Expert Analysis: The Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard - Balancing Luxury and Performance in Gaming

Key Takeaways

• Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard offers excellent build quality, hot-swappable switches, and customizable lighting features for gamers.
• The keyboard should provide at least 72 hours of gaming between charges, supporting both wireless and wired modes with a sleek design.
• Despite a premium price, the keyboard is a worthwhile investment for avid gamers seeking performance and customization options.

The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is the computer hardware company’s first foray into accessories. The keyboard has many benefits for casual and competitive gamers alike. Whether it’s the keyboard for you will likely depend on one factor: its price.

Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard

9/ 10

$150 $200 Save $50

The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard provides up to 72 hours of gaming between charges. It features hot-swappable switches, the ability to use up to 16.8 million color combinations, a 75% form factor, a wireless dongle extender, and more.

Brand

Alienware

Wireless

Yes

Backlight

Yes

Num Pad

No

Switch Type

Alienware Linear Mechanical Switches

Replaceable Keys

None included

Number of Keys

83

Wired operation

Yes (2m USB-A to USB-C) paracord cable

Dimensions

12.30 x 5.00 x 1.60in

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 5.1

Polling rate

1KHz for both 2.4GHz wireless and USB-C wired connections

Key type

Linear Mechanical

Battery life (RGB lighting/50%)

Up to 72 hours

Battery life (RGB lighting off)

Up to 798 hours (2.4GHz) / Up to 1800 hours (Bluetooth)

Adjustable Height

Yes; 2-steps

Software Customization

Yes, with Alienware Command Center

Lighting

Per-key 16.8 Million RGB, AlienFX

Pros

• Use wirelessly or wired
• Excellent build
• Hot-swappable switches
• Team Liquid assisted with its design

Cons

• Premium price for a keyboard
• Dramatic battery life drop with RGB enabled

Expand

$199.99 at Dell $150 at Amazon

It Offers What Gamers Want—And Expect

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

In recent years, mechanical keyboards for gaming have largely settled on a 75% size form factor. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard continues with this trend. At this size, the keyboard is compact but still big enough that nothing significant is removed—except for a numbers pad, which isn’t typically necessary for gaming purposes. It still contains function row keys and arrow keys like full-size keyboards.

The six-rowed keyboard is gorgeous, has terrific build quality, and is available in black or white. Not surprisingly, the first thing you’ll probably notice about this keyboard when you give it power is its 16.8 million color RGB lighting, which extends magically across all 83 keys, adding a stunning visual element to your gaming setup.

The bottom of the keyboard includes a long silicone strip that covers the front edge. This stabilizes the keyboard and improves its grip on the table. The stands on the bottom of the keyboard can be adjusted to two steps.

As the name suggests, this keyboard can be used wirelessly. However, it also works well wired, allowing you to adapt to your gaming setup. It supports Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections and ships with a 2-meter USB-A to USB-C paracord cable for wired use.

At 1.81 pounds, the keyboard is light enough to freely move it around the house. Its 75% size measures 12.3 in x 5.0 x 1.6 inches. It allows up to five on-board memory profiles for others in your family to use or connect to extra devices. My Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard was in black, “Dark Side of the Moon.” There’s also a white version, “Lunar Light.”

Battery Life Inconsistency

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that using a 2.4GHz connection and RGB lights really affects a keyboard’s battery life. With the Alienware Pro keyboard, there’s a difference between 72 hours between charges with RGB activated and up to 1,800 hours with Bluetooth on and RGB disabled.

This is a considerable range. However, I’d suggest it means very little when you consider you can charge the keyboard overnight if you are committed to using RGB.

Smooth, Adjustable Key Switches and Necessary Accessories

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

The Alienware Pro keyboard has linear mechanical switches that provide 40 grams of actuation force, or the pressure required to register a keystroke.

The keyboard feels solid when typing, and every key even pushed lightly, gets it right the first time. Meanwhile, the internal polyoxymethylene thermoplastic (POM) on the stem of each key guarantees the clicking sound you want from mechanical keyboards.

During my tests, I didn’t experience any accidental key presses or lag time. Tactile feedback was also terrific, as it should be for mechanical keyboards. I used the Alienware Pro while briefly playing games like “Last Epoch_,” “_Fallout 4,” and “Manor Lords.”

The keyboard doesn’t come with extra keys. However, it’s hot-swappable, so you can swap individual switches easily using an included tool. You can replace switches in either 3-pin or 5-pin configurations.

In addition to the keycap and switch puller, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-A to USB-C adapter, Type-C dongle, dongle extender, an Alienware sticker, quick start guide, and regulatory document. The keyboard’s backside includes three inputs: a power slider, a Type-C dongle storage dongle, and a mode switch button.

Software for Customization

Download Alienware Command Center version 6.1 or later on your Windows 10 or later PC to customize the lighting on the Alienware keyboard. Assuming you’re using the keyboard with an Alienware computer, you probably already have this software installed on your machine. Otherwise, get it and make the keyboard your own. The process was smooth and added to the keyboard’s value.

Should You Buy the Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard?

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

The Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard is expensive—until you see what other mechanical keyboards cost . Although I believe part of the $200 cost is simply based on the Alienware name. Assuming you are a heavy gamer, I still think it’s worth it. For good measure, it’s also important to note Team Liquid was included in developing the keyboard. The company is a major Dutch-based esports organization with over 150 players on its team.

Beyond the keyboard’s price, I can’t see another reason not to purchase this product, assuming you are, at minimum, a casual gamer. Sure, the battery life shrinks to 72 hours with RGB activated, but that’s probably not important to most folks.

Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard

9/ 10

$150 $200 Save $50

The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard provides up to 72 hours of gaming between charges. It features hot-swappable switches, the ability to use up to 16.8 million color combinations, a 75% form factor, a wireless dongle extender, and more.

$199.99 at Dell $150 at Amazon

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