Buzz
Design, Layout, and Build Quality
The ASUS ROG Falchion is a sleek wireless keyboard with an adorable design - even with its 65% layout. You can even opt to use its cover as a frame, which is a nice touch.
Naturally, it comes with the distinctive ROG style. There's ample padding here to keep the keyboard relatively lightweight, though ASUS opted for a slightly shorter padding layer compared to standard keyboards.
The keyset for the Falchion is quite unique, although it adheres to most ANSI layout sizes. For newcomers, the spacebar is 5.5u, the right Shift key is 1.5u, and the Enter key is around 2u. Want these keys replaced? It's best to inquire with ASUS for a custom set.
Now, connectivity is supported by a sturdy 1.8-meter USB cable, connecting from Type-C to Type-A port. The cable is braided securely, featuring a handy magnetic attachment. For wireless, the keyboard supports 2.4GHz RF via its magnetic dongle. Although a switch is placed at the top, I personally prefer a button here for ease of use.
Keycap
The keycap material used for the ROG Falchion is PBT. Yes, ASUS's first keyboard with such material. The printing is also remarkable, suitable for those who appreciate the sharp characteristics of the ROG font.
Consistency in thickness across all keycaps has been verified. As a double-shot PBT keycap set, this default product from ASUS adds excellent value.
Switches and Stabilizers
Mechanical switches are the reason why mechanical keyboards are called “mechanical keyboards” from the start. Cherry MX switches are the most popular switches, setting a standard for the rest. They come in clicky, linear, and tactile variants; each with its own blend of actuation force and actuation point.
ASUS has opted to use Cherry MX RGB switches with the Falchion over the recently released Scope RX. Of course, the keyboard comes with four MX switches to choose from – ours is the MX Red with 45g of force required to actuate and a linear feel.
Now perhaps what I despise about this keyboard is the stabilizers. They're fragile and prone to bending. The chassis feels disgustingly flimsy too. Kinda wish ASUS had some fitting MX stabilizers instead of this heavy disappointment.
Key Rollover, Chatter, and Ghosting
EliteKeyboard’s Switch Hitter is a fantastic free software to check key actuation, noise, and blur. Key rollover essentially is the number of keys a keyboard can register, while chatter is multiple inputs registered with a single key press. On the other hand, ghosting is unintended input registration when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously.
ASUS ROG Falchion has passed with flying colors in our motion, noise, and blur tests much like most tested mechanical keyboards. The screenshots above are the results of RX.
Software, Lighting, and Special Features
Falchion requires Armory Crate software to operate at 100%. You can use the keyboard on its own, but I highly recommend downloading the software – regardless of its mixed reception.
One of the keyboard's most important features is its programmable touchpad. Initially, I configured this to use the Page Up and Page Down keys, but I found using the Up and Down Arrow keys to be most beneficial – simply because not all websites support scrolling through Page keys.
The lighting can be adjusted on the fly, but you can also do so with Armory Crate – even more. You can fine-tune the speed and brightness of each effect to your liking in the app or synchronize it through AURA Creator to match your system lighting.
Lastly, we have the Power menu. You can use this to check the Fachion's battery level and to adjust non-operational settings. Unfortunately, we don't have dedicated power settings at any specific battery level. Idle polling rate and sleep/idle adjustments at each power level are highly regarded if they were to be implemented in the near future.
Now, the touchpad also acts as a battery indicator – besides its multifunctional touch capabilities. That means, the touchpad can hold up to 5 functions. That's triple tapping (top, middle, and bottom) plus a swipe (top to bottom, bottom to top). All of these can be configured through the software and if desired, you can also use macros.
As for battery life, I still haven't depleted everything else on this keyboard even after a week. Granted, I'm not using RGB lighting, but from its standpoint, it seems it could hit a solid 300 hours.
The casing is crafted from polycarbonate combined with sleek brushed aluminum and inner and outer padding layers. This is a fantastic addition to the Falchion's amazing features.
Final Thoughts
ASUS ROG Falchion stands out among the many first-of-its-kind devices ASUS has achieved this year. It's ASUS's first wireless mechanical keyboard, featuring a compact 65% layout and a touch-sensitive control panel.
Firstly, the touch-sensitive control panel is fantastic. Inputs register easily, and using it feels natural. It serves as my secondary navigation keys, screen print, and copy-paste, so I really make the most out of it. If ASUS could use Fn or FnLock to add secondary function to it, I'd be impressed with the versatility.
Now priced at 170 USD. The wise price tag gets you a 65% keyboard with both wired and wireless functionality, a genuinely useful touch-sensitive control panel, a cover, and PBT keycaps – on top of its already beautiful face.
Certainly bringing many firsts, the ROG Falchion is evidence of ASUS's commitment to the increasingly demanding gaming market.
