I've always loved playing Dishonored. Arkane's 2012 masterpiece is one of my favorite games of all time, but in 2019 I started learning to speedrun it. It's a particularly fun game to try and beat quickly, partly because you have a short-range teleport to spam, but also because you can get through the entire thing without being seen by, or killing, a single person.
I sucked when I first started speedrunning it, and I have no problems admitting that. I was never a fan of mouse and keyboard and using a pro controller was definitely slowing me down. Then, I tried out the Azeron Cyborg - a hybrid mix between a controller and a gaming keyboard. This robot claw vastly improved my times, and its latest version, the new Azeron Cyborg II, is seeing a 10% discount thanks to Black Friday which brings it down to $216 (was $240) at Amazon.
The Cyborg II keypad has a Hall Sensor thumbstick you can map to the WASD keys, allowing you to control your character's movements like you would with a controller. Then, you use your fingers to click its 30 mappable keys, which you assign to keyboard functions that work for you and the game you're playing. You can even set them to be comibnations, making tricky speedrunning strats that little bit more achievable.
The Cyborg II only launched earlier in the year, so its appearance in Black Friday gaming deals is the first time its price has dropped.
The Cyborg II really does offer you the best of both worlds, it's part gaming keyboard, and part PC controller. With your other hand, you use a mouse as you would with a keyboard, which helped me hone my blinking aim as Corvo to get through each level a bit quicker.
For me, the Cyborg is so much easier to use than a keyboard because you never have to lift your fingers out of their home position to find another key's exact position. You can adjust this device to your hand shape, and with simply flexing or straightening your fingers, you perform in-game actions with increased speed over the travel time on a keyboard.
Should you buy the Azeron Cyborg II?
Outside of speedrunning, there are loads of reasons I'd recommend the Azeron Cyborg II. It's ergonomic, it's adjustable, and there are loads of ways you can tailor its colorway and look to what you'd prefer. Yes, it requires a bit of a learning curve, and it can be a bit of a faff making and learning new controller maps for it, but once you pass a threshold with it, it's like nothing else.
But what makes the Azeron Cyborg II stand out from the older Azeron Cyborg? The newer version comes with six on-board profiles compared to the original's two - so there's less messing around in the brand's software to switch profiles. Moreover, the Cyborg II uses omicron switches, and a hall effect thumbstick, adding to its longevity, but in my opinion, greatly enhancing its feel.
The switches on the first Cyborg were great, particularly because they're lightweight and easy to press with a slight twitch of your finger. Now though, the Omron switches have a slightly heftier feel to them, striking a balance between what's easy to actuate and a premium product that aids gamefeel. The top towers in particular now actuate at a different angle, making them much more useful, and more sturdy.
I have more to say about the Cyborg II in my review, which I'll likely jump to right after Black Friday, but as a brief teaser for now, this is one of the best gaming peripherals I've ever used, and that's coming from someone who reviews pro controllers for a living.
For more Black Friday coverage, check out Black Friday Meta Quest deals, Black Friday Secretlab deals, and Black Friday Xbox deals.
