Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard Review - Best-in-Class RGB meets Fantastic Performance

TweakTown Rating: 90%

Our Verdict

With its best-in-class lighting and premium build, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard excels as a gaming keyboard that supports wired, wireless, or Bluetooth connectivity. Although it's a tad pricey, the performance is right up there with some of the best.

Pros

• Responsive linear switches that are great for gaming
• Best-in-class RGB
• Minimal, stylish, and compact
• Hot-swappable switches
• Wired, Wireless, and Bluetooth support

Cons

• Pricey and lacks add-ons like a wrist rest
• Resource-heavy Alienware software

Should you buy it?

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Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

Per-key RGB lighting is pretty standard on a modern gaming keyboard, and that's what you'll find on the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard. This peripheral has been designed in collaboration with professional gamers at Team Liquid, making it built for competitive gaming. As we recently reviewed Alienware's new Pro gaming mouse and headset, we were expecting to be similarly impressed by the build quality, functionality, and features of the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard. However, one of the first things that caught our attention was the impressive RGB lighting.

Now, you might be of the sort that isn't concerned about RGB lighting, but on the white-colored Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard, you're looking at lighting that is so uniform, bright, and consistent that the entire board lights up. Outside of looking fantastic when paired with the curved, minimalist physical design, the shine-through of the premium, double-shot PBT keycaps makes every key stand out, from the Function keys on the top row to the Enter key and the secondary functions for each of the number keys.

Even at 50% brightness, it's vibrant, and in wireless form, you're still getting up to 72 hours of battery life over low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless with RGB lighting. Turn off the lighting, and the battery life increases to around 800 hours, which demonstrates the impressively bright and uniform lighting you get. Of course, there's a lot more to the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard than its slick lighting, modern look, and feel.

This is a compact 75% form factor TKL keyboard, built with premium components, including Alienware's in-house pre-lubed linear mechanical switches, multiple layers of sound-dampening material, and silicone feet. In addition to being compact and noticeably smaller than most 75% form factor keyboards we've tested, it's also versatile, thanks to its tri-mode connectivity, which covers USB-C wired, low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless, and Bluetooth.

Specifications & Close Up

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Kosta's Test System

Design & Software

Design

As mentioned in the introduction, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is smaller than most of the 75% form-factor keyboards we've reviewed. You've still got full-size keys and the usual TKL omissions like no Numpad, but there's no wasted space here, and Alienware has adopted a somewhat unique layout that does take some time getting used to. Next to the arrow keys are dedicated media keys for volume and mute, with secondary functionality covering lesser-used keys, such as Scroll Lock and Print Screen. Alienware's decision not to include a volume dial or control wheel is interesting because it gives the keyboard a very minimal, no-fuss look.

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In the top-right corner, you have the only non-standard programmable key that, by default, cycles through various lighting presets, which are customizable via software. The minimal design extends to the read, which includes a small Alienware logo (the only visible branding on the keyboard), a spot to house the 2.4 GHz wireless dongle, a USB-C port, a power switch, and a connection switch that supports seamless switching between the 2.4 GHz wireless and three paired Bluetooth devices. With the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard being relatively light and compact, this feature is fantastic because it makes it extremely easy to pick up and connect to a laptop or tablet in seconds.

With its sturdy build quality and double-shot PBT keycaps, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard has the look and feel of a premium keyboard, and this is backed up by what you'll find underneath the hood. Developed in collaboration with Team Liquid, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard features the company's own internally developed Alienware Linear Mechanical Switches. With an Actuation Force of 40G, they're what you'd consider a light touch in that there's less force required when pressing each key. The responsiveness is also snappy, which is perfect for competitive gaming and touch-typing.

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With two layers of sound-dampening, there's a satisfying sound and feel to using the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard. The good news is that the switches, which come installed pre-lubed, are hot-swappable, with the keyboard supporting 3-pin and 5-pin switches, so the option to swap them out for something else down the road is here. Like all modern premium keyboards, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is built to last for several years of gaming, as evident in the 100 million keystroke lifespan keycaps that won't fade over time.

