The ROCCAT Vulcan II Max and Vulcan II Mini keyboards are wired mechanical models designed primarily for gaming. These keyboards use ROCCAT TITAN II OPTICAL switches and have full RGB lighting backlighting for each key. Specific keys have an additional dedicated LED to indicate when secondary functions are active, and you can customize the lighting on a per-key basis and synchronize it with other ROCCAT peripherals. The keycaps also have a low profile that showcases the keyboard's lighting.
We bought and tested the ROCCAT Vulcan 2 Max, which is the full-size version, but there's also a smaller-size version available called the ROCCAT Vulcan 2 Mini. For more details about the differences between each version, see the Differences Between Variants section.
Note: The Turtle Beach company purchased ROCCAT and is rebranding some of its current production models, including these two keyboards. As such, you may see them sold as the Turtle Beach Vulcan II Max and Turtle Beach Vulcan II Mini. Besides different branding, we expect both these models to be identical to the older ROCCAT branded models.
Our Verdict
The ROCCAT Vulcan II keyboards are outstanding for gaming. They have exceptionally low latency, and the linear optical switches on the unit we tested feel light to press and have short pre-travel, making them feel very responsive in-game. These keyboards have outstanding RGB lighting showcased by the low-profile keycaps. Using the customization software, you can also customize the lighting on a per-key basis. Unfortunately, while the build quality of these keyboards is good overall, the keycaps are made of lower-quality ABS plastic, prone to develop shine and get slippery over time. Unfortunately, the frame also exhibits considerable flexibility compared to many similarly-priced options.
- All available switch options are light to actuate and have low pre-travel.
- Exceptionally low latency.
- Full RGB backlighting with individually-lit keys.
- Acceptable ergonomics.
- Overall build quality isn't as good as many similarly-priced models.
The ROCCAT Vulcan II keyboards are wired-only models not designed for use with mobile devices or tablets.
The ROCCAT Vulcan II keyboards are good for office work, though they aren't designed specifically for this use. Overall, these keyboards have good build quality, and the typing noise is relatively quiet with the linear red switches on the unit we bought and tested. The full-size Vulcan 2 Max unit includes a translucent wrist rest for added comfort, but the smaller compact (65%) variant doesn't include a wrist rest. Unfortunately, the ABS keycaps feel a bit cheap, and the frame is a bit more flexible compared to some similarly-priced options.
- Acceptable ergonomics.
- The linear red optical switches are fairly quiet.
- Wired-only.
- Overall build quality isn't as good as many similarly-priced models.
The ROCCAT Vulcan II keyboards are good for Programming work, though they aren't designed specifically with this use in mind. These keyboards have acceptable ergonomics, and the full-size variant also includes a wrist rest. You can also program macros to any key, and the low-profile keycaps do a good job of showcasing the RGB lighting, which is fully customizable on a per-key basis. Unfortunately, while the build quality is good overall, the frame exhibits more flexibility than many similarly-priced models. Also, the keycaps are made of lower-quality ABS plastic that tends to develop a shiny finish and get slippery over time.
- Full RGB backlighting with individually-lit keys.
- Acceptable ergonomics.
- Wired-only.
- Overall build quality isn't as good as many similarly-priced models.
The ROCCAT Vulcan II keyboards are inadequate for entertainment and home theatre PC setups. These keyboards are wired-only models, so you'll need to sit very close to your setup to use them. On a more positive note, these keyboards have good build quality overall and dedicated media keys. They also have full RGB backlighting, meaning the keys are easy to see in a darker room.
- Full RGB backlighting with individually-lit keys.
- Wired-only.
Changelog
- Updated May 13, 2024: We've added a note about this keyboard's Turtle Beach rebrand to the Introduction and the Differences Between Variants sections of this review.
- Updated Nov 09, 2023: We've added a link to the newly-reviewed ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini Air to theWireless Versatility section of this review.
