Down to the small details, from the luminous animations to the very mechanical key, including the customization possibilities, the REDMAGIC keyboard-mouse set is designed to please its target audience, video game enthusiasts. You have to put a substantial price on it, navigate the many settings and love this type of design. And Mac compatibility can be problematic.
Launched this spring, the REDMAGIC set of two crucial accessories for video games, the adapted keyboard and mouse, completes the offer of the Chinese manufacturer Nubia, which has specialized in this niche since 2019 with its ultra-powerful phones. Let’s start with the beefiest, the mechanical keyboard, a big beast of 1165 grams with large clickable keys. By comparison, Apple’s Magic Keyboard weighs a mere 371 grams.
The keyboard is heavy, therefore, solid, obviously made to last. We are promised no less than 100 million keystrokes, and we take the manufacturer at their word. The 3.5mm key-drop space doesn’t hinder its agility and sensitivity, which is amazing. Daily use, for writing or browsing, is pleasant, as of course for video games.
The most important keys, including Return, the space bar and the four arrows, are covered in a rougher red plastic.
The first surprise in the box is a tool specially designed to detach and replace to your liking, with other designs available on the market, certain keys.
It can be connected in three different ways: with the supplied braided fiber cable, going from USB-C to USB-A (a subtle flower for gamers who still rely heavily on this old standard), Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz, with a removable receiver recessed under the keyboard. The battery in wireless mode contains 4000 mAh, enough to provide 28 hours of autonomy with the lights on, some 200 lights off. Of course we used wire, so much safer and more stable.
We have not yet approached the most spectacular that appears at the connection, the many multicolored lights that come alive. They can be configured, in speed or in ten patterns, and turned off, directly on the keyboard with the Function key or with REDMAGIC’s in-house software.
The other little surprise is a round button at the top right, which controls a screen of about 5 cm by 3 on which the volume, brightness, speed and color of the light animations are displayed. This screen, from the REDMAGIC software, is configurable and you can replace the manufacturer’s logo with a personalized photo.
You have to be patient: uploading a photo takes about five minutes, but it works without bugs.
Let’s move on to the mouse, less spectacular but rather effective. First, at 75 grams, it is very light even if it also gives the impression of solidity. The promise here is 80 million clicks. It stands out for its obvious sensitivity on the first touch, with a sensor that can be configured up to 26,000 DPI and an extreme response speed of 1 ms. We are also entitled here to small animated lights, less complex, with three patterns passing through the color palette.
The three connection options, with their included cable or adapter, are still available and the 450 mAH battery promises a hundred hours of autonomy. Two additional small buttons on the right side wait to be assigned commands by the REDMAGIC software, and the main buttons can also be reassigned.
Finally, a set of tights is offered as a bonus in the box. These rubber additions are added to the already existing buttons to give a better grip.
At US$298 for the set, or C$405, we’re not dealing with affordable accessories. There are, however, far more expensive options for the “gamer” who wants the ultimate, and that’s what this is all about.
Difficult to clearly find all the configurations of this keyboard-mouse. The manual is very minimal, the software too, you have to take a look at the REDMAGIC site to flush out all the secrets – and there are many – of these accessories.
Yes, the keyboard and mouse are compatible with Mac, but minimally. The configuration software is only offered in Windows and our MacBook Air disconnected from the keyboard a few times. It was necessary to remove and re-insert the cable to find the connection. As you can imagine, the Mac is not quite the main concern of a manufacturer specializing in video games.
REDMAGIC confirms with these accessories what we suspected: this manufacturer really listens to “gamers” and knows how to give its products the right little touches to please them. The keyboard and mouse are as efficient as they are pleasant, in design and ergonomics.
A very good buy, no doubt, for the PC video game enthusiast. For ordinary mortals, we are dealing here with solid accessories that have more responsiveness and functions than those to which we are accustomed. Much more, probably, than the average user needs.