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Following the teasers released over the last few days, Azeron has revealed its latest highly customizable gaming peripheral, the Keyzen. As suspected from yesterday's teaser image about the new PC controller, it combines the ergonomic shape of this brand's previous keypads with mechanical keyboard switches.
"Gamers have been asking for a keypad with keyboard buttons, and since ignoring them isn't our thing, here it is," the brand said in its Discord reveal. The Keyzen, like the Azeron Cyborg II before it, combines the thumbstick movement and ergonomics of a typical controller, and provides the speed and massive functionality of a keyboard, only this time, it's swapping out clicky mouse switches for those found in the best gaming keyboards.
"At Azeron, listening to gamers is at the heart of what we do, says Elīza Gudēna, Head of Marketing at Azeron. "Keyzen was shaped by community feedback, offering the precision and comfort players have been asking for in a keycap keypad,” she said in a press release.
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Featuring classic Cherry MX switches, you'll be able to choose between three distinct types for your Keyzen. There's Cherry MX Red, which require a 45g actuation force, Cherry Blue, which need a 60g actuation, and Cherry MX Brown, which click in from a 55g force. While you'll be able to swap out your keycaps for different styles, you'll only be able to have one type of Cherry switch for all of your keys on any one pad.
The Keyzen actually increases the number of fully mappable keys from the 30 found on the Cyborg II to 32. Of course, they're set out slightly differently in vertical rows as opposed to the towers found on the brand's flagship device. However, the curved shape of each row means it'll be easier than on a typical gaming keyboard to reach the further away switches. Moreover, the adjustability of each row means you can change the angle and distance they sit at. Having spent loads of time with the Cyborg keypads, I also think there's something to these keys being set at varying angles, which makes it easier for you to distinguish which one you're about to press.
Like the Azeron Cyborg II, the thumbstick is a Hall Effect one, so you won't encounter stick drift while using it. The keys and the thumbstick can be mapped to whichever keyboard, controller, or macro functions you'd like using Azeron's software. The Keyzen keypad can hold up to six profiles onboard, but you have unlimited room on your gaming PC to make more.
The Azeron Keyzen will set you back $212 in the US and €185 in Europe. There isn't a confirmed UK price yet, and the device doesn't seem to be available at the brand's Amazon store just yet, although you can order custom models through Azeron's website.
Check out Azeron's other keypads:
- Azeron Accessories: Grip tape and stands from $9.99
- Azeron Cyborg II: $240 at Amazon
- Azeron Cyborg II Compact: $240 at Amazon
Looking for something for a certain platform? Narrow your search with the best PS5 controller, the best Xbox Series X controllers, and the best Nintendo Switch controllers.
