[section_title title=Features]
Features
The Venom Warrior is a mechanical keyboard, but not with the usual Cherry or Kaihl switches that you might expect to find. These custom keys have a mechanical shaft with ‘liquid silicon internals’ that are designed for endurance (58,000,000 keystrokes) as well as a smooth and comfortable feel.
The Warrior has four macro buttons which replay up to 20 unique key presses each and the record button records for up to 30 seconds – plenty of time for you to program those macros. Macros are stored on the keyboard itself rather than with supporting software and remain in memory while the keyboard is unplugged. Changing a macro is done simply by overwriting it with something else (even a new set of ‘nothing pressed’) or you can clear all four in one go and start again.
All 12 F-keys are used to give alternative functions including opening and running your media player of choice as well as starting up the calculator, email program and web browser. Curiously, one of the keys disables the keyboard. I can’t imagine there’s much call for it to be used beyond playing a trick on an unsuspecting user or if your cat frequents your desk when you nip away for a ‘bio break’ or to get a snack.
Additional function key usage comes from the lock icon on the windows keys which turns off that key, stopping accidental alt-tabbing to the start menu while you’re bashing all the buttons on a boss fight. There is also a feature key combo for turning the WASD keys into cursor keys and vice versa, in case any game only has up, down, left, right key support. Clearing the macros that I mentioned earlier is another function key combo, as is increasing the ‘keystroke transmission rate’ though you need to read the manual to know about these two since they’re not printed on the REC and Q keys respectively.
The keyboard backlighting is reasonably well handled, with respectable brightness levels through each of the three available colours. Whether you choose red, blue or purple, you can increase or decrease the lighting with another set of function button combos or change it to pulse brighter and then off again whilst changing through each of the colours if that’s your desire.
If one volume control, via the function keys, wasn’t enough for you there’s another on the Venom Warrior. The wheel in the top corner rocks to the right and left to adjust the volume of your computer.
The cable is nicely braided, following the same black and red theme, and ends in a gold-plated USB connector.
Included with the Venom Warrior is a wrist rest which has a rubber top plate for added comfort.
A substantial amount of metal covers this keyboard which adds rigidity and a touch of style as well as a whole lot of sheer weight. Apt that Venom named this keyboard ‘Warrior’ as you could probably use it as a physical weapon and then go back to playing games – not that we recommend that certain laws might come into play and you could end up in a whole lot of trouble.
Underneath the Venom Warrior, we have two large rubber pads to stop the keyboard sliding about on the desk, as well as two flip-out feet to adjust the angle to better suite your typing needs. What appears at first glance to be drainage holes are actually blocked off by the metal fascia.
So, now you know about as much as I do about the Venom Warrior, but what’s it like to use? Onwards to the testing section…
