Welcome to a review of the Metoo Zero Gaming Keyboard. There is not much info about Metoo Zero except that it is a Chinese company that produces e-sports equipment for gamers. They produced mainly affordable gaming mouse and gaming keyboards.
So does how does their affordable gaming products fare in the gaming market? Is it a great replacement compared to those expensive gaming keyboards? Let us look at one of their most popular keyboards that are sold to the public – Read on to find out!
First Impressions
The Metoo Zero Gaming Keyboard does come with a neat cardboard box which is secured nicely. This is pretty assuring to see as the company knows how to package it very well. Here are the items that came out with:
- The keyboard itself connected to the USB cable.
- A user manual that is only written in Chinese. Unless you are able to understand Chinese, the user manual is pretty much useless. It contains the specifications and tutorials on how to set up different lightings or activate certain keys.
- A bunch of stickers which are used to stick the keys in case the key legend fades off.
- A Keycap puller which is used to remove any keys on the keyboard. This is very useful if you want to customize your own keys.
The keyboard does not come with a warranty which means that if the keyboard that you have received has issues, there is no way to get some sort of a replacement. This is a really bad miss, though usually, budget gaming keyboards do not come with a warranty as compared to Razer or Logitech products. So let us take a look at the keyboard itself.
Design
The gaming keyboard itself is a tenkeyless (TKL) (80% board). If you look carefully, you will realize that the keyboard does not include the number pad. Users who are used to using the traditional desktop 104-key full-size layout will have to take some time to get used to this keyboard. I feel for most games you do not really need the number pad except for modded games like Minecraft or Grand Theft Auto V.
The layout of this keyboard is ergonomic which is common for most gaming keyboards. The panel of the keyboard is made up of aluminum metal. As for the keys, the keycaps they use is the double injection keycaps. It is designed to have two layers of plastic that are molded into each other. This is to ensure that the key legend will never fade or chip off.
As I remove the keycaps to see what kind of switches they use, this keyboard uses Cherry MX switches. Cherry MX switches are great to use for gamers since they last after 50 million clicks. Ordinary keyboards that contain stock membrane switches only last after 1 to 10 million clicks.
Thankfully, all the keys that we have tested so far do not have any issues. I do not encounter any ghosting which is assuring. Ghosting occurs when a single keystroke or several keystrokes are “lost” due to the inability of a keyboard to process simultaneous signals that come naturally to many gamers. As for the weight, it feels kind of light. The good news is that you can bring it around with you wherever you go.
Setting up + General Functions
This keyboard is mainly compatible with Windows OS (XP/Vista/Win 7/Win 8/Win 10). It is pretty easy to set up like most keyboards where you can connect to any PC that has a USB slot. The keyboard has several functions that mainly uses the function key (Fn).
- To adjust the volume, press Fn + F10/F11 to decrease/increase the volume. Pressing Fn + F12 will mute the volume.
- You can also open certain apps from your windows. Pressing Fn + F5 opens your PC file, Fn + F6 opens Internet Explorer, Fn + F7 opens your mail app and Fn + F8 opens the calculator.
- There is also a function to lock the Windows key and the function key. Press Fn + Windows icon to lock the windows key. Press Fn + End to lock the function key.
All of the functions work well which can be useful if you are used to pressing shortcuts to open certain functions.
Backlighting functions
This keyboard has up to 10 different backlighting functions which can be toggled by pressing both Fn + F9 keys. I like how each backlighting function is unique. One of them has the “Single Star” backlight effect which a key will light up when pressed and will be out after a few seconds. The other has the “Ripple” backlight effect where ripples will spread with the pressed key as the center.
- Pressing both Fn + PgUp/PgDown increase/decrease the brightness of the backlighting keys.
- The speed of the backlighting can be changed by pressing both Fn + “-“/”+”.
- Pressing both Fn + 5/6 changes the backlighting function to either FPS (First Person Shooter) or RTS (Real-Time Strategy).
- To go back to the default backlighting function, press both Fn + 4 keys.
There is also an option for you to customize your own backlighting settings if you wish (Fn + 1/2/3). All the backlighting effects I have tried out look pretty aesthetic which is pretty impressive for a gaming keyboard.
Technical Specs
Now that we are done with the review, here are the technical specifications… For you guys who want some accurate measurements and stuff.
- Support Windows OS (XP/Vista/Win 7/Win 8/Win 10).
- Interface Type: USB 1.0/2.0
- Cable Length: 1.5m ± 0.05m
- The number of keys: 87 (tenkeyless)
- Axis switches: Red/Blue/Black Cherry MX
- 10 different backlighting effects
Verdict
I feel that the backlighting for this keyboard is what makes it so unique as compared to other budget keyboards. Would I suggest getting this gaming keyboard to anyone? At a price of about $50, I would say definitely yes if you are on a tight budget and needs a decent gaming keyboard. The packaging is great and the keys are very responsive. This is the gaming keyboard that I would recommend for both casual and hardcore players.
The Good
- Very responsive
- Multiple backlighting effects
- Affordable
The Bad
- Does not include an English user manual
- Not so user-friendly
Codex (not Xavier) is a known rage gamer who throws controllers, flip tables and bottles… But strangely, he has never smashed a smartphone before.