Pulsar’s PCMK 2 HE TKL Does Magnetic Gaming Keyboards Right

Pulsar made a large content with the Xboard QS, which featured expansive carnal customization and a physique prime beardown capable to beryllium classified arsenic a weapon. Along with immoderate of my favourite mechanical switches, Pulsar proved to beryllium a existent subordinate successful the boutique (and expensive) keyboard space. The PCMK 2 HE, however, takes connected a antithetic plan doctrine with a lighter, slimmer physique and makes the determination to magnetic switches to basal among immoderate of the champion gaming keyboards precocious released. It costs a beauteous penny astatine a basal terms of $160, particularly considering its wired-only connectivity limits versatility, but everything other astir it is fantastic and shows that Pulsar isn’t conscionable a one-hit wonder.

Pulsar PCMK 2 HE – Design and Features

The PCMK 2 HE rocks a elemental design, and it’s a cleanable and charismatic aesthetic with the achromatic and achromatic colour strategy that contrasts truly well. The QWER, ASDF, Escape, and Enter keys travel successful the other colour of the remainder of the keycaps (depending connected which superior colour you take to buy), and the backlit Pulsar logo supra the arrow keys shines brightly. That logo is besides a magnetic tab that you tin remove, and adjacent get customized for a small extra. The fable connected it indicates whether oregon not Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, oregon Game Mode is progressive via the backlighting arsenic well.

The exposed keycaps connected the aluminum apical sheet lets them popular and the RGB backlighting travel nicely crossed the board. These double-shot PBT keycaps don’t person transparent lettering truthful the lighting doesn’t assistance with visibility, but there’s a decent brightness that helps the customizable colors inactive leap out. The dampeners and foam furniture marque up the remainder of the keyboard, however, the keystrokes aren’t precisely brushed oregon quiet. I’m good with it since the keys person a airy and bouncy consciousness that works good for gaming and semipermanent typing, though it does dependable much “clacky” than astir different magnetic keyboards. The bottommost is encased successful a transparent integrative truthful it’s not a afloat aluminum chassis and doesn’t consciousness rather arsenic sturdy arsenic it could person been, but the see-through look is beauteous sweet.

Pulsar collaborated with Gateron for its magnetic switches, which person a truly creaseless linear consciousness – astatine conscionable 30g +/- 7 connected the archetypal actuation force, it’s 1 of the lightest switches I’ve used. In moving to magnetic Hall Effect switches, it affords the keyboard different furniture customization that you conscionable can’t get from mechanical keyboards. Popular manufacturers similar Logitech and Razer are jumping onto it now, and Pulsar is up determination with the large names not conscionable with however good the switches themselves perform, but due to the fact that of however casual it is to get the astir retired of them.

Pulsar PCMK 2 HE – Software and Customization

As with different boutique-style keyboard makers, Pulsar uses a web-based configurator alternatively of a downloadable bundle suite to customize the keyboard’s settings. It’s called Bibimbap and makes tweaking things a breeze, akin to what Keychron offers arsenic I saw with the K4 HE that I besides reviewed. You conscionable spell to the Pulsar bundle URL (it’ll accidental “download” but it doesn’t really download a client) and prime the keyboard from the Connect menu. From there, you tin messiness with things similar the customizable actuation point, RGB lighting profile, cardinal assignments, macros, and overmuch more.

Almost each diagnostic included is configurable connected a per-key basis, and portion RGB isn’t going to needfully radiance done the keycaps, the grade to which you tweak the colour spectrum, effects, and indicator lights connected the magnetic tab is extensive. Having adjustable actuation points, acknowledgment to the magnetic switches, comes successful clutch arsenic well, and that’s simply done successful the Performance tab successful the bundle – it tin beryllium arsenic abbreviated arsenic 0.1mm oregon arsenic heavy arsenic 4.0mm and anyplace successful betwixt successful 0.1mm increments.

Because this is simply a magnetic keyboard with features similar Rapid Trigger and Quick Tap, I bash request to code the ever-present elephant successful the room. Quick Tap, being the sanction for SOCD (simultaneous other cardinal direction) input successful this case, is simply a contentious diagnostic that allows contiguous input designation adjacent with the opposing absorption inactive being held. In a shooter, holding A to strafe near portion tapping D to strafe close without letting spell of A creates a jiggle-strafing question that is physically intolerable otherwise. And this method makes you an highly pugnacious people to hit. While each magnetic keyboard has immoderate signifier of SOCD now, it doesn’t mean you’re harmless to usage it – you volition get kicked from Counter-Strike 2 matches, for example, truthful beryllium mindful of that. Rapid Trigger isn’t arsenic problematic, it conscionable recognizes immoderate upward question arsenic a reset point, making repeated tapping faster.

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Despite not being arsenic physically blase arsenic the Xboard QS, determination is inactive immoderate onboard customization you tin bash with the PCMK 2 HE, similar swapping retired the switches. If you privation to alteration things up and ditch the Gateron x Pulsar magnetic switches, you tin bash that easy truthful agelong arsenic you’re putting successful N-Pole oregon S-Pole switches.

Pulsar PCMK 2 HE – Performance

To chopped to the chase, gaming show connected the PCMK 2 HE is stellar. That’s mostly owed to the super-light interaction to the Gateron x Pulsar magnetic switches and the adjustable actuation points. Even without utilizing Quick Tap, my accomplishment ceiling successful Counter-Strike 2 is simply a spot higher connected relationship of being capable to bash quicker keystrokes and person those inputs recognized switfly. While I emotion the K4 HE that I mentioned earlier, I springiness the flimsy borderline for gaming to thing similar the PCMK 2 HE since its switches marque these kinds of techniques easier to execute for competitory scenarios. Whether I'm quick-strafing to highest corners, switching weapons connected a dime, oregon crouch-jumping done a window, the PCMK 2 HE fto maine propulsion these moves disconnected effortlessly.

While I similar having a ace abbreviated actuation constituent for a competitory shooter, mounting my keys to a deeper constituent works wonders for making definite I don't accidently acceptable disconnected the incorrect enactment successful my onslaught rotation for Final Fantasy XIV. As idiosyncratic who spent hours-on-end raiding, I decidedly felt my fingers wearing retired the longer the raid went on, too, and the switches connected the PCMK 2 HE helps mitigate that benignant of exhaustion by virtuousness of the airy actuation force. It's those sorts of capabilities that whitethorn look insignificant connected paper, but marque noticeable differences successful practice.

While overmuch of these perks are owed to the magnetic switches, the keyboard is simply a pleasance to usage adjacent if it's louder than astir of its contemporaries. That bounciness I mentioned earlier feels large erstwhile I'm typing each passim the enactment day, making for a comfy acquisition extracurricular of gaming.

It’s worthy noting that the PCMK 2 HE features a 8000Hz polling rate, which I’ve talked astir extensively arsenic it pertains to high-end gaming mice. With regards to keyboards, the benefits are overmuch much limited, and I would spell arsenic acold to accidental negligible. Where the continuous and miniscule movements of a rodent swipe travel retired smoother with a precocious polling rate, the binary quality of keyboard inputs conscionable don't truly request that. If anything, it's to springiness you portion of caput that you're getting the champion show that's technically imaginable (but let's beryllium real, putting 8,000Hz polling complaint connected a container is besides a selling move).