- Updated Jun 21, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update introduces new Backlight Features and Backlight Clarity test boxes. We've also added a new Switches test box, added additional test comparisons to our Hardware Customizability test box that we introduced with our last Test Bench. For an in-depth look at our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated May 31, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update adds several new tests addressing Hardware Customization, Macro Keys And Programming, and Wireless Mobile Compatibility. We've also added new objective evaluations to the Typing Noise test, and we've simplified several tests and removed several others that were no longer relevant. For an in-depth look at all our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The ROCCAT Vulcan II keyboards are available as either the full-size ROCCAT Vulcan 2 Max or the compact (65%) ROCCAT Vulcan 2 Mini. Both keyboards are available in either black or white colorways. You can see more details about the differences between these variants in the table below. We bought and tested the ROCCAT Vulcan 2 Max in black for our review. You can see the label for our unit here.
Note: The Turtle Beach company purchased ROCCAT and is rebranding some of its current production models, including these two keyboards. As such, you may see them sold as the Turtle Beach Vulcan II Max and Turtle Beach Vulcan II Mini. Besides different branding, we expect both these models to be identical to the older ROCCAT branded models.
We expect the test results in this review to broadly apply to all variants of these keyboards.
| Name | Size | Available Switches Types | Included Wrist Rest | Colorways | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROCCAT/Turtle Beach Vulcan II Max | Full-Size (100%) | ROCCAT TITAN II OPTICAL RED, ROCCAT TITAN II OPTICAL BROWN | Yes | Black, White | Has 24 multi-function 'Smart Keys' with dual LED lights |
| ROCCAT/Turtle Beach Vulcan II Mini | Compact (65%) | ROCCAT TITAN II OPTICAL RED | No | Black, White | Has 30 multi-function 'Smart Keys' with dual LED lights |
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The ROCCAT Vulcan II Max and ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini are wired mechanical keyboards designed for gaming. These keyboards use proprietary ROCCAT TITAN II Optical switches, which feel light to press and have short actuation distances, which are well-suited for gaming in any genre. While many gaming keyboards in this price range have full RGB lighting that you can customize on a per-key basis, these keyboards stand out for having low-profile keycaps that allow more light to shine out from the LEDs under the switch housings. Additionally, these keyboards feature what ROCCAT calls 'Smart Keys', which are select keys outfitted with dual LED lights that show when secondary functions are active.
For more options, see our recommendations for the best mechanical keyboards, the best gaming keyboards, and the best RGB keyboards.
The ROCCAT Vulcan II and the ROCCAT Vulcan Pro are wired gaming keyboards with low-profile keycaps. The Vulcan II is available in full-size or compact (65%) sizes and ROCCAT Titan II Optical Switches. On the other hand, the ROCCAT Vulcan Pro keyboards are available in full-size or TKL (80%) form factors and are only available with linear red ROCCAT Titan switches. The Vulcan Pro has slightly lower latency, but both keyboards are more than suitable for competitive-level gaming in any genre.
The ROCCAT Vulcan II and the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro are mechanical gaming keyboards with comparable gaming performance. The ROCCAT Keyboards use ROCCAT's Titan II Optical switches and are available in a full-size or compact (65%) form factor. On the other hand, the Razer is a wireless model that feels sturdier overall. It's available with linear, tactile, or clicky Razer mechanical switches. The Razer has marginally lower latency, but both keyboards deliver exceptional gaming performance suitable for gaming in any genre at any competitive level.
The Corsair K100 RGB and the ROCCAT Vulcan II are wired gaming keyboards. The Corsair is available with Cherry MX Speed or OPX optical switches. It has higher-quality PBT keycaps and feels considerably sturdier overall. It also has a higher maximum polling rate of 8000Hz and lower latency. On the other hand, the ROCCAT Vulcan II keyboards are available in a full-size or compact (65%) form factor and linear Red or tactile Brown ROCCAT Titan II Optical switches.
The ROCCAT Vulcan II and the SteelSeries Apex 9 are wired mechanical gaming keyboards. The ROCCAT boards are available in a full-size or compact (65%) form factor, with linear Red or tactile Brown ROCCAT Titan II Optical switches. On the other hand, the SteelSeries boards are available in a TKL (80%) or Compact 60% form factors and use OptiPoint optical switches. These keyboards have higher-quality keycaps and better build quality overall. They also have lower latency, though both the ROCCAT and SteelSeries keyboards offer exceptional gaming performance.
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