As a gamer, have you ever found a peripheral that you liked so much, you wish you could keep it forever? And if it ever broke you would go out and find the exact same one to buy? I thought I had. I’m stubborn like that. But then MSI got in touch and asked us if we wanted to try out the new MSI Vigor GK50 gaming keyboard. Sure, I said. Why not. And the verdict? I’m so glad I did.
The MSI Vigor GK50 gaming keyboard is what they call Low Profile, which essentially means it’s small to more traditional style keyboards. There’s no real border around the outside keys. It is however, a full sized QWERTY keyboard with a numberpad on the right hand side.
The keys use mechanical switches, which are actually called ‘low profile mechanical switches’ on the box. The proper name for them though is Kailh Low Profile Switches. I’ve not had too much experience in the past with these switches, as I usually opt for Cherry MX Reds on my gaming keyboard, but after using them for about a week, and you know what? They’re not half bad.
The switches need a little bit of force which bottoms out when pressing keys, which I quite like. Being low profile switches it means that the travel distance is minimal sitting at around 34mm. This along with the loud audible clickiness of the actual key strokes gives me an indication that I’m actually hitting a key when I’ve got my headphones on and I’m in the thick of it. Typing on the keyboard took a bit of getting used to, and touch typing on this keyboard makes a bit of a racket due to the clickiness of the keys. Playing quick games like Heroes of the Storm was great, and the return rate of the hotkeys was decent too.
I did find an issue with its flex though. And yes, although on the box it says there’s a metal bar right under the space bar that is supposed to provide increased support and what not. Sure, the keyboard doesn’t slide around your desk and it can sit firm in place while you’re bashing your way through skills or actions in game, but press that space bar too hard, or any of the centre keys, and you’ll notice the frame flex. It’s not huge, nor can I see it breaking unless you REALLY force it to bend, but it does happen. I blame the plastic build quality.
The whole thing is fully RGB too, which of course it is. It’s gamery. Even the indicator lights when you have NUM lock or CAPS lock turned on are included in the overall lighting aesthetic of the keyboard. It’s okay though, it matches my Corsair iCUE stuff inside my tower quite nicely, and the MSI GK50 even reacts to some games that are compatible with their Dragon Centre and Mystic Light which we’ll get onto in a moment. When I first plugged in the keyboard though, the lighting went manic. The RGB windmill effect was so fast! I had to turn this down straight away in the Dragon Centre.
The cord that plugs into the back of your PC is braided, which saves it from getting snagged on the back of your desk, and actually fits in with the premium aesthetic quite nicely.
So, onto the Dragon Centre. It’s essentially MSI’s driver software, which all of their new peripherals feed into like their GM30 gaming mouse and GH60 gaming headset that we’re just about to review. It’s the brains behind the operation. Inside the Dragon Centre you’ve got the choice to save three different profiles with up to 30 programmable macros. Plenty for all types of gamer I feel. The only other options you got to change in the software is the Mystic Light effects, and inside there are a few presets to choose from, as well as per-key lighting, so you can really narrow down your gaming experience to the buttons you’re actually going to use. I keep my lighting effect on Whirlpool, but there are a bunch of cool effects like Radar, Wave, Rippe which fires out with each key stroke and an effect that reacts to your music like an equiliser. It’s a VERY basic software compared to what you’re usually greeted with from some of these gaming keyboard brands.
I liked the MSI Vigor GK50 gaming keyboard a lot, especially its size and lightweight design. Sure it has a bit of flex to it, but it wasn’t a problem during my gaming sessions.
