Test Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile: An incredible keyboard at an affordable price

The Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is a mechanical gamer keyboard from Asus ROG, touted as one of the best in the world. Its 65% TKL format is very interesting for fans of compact keyboards. What’s more, it’s available in white, which is still quite rare where most keyboards are black. So, what is this RGB mechanical keyboard worth? Let’s find out in this test of the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile.

ROG Falchion RX Low Profile design

The design of this little 65% TKL keyboard is truly elegant, and Asus has put a lot of work into it to create an attractive, premium-looking keyboard. The ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is, as its name suggests, a keyboard with low-profile keys, in other words, small keys. Compared to an Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless, for example, the keycaps are considerably thinner. The ROG Falchion RX Low Profile comes with a case, in which you can leave the keyboard if you wish, but it’s not compulsory.As I’m not a fan of cases on my phone, you can imagine that I quickly removed it. However, not for the same reasons.The keyboard is grey with white keys, offering a truly premium feel with its bevelled edges, but above all by its top part. The top part is adorned with backlit lines and the words “REPUBLIC OF GAMERS”, also backlit, all on a transparent plastic plate with a mirror effect.The sides of the keyboard are also very slim, with an aluminum frame somewhat reminiscent of a MacBook, but even thinner. The front edge features a discreet ROG logo etched into the metal. But this keyboard is full of many other secrets, some of which I hadn’t even imagined existed.On the rear edge, there’s quite a lot, starting with a button for adjusting the functionalities of the touch strip right next to it. This touch strip is the big surprise of this keyboard – I had no idea it existed! We’ll come back to this in the “Features” section.On the right-hand side, there’s a slot for the USB dongle, which is magnetic and therefore magnetizes itself so that it doesn’t pop out of its slot. This area also houses a USB-C connector for charging the keyboard, as well as a switch to indicate whether you’re using it on Windows or MacOS! Indeed, Asus wants to appeal to as many people as possible, and not just gamers, so this keyboard is Mac-compatible.Finally, a 3-position switch lets you connect the keyboard to Bluetooth, wired or 2.4 GHz via the dongle supplied with it. Below the beast are the retractable glides, two on each side, depending on whether you want to tilt the keyboard slightly or at a greater angle. As far as I’m concerned, it’s always the steeper angle. Except on a laptop, I still have trouble with completely flat keyboards. On the front, there are retaining pads. It’s worth noting that the shell can be used with the feet raised, but this doesn’t allow the keyboard to show off all its very pleasant and well-crafted aesthetics. For the rest, the keys are organized as on the ROG Falchion Ace, a 65% keyboard.

ROG Falchion RX Low Profile features

ROG Falchion RX Low Profile switches

There are two versions of this keyboard, one with red switches and the other with blue switches. For my part, I received the version with red switches, which is less noisy and has a shorter activation travel, as well as a slightly reduced activation force. Naturally, these are optical switches, and at such a price and for such a keyboard, we couldn’t ask for anything less. They are lubricated, stabilized and require a minimum activation force of 40 grams, for a total activation force of 55 grams. The stroke required for activation is 1 mm, which is very little, and I have to admit it’s confusing at first.The switches are ROG RX 4-point switches, offering absolutely perfect stability. It’s always a pleasure to use them, as they’re the same on other keyboards like the ROG Strix Scope RX TKL Deluxe, but thinner here.

ROG Falchion RX Low Profile typing comfort

Let’s move on to the keyboard’s typing comfort, which is simply divine. The keys on the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile make virtually no noise, which is a little disconcerting at first. Personally, I usually use a Corsair K100 Air Wireless keyboard, which I really like. The keys have a similar overall activation force, but are incredibly quiet. The keyboard makes virtually no noise, at least not the noise of a mechanical keyboard, even one with traditional red switches.I have to admit that, at first, I had a bit of trouble. Switching from a spaced-key keyboard to one with the keys practically glued together is always disconcerting. But once you’ve got used to it, the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is really excellent, and it’s a pleasure to write this test on it, like others I’ve written with it. The keys are incredibly soft and silent, and the white ABS plastic is pleasant to the touch – in short, a real pleasure for the fingers!

