Turtle Beach Impact 700 review

The choice of mechanical key switch will also come as a disappointment to some. Cherry’s MX Brown is by no means a bad switch, providing ample physical feedback and a reassuring click sound whenever you press a key, but if you’re after a dedicated gaming keyboard MX Red and Black switches tend to be preferred for their light actuation weight and low noise. Typists will appreciate the tactile response here, but typing at speed can create quite a racket – if you work or play in a room with other people they may find the noise irritating. There are currently no other versions of the Impact 700 for those that prefer other key switches, although this may change in the future based on how well this first model sells.

We’re guessing MMO players aren’t going to be queueing up for one of these, as with no software suite at all there’s no way to record macros or set up shortcut keys. It’s great that you can take the board with you anywhere and always be able to change lighting settings without having to install drivers, but if you only plan on using it in one place the lack of software might be more frustrating.

It might be built to last, but the Impact 700 simply doesn’t do enough to justify its high price. QPAD’s MK-90 has completely customisable RGB backlighting, full N-key rollover and a wrist rest in the box, yet costs almost £50 less. The lack of switch variation will undoubtedly put some people off too. Unless you’re the type of gamer that dishes out as much punishment to their peripherals as they do to their online opponents, the impressive build quality alone isn’t enough to justify a more glowing rating.