fault with the Azoth Extreme’s design and build quality. The fantastic typing and sound experience only enhance its appeal. Everything Asus has done inside this board truly pays off, and I absolutely love using it. However, I can’t overlook the control knob’s shortcomings. It’s too finicky in practice, leading to accidental inputs due to its design. It simply doesn’t match the robustness and tactility of the rest of the board.
Moreover, considering the board’s price, it’s disappointing to see the absence of mainstream features like Rapid Trigger and adjustable actuation—capabilities found on far less expensive keyboards. In a world where these boards didn’t exist, the Azoth Extreme would reign supreme for gamers. But it doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so this must be a consideration when purchasing. One might argue that professionals aren’t allowed to use such features in tournaments anyway, but is that truly a moot point?
Ultimately, it comes down to value proposition. The Azoth Extreme is undeniably one of the best-built boards on the market, but does it offer enough for the serious gamer? For me, the Azoth Extreme is far more keyboard than I’ll ever need, yet I still adore it. Would I recommend it? Absolutely—but only if the missing gaming features aren’t a priority for you and you can find it at a significant discount.
Asus ROG Australia kindly provided the Azoth Extreme to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