ROG Falchion RX Low Profile features

Among the keyboard’s features, of course, is the ability to record macro key combinations, as well as to lock the Windows key in game, but we’re already familiar with all that. What we need is something sensational, something exceptional. This little ROG Falchion RX Low Profile has it all, starting with the fact that it’s natively compatible with Windows and MacOS, via a discreet little switch on the back, which is simply brilliant. For example, I have a PC for work and play, and a MacBook Pro for work on the move. But if I start something on my MacBook Pro, I like to be able to finish it at home in peace and quiet, so the keyboard adapts automatically, either in Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz. However, I said I wanted something sensational, something to dream about. This feature, while very practical, is not the pinnacle of what this keyboard has to offer: as I mentioned earlier, there’s a small tactile strip on the back. This, along with the button for changing its function, is devilishly practical. Who said the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile didn’t have a sound control wheel? It’s on the back, on the touch strip, depending on the functionality you apply.By default, it’s possible to :

• adjust keyboard brightness
• Adjust volume
• Change multimedia track / play / pause

There are also other customized functions, such as :

• Scroll through a page
• Launch an application
• Open a site
• Perform Windows shortcuts
• Enter predefined text
• Launch Armoury Crate
• And other functions you can customize yourself

So this little bar is very practical, and the button next to it lets you quickly change the functionality assigned to it. I’ve never seen anything like it on a keyboard before, but this kind of practicality, combined with absolute discretion, is fantastic.

Backlighting on the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile

The ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is backlit on a key-by-key basis, meaning that each key has its own LED backlight. This is much better than a global backlight. It’s also illuminated at the top, with lines and the words “REPUBLIC OF GAMERS”. It’s very well done, especially with white ABS keys, it really stands out.The only small problem is that not all the keys are perfectly backlit. This is particularly true of the “Enter” key, as well as those with three functions. This little flaw is regrettable, but nothing to be alarmed about. In fact, it’s mostly a problem during the day, and at night, it’s much less noticeable.Of course, Armoury Crate is fully controllable, with a number of predefined lighting modes, including :

• Static
• Pulse
• Color cycle
• Reactive
• Rainbow
• Ripple
• Starry night
• Quicksand
• Current
• Raindrop
• Aura Sync

This allows you to synchronize the lighting on your ROG Falchion RX Low Profile with other Asus hardware, such as my motherboard.

ROG Falchion RX Low Profile battery life

The autonomy announced by the manufacturer goes up to 400 hours, obviously on Bluetooth and without backlighting. For my part, I used the keyboard at 2.4 GHz and maximum brightness all the time, with standby after 3 minutes. The keyboard held up without a hitch for 3 intensive days of around 15 hours each, writing up product tests, and therefore heavy use.

Armoury Crate software

When we talk about Asus Armoury Crate, we’re talking about a super-complete software package, sometimes too complete for some, but at least the aesthetics are neat, the look is clearly that of the brand and I have nothing to say about that. It’s likely that you’ll need to update the keyboard’s internal software; to do this, simply connect it to the PC with a cable and remove it once the update is complete. The five panels include, first and foremost, the key panel, which lets you assign a different function to each key if you wish. It’s also possible to disable ALT + Tab and ALT + F4, to avoid closing games quickly. Ragers like me, on the other hand, leave these shortcuts enabled, but we’ll talk about that later, like never.The touch bar is adjustable, but we’ve already seen that before, as are the backlight settings. Let’s move on to the “Power” section.This shows the battery level remaining in the keyboard, as well as triggering a warning light when the keyboard reaches a certain battery level. The keyboard can also automatically switch to standby mode after 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 minutes of activity, or never. The energy-saving mode deactivates the lighting or can also reduce brightness. Finally, the last section, updates, won’t be of much use to you.

ROG Falchion RX Low Profile review

The Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is without doubt one of the best mechanical keyboards I’ve ever tested. The keys are superbly comfortable and silent, and the keyboard offers a host of interesting and practical functions, as well as a sober and incredibly beautiful look. It’s a near-perfection.