The Quick Fire XTi was surprising in various ways. The lighting is rather dynamic considering its relative limitation; the red/blue combination works really well. As these colours are commonly used in the world of gaming peripherals, it won't look out of place amongst the many different desktop themes and setups people will have. Lighting 'modes' can be essentially gimmicky on keyboards and even with the addition of snake, this position will ring true for many. That doesn't dampen the fact that once you get used to the Quick Fire XTi, it allows for quick on-the-fly customisations, this is rare between other keyboards with or without drivers. Then you have a functioning macro recording system that will open up many possibilities for gamers, sure there are limitations, but these are a worthy trade for the people that dislike navigating relatively useless bloatware that is essentially not needed to the running of their system.



Other than the limitations, there are a few things to consider with the Quick Fire XTi. Firstly, the functions and customisation takes a little getting used to and you will likely need to experiment a little till you get the hang of it. Once you have, you will find that the visual feedback amongst the blinking LED lights is rather tactile and natural. Other than this, it would have been good to see this keyboard shipped with a nice wrist rest.

Found for around £129, it is a little pricey, understandably considering it sports Cherry MX switches. Again for the price, some may feel that a full RGB keyboard would be better, especially when you consider that the Quick Fire XTi is in the same ballpark as the Corsair STRAFE RGB, though you could counter that argument by saying the red/blue lighting actually creates a distinctive character that sets it apart. Regardless, this keyboard is sleek and elegant in all the right ways and will make a excellent addition to your desktop.

The Quick Fire XTi gets you in the game instantly without fuss, powered by the reliability of Cherry MX switches and full NKRO; of course should you want it (why wouldn't you) there is on-the-fly LED customisation and macro recording available without the need for additional software.



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