Update, 2/8/17, 7:33am PT: The Cherry MX Red and Brown switch versions of the HyperX Alloy FPS are now available.
Original article, published 1/3/17, 1:15pm PT:
In October, Kington’s HyperX division officially jumped into the mechanical keyboard market with the HyperX Alloy FPS keyboard, and now it’s expanded that lineup to include more switch choices and RGB lighting.
There are two models now--the Alloy FPS and the Alloy RGB. The former has red LEDs only, whereas the latter has full RGB lighting. Both offer Cherry MX Red, Brown, or Blue switches. Therefore, there are six choices for consumers:
| HyperX Alloy FPS | HyperX Alloy RGB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry MX Red switches | Red lighting | $100 | Cherry MX Red switches | RGB lighting plus software | $150 |
| Cherry MX Brown switches | Red lighting | $100 | Cherry MX Brown switches | RGB lighting plus software | $150 |
| Cherry MX Blue switches | Red lighting | $100 | Cherry MX Blue switches | RGB lighting plus software | $150 |
Alloy FPS Updates
The Alloy FPS remains unchanged from what we’ve seen previously, but the original version had only Cherry MX Blue switches. A HyperX representative told Tom’s Hardware that the group wanted to start small and take its time ensuring quality, nailing down the manufacturing process and infrastructure, and all those key details.
HyperX believes it’s now ready to expand, both in terms of its relationship with Cherry (as evidenced by the option of Red and Brown switches) and its product lineup (eg, the Alloy RGB model).
There are no plans at this time for a version with Cherry MX Black switches. The new switch options for the Alloy FPS will be available February 6. They will all be $100, which is a solid price point for the feature set and quality.
The Alloy RGB Glimmers
We do not yet have firm specifications on the Alloy RGB, but we do know that it features RGB lighting, and it has the same metal alloy frame as its sibling. As noted above, it will cost $150--technically “sub-$149”--and it will arrive Q2 2017.
The Alloy RGB also shows a slight design departure from the Alloy FPS. Instead of the wholly compact build of the Alloy FPS, the Alloy RGB has an extra chunk of chassis across the top of the keyboard that houses three buttons on the top left (brightness, what looks like a gaming mode button, and something else) and a set of dedicated media buttons on the top right. These include play/pause, forward/back, and mute, and there’s a handy volume roller, as well. It also ships with a comfy-looking removable wrist rest.
Most importantly, the Alloy RGB will ship with software. HyperX has not elaborated on what the software would do exactly, but one would assume that you’ll be able to configure and choose lighting options, assign key functions, and create and assign macros.
We will likely find out at CES, or shortly thereafter.
