By now you should know that Turtle Beach dropped the Roccat name and is sticking with – Turtle Beach. If you ever used a Roccat Keyboard or Mouse, you probably realize the incredible design and beautiful colors those accessories produce. I’ve been lucky enough to test a lot of Roccat products over the years, so I admit I’m a tad skeptical with the new products coming out. That being said, now that I’ve got my hands on the Vulkan II TKL Pro and Burst II Air, I can safely say things are heading in the right direction.
Vulkan II TKL Pro
Let’s start by talking about the latest tenkeyless keyboard from Turtle Beach, the Vulkan II TKL Pro. Also – let’s just get this out of the way – it’s better than the Roccat TKL. I tested both, and I’ll do my best to explain exactly why I prefer the Pro model so much more.
The Vulkan II TKL Pro comes with everything you need to get going. In the box is obviously the gorgeous looking keyboard itself. Roccat got me sold on the white keyboards with the Vulkan II Max, and I’m not sure I’ll ever go to a different color. Thus, I’m pretty stoked to see the same color option for this Turtle Beach option. Alongside the keyboard I dig out a 5.9ft USB A to C cable, QuickStart guide, and a nice little palm rest.
Once the keyboard is connected the magic begins. You really have to see these keyboards to believe how fantastically gorgeous they look. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it until it changes – Turtle Beach/Roccat make the most aesthetically pleasing keyboards around. If you’re going for style points the Vulkan II TKL Pro is a 10/10. Of course, alongside the updated Swarm II software, the keyboard is even more fun allowing for advanced customization, profile saving, and RGB Lighting optimization for the perfect look.
Again, the device is unquestionably (along with the Max) the prettiest TKL keyboard on the planet. Its performance is pretty freaking awesome too. Sure, it has “Hall-Effect Magnetic Switches” which basically make it last forever, but the coolest feature has to be the adjustable actuation. This keyboard allows me to adjust every single key’s actuation point individually. This is ultimately helpful for games where I use specific buttons more than others, and I need the keys to be a bit more or less responsive depending on actions. Honestly, I even love it for typing. I’d never go back to a non-mechanical keyboard for work or for leisure. There is that big of a difference, and the Vulkan II TKL Pro is great for both.
With a host of features, the Vulkan II TKL Pro is a blast, and it’s just the right size. Sure, I love my tenkey, but this tenkeyless is great and is just the right distance away from my mouse while slaying on Apex. I’ve been playing this stupid game for more than a year now, and I actually have gotten to the point where I’m a semi-useful teammate. Therefore, every advantage and every millisecond counts due to the highspeed action. There is no question I’ll be using this keyboard until Turtle Beach puts out something better.
Burst II Air
My favorite mouse I’ve ever had the pleasure of testing that I truly love is the Roccat Kone XP Air. The number of buttons and its ergonomic shape in addition to its style are unprecedented. I’ve tested the Burst Pro Air and did enjoy it quite a bit, but now that the Burst II Air is here, it’s hard to beat.
The first thing I notice when I receive the mouse is that it is a little less flashy than the Vulkan II TKL Pro. What it lacks in style it makes up for in speed due to how light it is. After all, it only weighs 47 grams making it a great addition to the ultralight mice on the market. Quick firing in desperate FPS games is as easy as ever thanks to the Titan Optical switches and the ability to set it to 26k DPI. Don’t let the weight fool you – this mouse is still very durable. Granted, I didn’t slam it anywhere (yet – no rage quitting happened while testing this mouse). However, it feels built to last for certain.
Looking at the Burst II Air next to some of its competition is always fun, and the mouse stands out in several areas. First and foremost, the Titan switches make its click life better than Logitech’s G Pro X Superlight and Razer’s well-known Viper V2 Pro. it’s also lighter than these models and many others out there. The sacrifice here is the battery life which should last about 40 hours (but 120 hours in BT mode) vs. some competitors that last up to 100 hours. Bah – just plug it in. You won’t feel the included Phantom Flex charging cable anyways. Speaking of which, the Burst II Air comes with a 2.4Ghz USB dongle, and a grip tape kit.
As usual, Swarm Software allows for immense customization options for remapping buttons and setting macros.
So, will I be trading in my Roccat Kone XP Air mouse for this newb mouse? Tough call. I really enjoy my button availability, but I have a tough time not love the speed and accuracy of the Burst II Air. Perhaps, I will dual wield mice. The Burst II Air sure makes for a great option in high-speed gaming, but the vast array of button options on the XP Air are amazing for games like Diablo 4 where reassigning to a host of options becomes quite useful. All in all, The Burst II Air is a great addition to any gamers fleet. If paired with the Vulkan II TKL Pro, you might just have a host of chicken dinners on your hands.
