A built-in display can show animation, system info, and more. | Image: Asus

ROG, one of Asusโ€™s gaming brands, has announced the Strix Flare II Animate, a mechanical keyboard that gets its name from the LED display built into it, which can play animations or display logos, similar to the dot-matrix displays ROGโ€™s built into the lids of some laptops.

Asus calls this tech the AniMe Matrix LED display, and says you can use it to show all sorts of things; custom images and animations, system info like battery life, time, and date, and even audio visualizations. Itโ€™s blingy, to say the least, and more eye-catching than an illuminated logo. That could be a good thing though โ€” this keyboard will cost $220, so it has to justify that price somehow.

Gif: Asus
Yes, ROGโ€™s all-caps font does make it look like itโ€™s called Anime Matrix.

As if the Strix Flare II Animate didnโ€™t have enough lighting with the 312 mini-LEDs display, Asus also added an RGB strip on the bottom. โ€œBut wait,โ€ I can hear my hands protesting. โ€œWonโ€™t adding a wrist rest cover up all that lighting?โ€ And indeed, yes it would โ€” if the wrist rest included with this keyboard didnโ€™t include a diffuser that gives it a colorful underglow.

Image: Asus
Who doesnโ€™t love some nice, diffused RGBs?

Image: Asus
The wrist rest even has a place to hold the diffuser thatโ€™s usually on the keyboard, which you have to take off when installing the rest.

The Flare II Animate also has a laundry list of non-screen and RGB-related features, including:

8000Hz polling
Media controls, which take the shape of a knob, scroll wheel, and button
USB 2.0 passthrough
PBT Double-shot keycaps
Sound-dampening foam

Finally, and somewhat importantly when it comes to a keyboard, are the actual key switches. The Animate comes with either Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Red switches. You can also get it with Asusโ€™s own ROG NX switches, also in three different flavors. It even has swappable switches, so you can switch out switches depending on your preference โ€” for example, you could make it harder to press the space bar, and easier to press the WASD.

Image: Asus
Both the key caps and key switches can be swapped on the Animate.

If youโ€™re not into the heavy bling (and price) of the Animate, Asus will also sell a standard Strix Flare II for $180. There are more caveats though. It doesnโ€™t have as many switch choices, as theyโ€™re not easily swappable, and it canโ€™t be equipped with Cherry switches. You also, obviously, miss out on the AniMe screen โ€” itโ€™s replaced by an RGB ROG logo (the lights on the bottom are gone too). Other than that itโ€™s similar; it still has most of the Animateโ€™s features, like N-key rollover, a 2-meter braided cable, and macro support.

The Strix Flare II non-animated will be available late this month, and Asus says the Animateโ€™s โ€œtentativeโ€ availability is around late January as well.

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