Verdict
It’s troublesome to suggest the Acer Predator Aethon 500 when superior examples exist for at a less expensive value
Pros
Aluminium chassis is fashionable and sturdy
RGB lighting is vivid and enticing
Decent but underwhelming efficiency
Cons
Doesn’t do sufficient to justify costly value
Wrist relaxation is ugly and uncomfortable
Key switches could be present in far cheaper keyboards
Key Specifications
Review Price: £199.99
Five devoted macro keys
Aluminum faceplate and removable wrist relaxation
Kailh Blue Switches
What is the Acer Predator Aethon 500
The Acer Predator Aethon 500 isn’t only a glitz-and-glam gaming keyboard. As nicely as RGB lighting, it additionally combines a good typing expertise that delivers simply sufficient accuracy to fulfill your common gamer.
There’s an enormous problem although. Not solely are there some unusual design choices right here, but it surely additionally has a ludicrously steep value which is able to doubtless scare away most potential consumers. Is the Acer Predator Aethon 500 well worth the funding for money completely happy players? I’m not satisfied.
Related: Best Gaming Keyboard
Acer Predator Aethon 500 – Design and Build
For the £199.99 asking value (though you could find it closely discounted proper now), I anticipated lots from the Aethon 500’s construct high quality, and it does ship in some respects. It’s extremely strong, the weighty body by no means prepared to budge throughout use.
This is accompanied by a magnetic wrist-rest that may be seamlessly hooked up to the underside, though it’s so massive and fairly ugly that I finished utilizing it. It simply isn’t that snug.
Take this away and also you’re left with a placing black design accompanied by fashionable keys and a fluorescent blue underlay that make a fairly partnership on the eyes. You may argue it lacks the premium really feel for such an costly product, and I’d be inclined to agree with you.
The aluminum chassis is nice, echoing the premium really feel I lust for that’s sadly missing within the product’s remaining options. It’s metallic keys are good on the floor, however give approach to Kailh Blue Switches than are present in far cheaper fashions.
For the identical value and even decrease, you’ll be able to choose up the Razer Huntsman Elite and HP Omen Sequencer, each of that are far superior, instantly making this a tough keyboard to suggest. The WASD keys are conveniently colored a light-weight blue, marking their significance to an avid gamer.
A scroll wheel could be discovered on the upper-right that gives shortcuts for skipping, pausing and adjusting media, accompanied by a nifty little quantity adjuster which makes minute adjustments to your in-game audio a breeze.
Related: Best Gaming Headset
Acer Predator Aethon 500 – Performance
The Aethon 500’s Kailh Blue Switches are unacceptable given the steep asking value, particularly given how its rivals incorporate Cherry MX Blues with no bother in any respect. They easy don’t have the luscious accuracy we’d count on from a keyboard of this calibre, lessening your response in aggressive conditions. It’s an enormous oversight, emphasised additional by an inconsistent design.
Now, there’s nothing notably fallacious with the Aethon 500’s efficiency. It’s simply merely not performing to the usual we’d count on for £199. In Destiny 2 and Apex Legends an actuation drive of 50 grams didn’t result in any points, and the 1.9mm key journey meant all of my instructions have been obtained rapidly and effectively. You can’t go fallacious with N-Key Rollover both, which is current and accounted for within the Aethon 500.
On the left-hand aspect you’ll discover 5 devoted Macro Keys that may be kitted out with your personal customized instructions. Item shortcuts and MMO movesets are good for this, and the way in which wherein they’re situated makes activating them a breeze. Like we mentioned, the Aethon 500 is ok, however so are keyboards cheaper than this that carry out to a really related degree. And when you’ve obtained £200 to splurge on a keyboard, you are able to do higher.
Related: Best Gaming Mouse
Acer Predator Aethon 500 – Software and Lighting
This is a sexy keyboard with some obtuse design oversights, ones which happily aren’t translated to the RGB lighting. This could be customised by way of a bespoke programme that may modify particular sections of the system to your liking. It’s nicely applied, and with the ability to spotlight particular keys a sure approach all the time helps.
By urgent a button within the top-left nook you’ll be able to cycle the RGB lighting by way of a number of distinctive presets, all of which spotlight sure sections. They’re designed to accommodate particular conditions, whether or not it’s good to see the keys in a dimly lit area or spotlight these of additional significance. You can choose from 9 lightning presets or make your personal from a staggering variety of settings.
Should I purchase the Acer Predator Aethon 500?
For the cruel asking value, it’s troublesome to suggest the Acer Predator Aethon 500 when superior examples exist at cheaper costs. Its satisfactory efficiency and spectacular RGB lighting are all effective and dandy, however fail to place it into the higher echelons of gaming peripherals.
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Games Writer
Jade is the devoted video games author at TechSwitch. She handles all issues gaming whether or not it’s information, evaluations, occasions or foolish options. Seen at shops equivalent to MTV UK, Kotaku and TechSwitch (…
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