Within the introduction of the review, we mentioned Tesoro’s claims regarding the usability for work and games, so we set about using it for a few days, to allow time to accustom ourselves to the unique layout of the chiclet style keys and relatively short mechanical keyswitch travel of 3.0mm, whereas most Cherry MX or Razer keyswitches are between 4mm and 5mm.
The first thing we noticed was the spacing of the keys. The alphabetical keys occupy around 8% more area than the keyboard we use on a daily basis, the Razer Blackwidow Chroma V2. This took a long time to get used to, with each key being bigger than normal and spaced differently. However, once we spent some time using the keyboard on a daily basis, this was less of an issue but we weren’t quite able to hone our touch-typing though, despite years of doing this with ease. The small bumps on the F and J keys were too small to find reliably and the spacing was too far different to anything we’ve used before.
In regards to the keyswitches, we had the Blue ones in our review sample. They felt ok to type on, but nothing to write home about if you’re used to a fully-fledged mechanical keyboard with anything from Cherry, Kailh, Razer or Logitech. They’re also quite loud, despite featuring very little tactile feedback; we’d either expect a quieter switch or a firmer bump. It seems you get the worst of both worlds here. There’s also no mention of the expected lifespan of the low-profile keyswitches, something which most manufacturers provide.
Gaming was another serious consideration we needed to make, due to Tesoro’s claims. We fired up Borderlands 2, Battlefield 1 and War Thunder for some testing. We feel our experience was somewhat disturbed by the Blue keyswitches, with the audible feedback being a little too loud and with very little tactile feedback to warrant the noise. We don’t mind a loud key if it provides a positive keyswitch like a Razer Green or Cherry MX Blue.
Moving on from the typing and gaming, comfort is the next logical step. The front of the keyboard only stands 15mm from the desk, so a wrist rest isn’t really necessary to remain comfortable for typing for prolonged periods. Something we felt was majorly lacking is the ability to raise the back of the keyboard, this is something that’s included on almost all keyboards for a reason, because it’s necessary and most people use it. Why have Tesoro decided to exclude this?
RGB lighting, the key element to any gaming keyboard at the moment, is excellent on this board. The outer edge of each key is illuminated as well as the legend on the keycap. The effects aren’t massively plentiful within the software, but there’s certainly enough to keep you happy. Everything is crisp and bright and the effects are buttery smooth.
The first thing we noticed was the spacing of the keys. The alphabetical keys occupy around 8% more area than the keyboard we use on a daily basis, the Razer Blackwidow Chroma V2. This took a long time to get used to, with each key being bigger than normal and spaced differently. However, once we spent some time using the keyboard on a daily basis, this was less of an issue but we weren’t quite able to hone our touch-typing though, despite years of doing this with ease. The small bumps on the F and J keys were too small to find reliably and the spacing was too far different to anything we’ve used before.
In regards to the keyswitches, we had the Blue ones in our review sample. They felt ok to type on, but nothing to write home about if you’re used to a fully-fledged mechanical keyboard with anything from Cherry, Kailh, Razer or Logitech. They’re also quite loud, despite featuring very little tactile feedback; we’d either expect a quieter switch or a firmer bump. It seems you get the worst of both worlds here. There’s also no mention of the expected lifespan of the low-profile keyswitches, something which most manufacturers provide.
Gaming was another serious consideration we needed to make, due to Tesoro’s claims. We fired up Borderlands 2, Battlefield 1 and War Thunder for some testing. We feel our experience was somewhat disturbed by the Blue keyswitches, with the audible feedback being a little too loud and with very little tactile feedback to warrant the noise. We don’t mind a loud key if it provides a positive keyswitch like a Razer Green or Cherry MX Blue.
Moving on from the typing and gaming, comfort is the next logical step. The front of the keyboard only stands 15mm from the desk, so a wrist rest isn’t really necessary to remain comfortable for typing for prolonged periods. Something we felt was majorly lacking is the ability to raise the back of the keyboard, this is something that’s included on almost all keyboards for a reason, because it’s necessary and most people use it. Why have Tesoro decided to exclude this?
RGB lighting, the key element to any gaming keyboard at the moment, is excellent on this board. The outer edge of each key is illuminated as well as the legend on the keycap. The effects aren’t massively plentiful within the software, but there’s certainly enough to keep you happy. Everything is crisp and bright and the effects are buttery smooth.
