Tt eSPORTS POSEIDON Z Illuminated Mechanical Keyboard Review

[section_title title=”Performance & Conclusion”]

Performance & Conclusion

Testing mechanical keyboards requires time as believe it or not, it can take time to get used to the different variables such as keycap type, size, positioning and of course, switch type. Being a regular user of Cherry MX Red and Brown switches in the office, adjusting to the switch type was child’s play and with the Poseidon Z Illuminated’s easy plug in and play nature, it posed no problems on the test bench; more specifically, the main Play3r HQ office rig.

Kaihl mechanical switches take flak from quite a lot of different keyboard warriors (good use of terminology, huh?) who can’t stand that a company has the nerve to make a copy, but sometimes you can’t better the best (Cherry MX). The thing for me though that makes the general difference in how mechanical switches feel is the keycaps; manufacturers cutting costs on switches are generally more likely to use cheaper feeling keycaps which in turn, makes the switches feel cheaper. In the case of the Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Z, I’m actually surprised as the keycaps used feel relatively good with a nice smooth matte finish across the keys; this in turn makes the keyboard feel a little bit more premium.

With all the standard features you associate with mechanical keyboards present such as NKRO (N-key rollover) which allows for multiple key presses without missing a key; sometimes a good thing for precision typing, but a bane if you have an elephants touch as mechanical keyboards tend to be more accurate in terms of key presses. As we have previously mentioned, this isn’t a new keyboard, in fact it’s around 2 years old meaning that it’s not exactly fresh.  That being said, it has only been available in the UK for 2 months, so that has to be taken into consideration here.  There is a huge emphasis on RGB backlit keyboards currently, but of course Tt eSPORTS have just released a Poseidon RGB to satisfy those wishing to partake in customising the backlighting effects of their keyboard; albeit at a higher cost.  It might have came around the same time as the launch of the Z Illuminated, but being given a choice is the bread and butter of catering to the masses instead of a one fits all approach.

Having used the Poseidon Z for around 2-3 weeks personally, I do believe for the current price tag of around £60ish depending on your chosen retailer, it’s actually a pretty decent keyboard, although there is a lot of competition in the budget mechanical market currently with brands like Element Gaming, Venom Gaming and other brands throwing similar options into the now overcrowded peripherals market. The one thing Thermaltake normally stand out on is design, but this keyboard is as plain as it gets for the company which likes to push the style boundaries of gamers and as for standing out from the crowd, it seems to just blend in; not a bad thing in all honesty, but not “amazing”.

I think the main question which hasn’t been answered yet is does the Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Z Illuminated mechanical keyboard offer good value for money? Yes and no. As mentioned, there are similar keyboards of a similar quality currently on the market and that’s the disadvantage of seeing a product over a year after its launch. Not to deter people from buying of course, but it’s nice to have options available and I do actually feel like the Poseidon Z is one of the better keyboards to come out of the Tt eSPORTS brand as flashy isn’t always required.

This keyboard has elements of premium quality keyboards infused with elements from budget boards making this a pretty solid middle of the range option for gamers, although like most mechanical keyboards of this type, they never come with wrist rests. Might seem like a finicky point to make, but carpal tunnel isn’t exactly a joke and it’s worth pointing these things out.

Overall the Poseidon Z Illuminated does enough to take home our Silver award today due to great choice in keycaps, coupled with a pretty reasonable price. It’s a good gaming keyboard with a lot going for it, but there are better options out there in terms of price and it will be interesting to see how many people would rather opt for the RGB version for around $20 more.

Huge thanks to Tt eSPORTS for sending the Poseidon Z Illuminated in for review.