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I’ve always been skeptical of low-profile gaming keyboards. While there aren’t too many on the market, the models that I have tried in the past have always felt lackluster to me - reminding me of laptop keyboards past and all the mush that comes with them. This year the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile landed on my desk, though, and I haven’t looked back since.
This is by far the best gaming keyboard with low-profile keys that I’ve tested and it’s still in my current rotation today. Not only that, but its relatively costly $169.99 MSRP has been scrapped by Amazon this week, in favor of a record-low $139.99 sale price. I’ve seen this rate appearing on the shelves for a few weeks now, but only ever on the blue clicky model. Now it’s available on both blue and the fantastic red linear switches I had the pleasure of tapping in my testing.
This linear version has only ever hit $149.99 during previous sale events, and even that price has only appeared a couple of times since release. Day to day, this is still a full-priced deck.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile?
If it wasn’t obvious by now, I’m very happy to recommend the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile. It’s a super slick little keyboard with a 65% layout squeezed into a 60% form factor (so you’re keeping those arrow buttons) and its own range of impressive features to boot. It’s a deck designed to travel with you, but also sit particularly well in a permanent setup. Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections were both rock solid in my testing and keep your usage flexible, while the included cover case keeps everything safe during transport.
Dedicated media keys are rarely found on these smaller decks, but a touch-capacitive scroll bar located along the top of the deck offers playback and volume controls. It’s incredibly responsive and feels pretty damn cool.
Those all-important switches were the highlight for me - this is where the Falchion challenged my previously held reservations about low-profile decks. The ROG NX red switches are particularly light, but still feel bouncy and satisfying under the hand. Between their shallow actuation point and the incredibly satisfying soft-touch keycaps, typing feels particularly smooth with a gentle clack and an energetic response.
If you’re looking for a small form-factor gaming keyboard and you don’t like the extra weight of a standard switch this is exactly where you should be looking - even more so if you don’t want to drop media keys and you regularly travel with your deck. If, however, you need the extra keybinding options of a full-sized deck, the Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro is your next port of call.
We’re also rounding up all the best wireless gaming keyboards and the best hot-swappable keyboards for more options. Or take a look at the best gaming mouse models on the market if you’re looking to update your whole setup.
