The semi-translucent keycaps allow more light to shine through.
HyperX has added another mechanical keyboard to its peripheral lineup, the Alloy Elite 2, and it is made with "pudding keycaps." That doesn't mean you can eat them in a pinch—they're not actually made of pudding, but a special material that allows the RGB backlighting to really shine. That's good, because typing on pudding doesn't sound the least bit enticing to me.
Most keycaps are solid nearly the all the way through, with light spilling out from underneath and through the font etched on the top. In contrast, HyperX's pudding keycaps have translucent sides to allow more light to escape.
That said, these are still dual-layer ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) keycaps and not double-shot PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), the latter of which are thicker and more durable (and generally more expensive). HyperX does actually sell standalone pudding keycaps that are PBT, but decided to go with ABS on the Alloy Elite 2.
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Underneath the keycaps, HyperX is using its own Red key switches. Similar to Cherry MX Red switches, these are linear (meaning the key action is smooth without any tactile feedback) with a rated 45g of force. However, HyperX claims a slightly shorter actuation point at 1.8mm versus 2mm, and less travel distance at 3.8mm versus 4mm. And in terms of durability, HyperX says its Reds are good for 80 million keystrokes, whereas Cherry rates its MX Reds for "greater than 50 million."
There are dedicated media keys on the upper-right section of the Alloy Elite 2, including a volume dial. Users can also switch between three onboard profiles, though there are no dedicated gaming/macro keys.
Other features include USB 2.0 pass-through, 100 percent anti-ghosting, full N-key rollover, and an RGB light bar situated at the top of the keyboard.
The Alloy Elite 2 is available now for $129.99.
