Roccat's Vulcan keyboard is getting new optical and TKL models

Roccat have announced their excellent Vulcan mechanical keyboard series is expanding next month with three new variants. Two of them will be based around Roccat's new super fast Titan Optical switch, also announced today, while the third will shrink down the original Vulcan into a new, tenkeyless form factor.

The tenkeyless Vulcan, dubbed the Vulcan TKL, will be available in both Roccat's existing Titan Tactile and Titan Speed switches for £119 when it launches on October 30th, but you'll have to shell out a little bit extra for the Vulcan TKL Pro if you want those newly-announced Titan Optical switches. This will cost £140 when it launches alongside the regular Vulcan TKL at the end of next month, offering speeds up to 40% faster than your typical mechanical switch, according to Roccat.

That's because optical keyboard switches use beams of light to detect your keystrokes rather than relying on moving parts, allowing switches to reset themselves a lot quicker as a result. Roccat also claim their Titan Optical switches have a longer life-span than your average mechanical switch, rating them for 100 million clicks compared to the usual 50 million you get on mechanical-based keyboards.

Both TKL models will come with detachable USB-C cables and Roccat's Aimo RGB lighting, and you'll also be able to program your own macro commands into them using their dedicated game modes.

However, if you're adamant about keeping your keyboard's number pad (and also fancy the idea of having a detachable, magnetic wrist rest bundled into the box), then you'll probably want to consider the new Vulcan Pro instead. This full-sized keyboard also comes with Roccat's new Titan Optical switches, and uses a wired USB-A connector to plug into your PC. This is set to cost £180 at launch, and will be available on the same day as its two TKL siblings, October 30th.

I was a big fan of the original Vulcan and its Titan Tactile switches, so much so that it went straight into my top gaming keyboard recommendations when I reviewed it last year. It's a beautifully made keyboard thanks to its sturdy aluminium chassis and tactile volume / media key knob, and the three new models look as though they're also going to incorporate the same great build quality when they come out at the end of next month. I'll be intrigued to see whether Roccat's new Titan Optical switches are significantly louder than their Tactile and Speed siblings, as optical keyboards such as the HP Omen Sequencer and Razer Huntsman are typically even clackier than your classic Cherry MX Blue switch. Fingers crossed I'll be able to test one soon to find out.