Topre Realforce RGB Keyboard Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. Testing4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

To test the Topre Realforce RGB, I used it as my daily driver for over a week. During this time, I used it while playing games and for general office work.

First of all, let's take a look at the included software. It is quite hard to find online, so if you are looking for the software, it is available HERE.

The APC control page is undoubtedly the best thing about the software. Here, users can first choose to set one single actuation distance for all of the switches. However, maybe you want extra control, and that is also supported as the actuation points are changeable on a per-key basis.

As you can see in the second screenshot, I set the keyboard to use all three actuation distances in different areas of the keyboard. Maybe you want to have the QWEASD keys at the fastest, 1.5mm distance, but the lighting controls at the slowest, 3mm distance – no problem. Things are also helped by the simple colour-coding system Topre have used – blue keys means they are set to 1.5mm actuation distance, green is 2.2mm and red is 3mm.

The RGB lighting control is also good, though perhaps not quite as polished as competing manufacturers' lighting options. You can choose from a number of preset options, such as a colour wave, random and reactive, or you can even create your own setting with per-key illumination.

That being said, the lighting lacks the absolute granularity offered by Corsair CUE or Razer Synapse – for example, users can only create custom colour layouts, meaning you cannot create custom effects, which is something CUE lets you do with ease.

The RGB lighting is pretty good, with accurate colours and a decent variety of presets available. However, there are only 3 levels of brightness, and I do think the LEDs could do with being a bit brighter as they currently lack the ‘pop' and vibrancy of keyboards like the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2.

That being said, Topre have used a white baseplate underneath the keycaps, and this is a feature I love to see as it allows the RGB lighting to spread out and create a lovely underglow.

Moving on to the physical testing, and I must say that the Realforce RGB is one beast of a keyboard.

I will start with the APC technology, as that is definitely the highlight feature of the board. You have already seen how comprehensive the software control is, but I want to talk about using it in-practice. In my experience, this feature is actually most useful while gaming. This is because, using the software, I was able to set all the keys I regularly use (QWEASD, shift, space bar etc) to the fastest, 1.5mm actuation distance. However, I also set keys I do not want to press (Windows key, arrow keys etc) to the slowest, 3mm distance. I found that, even if I did accidentally hit one of these keys, the longer actuation distance meant I did not actuate actuate the key, and saved myself from a gaming disaster.

There are also plenty of gaming features to compliment the APC tech, too. For starters, there is a keylock function, so you can choose which keys you want to disable using the software. The Realforce RGB also features NKRO (N-key rollover), so Topre has you covered in that regard.

However, the one downside to gaming performance could be the switches. I say ‘could be', as this is a very subjective matter. Essentially, Topre capacitive switches are very tactile, meaning there is quite a lot of resistance from each switch as you press down. The actuation force is still 45g, give or take 15g (which seems like a lot of fluctuation, if you ask me) but the heavy tactility may not appeal to some gamers who prefer a linear action (like Cherry MX Reds, for example.)

Topre capacitive switch sound test.

That being said, these switches are a joy to type on – in this scenario, I really appreciate the tactility, and the rubber dome at the bottom of the switch helps keep things slightly quieter than if you were using Cherry MX switches. Incidentally, you can listen to a sound test of the switches above.

So, on a day-to-day basis, I very much enjoyed using the Realforce RGB. However, there are just a couple of issues I want to raise, the most significant being the lack of wrist rest. I do think it is slightly hard-to-take that Topre would have you spend £260-odd on a high-end keyboard that does not come with a wrist rest of any sort.

The lack of braided cable is also a slight sore point for me, while you would also expect dedicated multi-media keys (not just volume keys) for the amount you are spending. Maybe I am being picky, but I think these criticisms are valid considering the high price of the keyboard.

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