I might be going mad, but Turtle Beach's new gaming keyboard has the weirdest space bar I've used yet

Turtle Beach has refreshed its low profile Vulcan line this week, with the Vulcan II TKL hitting the pre-order shelves ahead of the October 12 release date. I've been running the new deck alongside some of the best gaming keyboards for a little while in the lead up to release, but one thing was obvious as soon as I got it out the box.

This is a damn strange space bar.

I can't decide if I love for hate it. See, Turtle Beach has greatly improved the switch smoothness in its latest iteration, but it's also massively softened its larger keys. While the main alphas feel incredibly well sound dampened, even creamy, under the fingertips, the space bar is almost entirely silenced.

Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL | $119.99 at Turtle Beach
Turtle Beach has opened pre-orders for its new Vulcan II TKL keyboard and, having had my hands on it for a little while now it's actually sitting at a price I can get behind. Yes, it's wired-only, but this is among the most satisfying low profile typing experiences I've had so far, with plenty of upgrades over previous generations.

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It's got more resistance behind it, absolutely no sound, and it's even set ever-so-slightly lower than the rest of the deck. The first time I used it I immediately assumed it hadn't even registered a keypress, that my unit was faulty. This looks to be a feature, not a bug though.

It's a bizarre feeling to try and get used to, but in just a few hours I did. The effect is also replicated across the backspace and, to a lesser extent, and enter key. There's a higher tension in these keys, but an additional softness to compensate and it, actually, makes for a surprisingly comfortable experience.

I'm not a fan of low profile keyboards, and I never have been.

Newer releases are turning my head, though. The Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is one of my favorite decks on the market, thanks to its super cushioned typing feel. The Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL has even more of a pillowy design.

I'm yet to get enough time with the new deck to release my full review but, even from this short period of testing I'm on board. I'm even starting to like the industrial RGB vibe.

Smaller keycaps, a view straight down to the switches, and larger gaps between keys means there's nowhere for these LEDs to hide. Other decks tend to clean this up a little, to make their lighting look a little more slick. I don't hate seeing every color dancing across the board here.

So maybe I was a little harsh on low profile keyboards in the past. It wasn't the gradient I hated, but the hard, loud key landing. It's difficult to dampen a shorter key stop, as I learned recently while testing the Razer BlackWidow V4 Low Profile Hyperspeed. If more low profile decks give this much attention to cushioning that typing feel, I could be their next convert.

It's also fully hot-swappable, offers its own dedicated volume dial, and polls at the standard 1,000Hz.

• See all gaming keyboards at Amazon
• Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL | $119.99 at Turtle Beach
• Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile | $199.99 $139.99 at Amazon

Need something tether-free? I'm also rounding up all the best wireless gaming keyboards on the market. Or, check out more of the best hot-swappable keyboards available. If you're looking for something cheaper, take a look at the best membrane keyboards available.