If you’re a serious PC gamer, then the OCZ Sabre OLED Gaming Keyboard should be at the top of your list. You really have to consider which features you’re looking for in a gaming keyboard. On one hand you have a fully-customizble OLED keyboard with onboard memory and limitless macro configurations, but you miss out on key backlighting, color screens, USB ports and other features that competing products provide.
It would have been nice if there were additional hard buttons for media as well. Many gamers like access to volume and media buttons while they play, and shouldn’t have to use up a few of their OLED slots for this purpose.
You probably won’t use the Sabre in daylight again
The keyboard is a dream to type on, as it is very quiet and extremely responsive. The OLED buttons are a bit large and take more effort to press, but that’s the whole point of these special macro keys… you really don’t want to press them by accident.
In addition to a great typing experience is the user-friendly customization software. The hardest part of using this software is figuring out which functions you want to program and getting the icons looking “just right”. It might take a lot of effort to customize this keyboard to your liking, but once you do you’ll certainly turn some heads at the next LAN party.
And that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it?
UPDATE: Originally the OCZ Sabre keyboard received a 5 rating, and it does deserve such when presented to those looking for unique and innovative gaming keyboards. There are lots of things to like about this keyboard, but many PC gamers will be looking for certain features that have been omitted. After these considerations we decided to change our score to a respectible 4 out of 5 rating.
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7 comments
with current (and only) available drivers, the OLEDs have a built in 'screensaver' of 3 minutes. Its a feature confirmed by OCZ on their forums to prevent the OLEDs frmo burning out.
If you press one of the OLEDs, they will all come on again, but you will invoke the associated function of the pressed OLED button in the process
Someone's got it wrong yet again! Why stuff with the Home End block of keys? I rely on their three vertical pairs, and the familiar space around them and the arrow keys, to quickly access vital commands by feel. They also constitute a handy set of three up down toggles, and I often assign ‘End’ (at centre bottom) as a Zoom or Snipe key in First Person Shooters. Disappointed!!
It's like this keyboard is more for work productivity than gaming. I'm way more likely to use the key in a work setting, as well as use the keyboard with some light in the room (as opposed to the preference for complete darkness for a game). I find the lack of backlit keys to be bizarre and inconvenient, considering it has side lighting which doesn't seem very useful.
@Phillip: That's why we break down the grade so you can see what matters to you. If the keyboard were perfect, then it would have received a "perfect" badge.
Chris / Hi Flare. Have you lkoeod at the Microsoft Sidewinder X6? Much cheaper and has red backlighting? Or the Logitech G110, also cheaper and with multi-colour backlights.
First rule for a keyboard is backlighting. Second, spill proof.
You're a shill. No backlit keys, no media controls, no USB ports, expensive as hell, managing software is buggy, OLED keys aren't greyscale…
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