Rapoo V500 Pro Gaming Mechanical Backlit Keyboard Review

 

RAPOO Philippines has announced the launch of their latest V500 Pro gaming mechanical backlit keyboard in the Philippines. It comes in a purple color and makes a pretty cute addition to your gaming gear.

The Rapoo V500 Pro mechanical keyboard is equipped with a blue switch that provides up to 60 million keystrokes. RAPOO V Philippines was generous enough to provide us a review unit to evaluate, and so here's our hands-on review of this cute purple gaming keyboard.

Design and Built
The V500 Pro gaming mechanical Keyboard is packaged in a conventional keyboard box, with the Rapoo V500 Pro Gaming Mechanical Backlit Keyboard label on the front and the features listed on the rear of the box.

It's a full-sized keyboard with a total of 104 keys, including a dedicated numeric keypad, on the right side, but it does not support programmable keys. It is made of plastic and may be bent by applying additional force to it.

The keyboard is stable on the table thanks to the rubberized feet on the back, and it weighs only 805g. It features adjustable feet on the bottom that allow you to position it just high enough for comfortable typing. 

It has a USB Type-A plug with a 1.2-meter cable that is used to connect to a PC or Mac with a plug-and-play function.

The keys on the keyboard have adequate spacing between them, which allows for more comfortable use and prevents inadvertent key presses. The V500 Pro uses a Blue Switch mechanism, so its easily customize the keypad using third-party Blue switch keys. It also has a spill-resistant design, where it can easily withstand coffee or any other liquid spillage, this is useful since most users usually want their drinks within reach while in front of the computer, either playing games or doing work stuff.

Performance
Once the keyboard is plugged in, the RGB lights turn on instantly. The V500 Pro's lighting is quite nice, specially when used with no room light. Unfortunately, the lighting settings are only limited to the onboard keyboard RGB settings since we can't seem to get Rapoo’s V500 Pro software to work.

Switching between the keyboard's RGB profiles is as simple as pressing the Fn key and designated key. It's easy to use the key combination on what each button does, such as disabling RGB or increasing or decreasing light brightness, but once you get the hang of it, switching RGB profiles becomes much easier.

FN + Prntsc = change of light constant, breath, wave, overlay, falling
FN + Scrtlk = Logo light control (normal ON, breathing, OFF), normal ON by default
FN + ECS = short press to turn off/on the light, long press for 3 seconds to restore factory settings.

Additionally, it supports shortcut keys by utilizing the FN key in conjunction with the F1 to F12 keys, each of which performs a specific purpose on the Windows platform.

The V500 Pro delivers solid performance when it comes to key responsiveness and travel. The blue mechanical switches performed as expected and had a very satisfying tactile feel every time a key is pressed.

While using it for work-related tasks is fantastic, the keyboard is quite loud when pressed, which makes it quite enjoyable to use when writing emails, updating status on Facebook, and other tasks, but it is not recommended for use in the office given the possibility of disturbing coworkers due to the loud clicking sound.

Because the keyboard's keys are snappy and it's easy to use, gaming is more immersive because you know you've got a reliable keyboard. When playing games, it's recommended to use a palm rest to ensure a more comfortable experience. Gaming enthusiasts will love the V500 Pro keyboard for its responsive keys and comfortable design.

Rapoo V500 Pro Gaming Mechanical Keyboard Specs:

Mechanical keys
Standard Keyboard Layout - QWERTY
Key life of up to 60 million operations
Anti-ghosting (all keys are conflict-free)
Spill-resistant design
Individually backlit keys
Aluminum alloy surface cover
Keyboard Height: 37 mm
Keyboard Width: 434 mm
Keyboard Depth: 131 mm
Connection Type - USB 3.0 cable
Compatibility - Windows / Mac OS
805 g

Pros:
Solid build quality
Responsive keys
Good tactile feel
Back leg hinges
Bright RGB lighting
Spill-resistant design
Purple color
Affordable price

Cons:
Software doesn't work
No way to turn off lights and change colors
No palm rest included

Final Thoughts
The Rapoo V500 Pro Gaming Mechanical Keyboard is an excellent value for money mechanical gaming keyboard that is comfortable to use, has reasonable key spacing, provides excellent tactile feedback and it comes in a cute purple color. The RGB colors are vibrant, and the animations may be customized via the key function. Unfortunately, the software does not work, although this is minor. This is a good option if you're seeking an inexpensive mechanical gaming keyboard.

The Rapoo V500 Pro Gaming Mechanical Keyboard in purple color will be available soon.

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