Turtle Beach Vulcan II XP Review: A $150 Wired Keyboard of Trade-Offs
Turtle Beach has introduced the Vulcan II XP, a new wired keyboard positioned in its mid- to high-end lineup, retailing for $150. Additionally, the wireless variant, known as the Vulcan II XP Air, is available for $200. This keyboard measures 462 x 153 x 32 mm and boasts a brushed-aluminum top with a low-profile design, complemented by a plastic shell underneath. It features pop-up legs, a foam wrist rest, and built-in media controls. Connectivity is facilitated through a detachable 1.8-meter USB-C to USB-A cable. The Titan HS mechanical switches are hot-swappable and designed for 50 million keystrokes. It supports a 1,000-Hz polling rate and 1-ms response time, while Swarm II software offers 10 lighting effects, five profiles, and macro management. Both linear and tactile options come in black or white.
Key facts
- The Vulcan II XP costs $150 and is wired-only, with a wireless Vulcan II XP Air priced $50 higher
- The keyboard measures 462 x 153 x 32 millimeters with a brushed-aluminum top plate over a plastic base
- Titan HS switches are hot-swappable and rated for 50 million keystrokes versus 150 million on the Vulcan II TKL Pro
- The board offers a 1,000-Hz polling rate and 1-millisecond response time
- Swarm II software provides 10 lighting effects, an 11th custom slot, five onboard profiles and a macro manager
- Game presets include Counter-Strike, Overwatch and Skyrim, plus office apps and Photoshop
- The review unit's media wheel was inverted by default and needed remapping
- NumPad LEDs under the "0" and "." keys glowed white regardless of assigned color
Entities
Institutions
- Turtle Beach
- Wired