Software

As an Alienware peripheral, all customization is handled by the Alienware Command Center app, which is one of the heftier customization tools regarding memory and resources. It's not a deal breaker, but it lacks some of the streamlined finesse of competing apps while still offering all of the tools you need to make changes to the keyboard's lighting, remap keys, create different profiles, record macros, and more.

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The way keybinds and remapping work in Alienware Command Center differs slightly from most apps, as it requires you to create the desired outcome or change first and then apply it to a key via a drag-and-drop system or by selecting your creation from a menu. It's not the most intuitive system, but it works. We wish Alienware included a tutorial or in-built guide in its Command Center app to make the whole process smoother for newcomers and those who haven't set up various game-specific profiles and keybinds in the past. The options are powerful, with the ability to record macros, trigger text blocks, and even launch a range of different apps, all tied to keypresses.

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Adjusting the vibrant lighting is more intuitive and straightforward, with the ability to create custom colors while making changes to different zones, the whole keyboard, or a single key. The good news is that you can save all changes and presets to the device, so once you're all set up, there's no need to fire up the Alienware Command Center to load a specific profile. Plus, the bonus of having all your customization right there when connecting to another device.

Gaming Performance and Productivity

Gaming Performance

Linear switches have been the go-to for gaming keyboards in recent years, as they're fast, responsive, and usually feature a lower actuation point than other switch types. That said, we have recently seen a rise in premium gaming keyboards shipping with magnetic switches that offer the ability to customize features such as actuation point and travel distance on a per-key basis while also supporting new features like rapid trigger and fast-switching. Alienware not opting for magnetic switches on the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard might feel like a deal breaker; however, the switches and design include input and feedback from pro-level gamers who spend as much time playing Counter-Strike 2 as regular folks do at work or school.

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This is to say that after firing up DOOM: The Dark Ages, Apex Legends, and yes, Counter-Strike 2, playing on the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard felt completely natural, responsive, and smooth. With a 1,000 Hz polling rate over both wireless and wired connections, we didn't notice any difference, which points to Alienware's approach being fantastic for competitive gamers who want a wireless keyboard. The light touch alluded to before means you're getting a smoother and more responsive keyboard than most similar boards with linear switches; however, the 40G versus 50G actuation force difference is mostly subtle.

Productivity

With its wireless connectivity and the ability to seamlessly switch between three Bluetooth devices, the premium, and compact Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is an excellent choice when paired with a laptop or Android device. The linear switches are great for typing, and having dedicated media controls is always a plus. The lack of media controls can be seen as a significant deal-breaker for productivity. The lack of a Numpad, which is standard for the popular TKL design for gaming keyboards, is a different matter in that it's something you can get used to. For those who need a Numpad, there are affordable USB and wireless options available.

Keyboard Click Sound Level

To test a keyboard's overall sound level, we use the Ozito Digital Sound Level Meter, capturing the sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" multiple times and recording the maximum dB level. This indicates how "loud" the switches used are for everyday usage. The following chart showcases where the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard sits.

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Final Thoughts

With the advent of hot-swappable switches, robust keycaps, multiple layers of sound dampening, and high-quality switches, gaming keyboards are in a fantastic place right now. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard sits alongside some of the best compact wireless offerings thanks to its excellent build quality, stylish minimalist design, responsive switches, and customization options. With an MSRP of $239.99 USD, it sits on the pricier side of options available, and it faces stiff competition from other brands in the space. However, as a pure wireless solution for competitive gaming, it feels fantastic and looks it, too, thanks to its best-in-class RGB.

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Releasing a wireless keyboard in a highly competitive space, it's easy to spot a few areas where something like the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard falls short. The Command Center customization app is not the best or most intuitive solution, and the lack of nice-to-have features, such as a built-in dial or a comfortable wrist rest, could be enough to consider an alternative. However, as a pure performer that will last you years without skipping a beat, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is impressive and a product that lives up to its premium design, working just as well as a day-to-day keyboard as it does as a vehicle for playing the latest FPS titles.