6 Best Aura Sync Compatible Keyboards in 2024
With the introduction of RGB everything, keyboards have become a significant source of individual expression when putting together your build. They can highlight major key groups, glow individually, or even let you play simple games like snake, all thanks to so many LEDs being at your disposal. Sometimes you just want them to match the rest of your PC flawlessly and without fuss, though, and that’s what Aura Sync does best.
Here are the best Aura Sync compatible keyboards available today. All are from ASUS since the company doesn’t officially include third-party peripherals in their partner program. Even so, there’s enough variety for a broad range of users to find a perfect fit. Whether mechanical or membrane, silent or clicky, you’ll find the right keyboard for your Aura Sync setup here.
Best High-end Aura Sync keyboard: ASUS ROG Claymore II
Best Mid-range Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG Strix Flare
Best Budget Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG TUF K3
Best Tenkeyless Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG Strix Scope TKL
Best Compact Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG Falchion
Best Hybrid Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG TUF K5
Best High-end Aura Sync keyboard: ASUS ROG Claymore II
The first Claymore was well received. It was a robust keyboard you could get in different versions whether you needed a complete or a tenkeyless model. Its successor doubles down on the concept as only one version exists and comes with a Numpad you can either detach or relocate to the delight of lefties everywhere. It’s ridiculously expensive but well worth it if you have the money to spend.
Everything about the Claymore II speaks of premium quality, from the brushed aluminum top plate to the sturdiness of its magnetic leatherette wrist rest. There are no multimedia controls since the function keys take on their roles. Still, you do get four customizable macro keys and a volume roller on the Numpad. There’s room in the onboard memory for five profiles, plus unlimited ones through Armoury Crate.
Speaking of which, you may detach the Numpad entirely or relocate it to the left. This helps lefties whether they’re gaming or crunching numbers, or it can turn the Claymore into a more compact tenkeyless keyboard for smaller desks. You attach the Numpad through tabs and grooves hidden away by thin plastic side covers. These seem flimsy, so make sure to detach the Numpad during storage and transport.
ASUS outfitted the Claymore with proprietary RX switches. They’re optical, designed from the ground up, and available as either Red or Blue. The Blue ones are similar to their Cherry MX counterparts and loud. In contrast, the Red ones are closer to the Cherry MX Silent Red, with more travel but without compromising responsiveness.
The keycap and overall RGB lighting is exceptional. It comes through each keycap strongly, and there’s minimal bleed other than a mild aura effect around the keycaps that isn’t distracting. The ROG logo on the left lights up, as does a series of bars next to it that serves as a handy battery indicator.
You can use the keyboard wired or in wireless mode through a 2.4GHz wireless connection through a dongle with dedicated storage space on the keyboard’s bottom. Going wireless nets you 140 runtime hours in power-saving mode or 40 if you’re using RGB. The USB-C connection provides enough juice to keep the keyboard charged and power the passthrough, but you can only take advantage of the second port while in wired mode.
Best Mid-range Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG Strix Flare
Do you insist on an excellent typing experience but don’t want to spend a fortune on the Claymore? Then you should go for the most balanced Aura Sync capable keyboard – the Flare! It supports the greatest variety of Cherry MX switches, comes with a comfortable wrist rest, and has accessible media controls. Add a passthrough, and you’ve got a well-rounded keyboard at a reasonable price.
The Flare is a standard keyboard enriched by media controls and a volume wheel. Rather than following the custom, these controls are on the top left side and easy to reach when your hand is hovering over WASD. The top is made from gray ABS plastic with a brushed aluminum look and seemingly floats to allow more light to glow from the keys. An acrylic insert on the top right features the ROG eye that glows pleasantly with the RGB on. You get another blank insert you can customize to make the keyboard unique.
The keycaps are lighter and hollower than on comparably-priced models, but they’re responsive. Each is lit individually. There’s also a strip towards the bottom that gives the whole keyboard a subtle underglow. Thirteen effects come preinstalled. Assigning lights to each key is also an option, as is letting Aura Sync do its thing.
The Flare’s underside has three broad feet that hold it in place towards the front and two more in the back you can prop up to adjust its height. A USB 2.0 passthrough is in the back, and the braided cable splits in two to accommodate it. Two cable routing areas should make clutter more manageable, but only the thinnest wires will fit through them.
The wrist rest snaps easily into place thanks to a dependable peg & slot system. It’s a low-profile accessory made from plastic with a soft finish. You might have encountered a more comfortable model, but it will do.
You can choose between six different Cherry MX switches. These include Red for the best gaming performance, Blue for maximum clickiness, and Silver for fast typing due to low travel. There’s N-key rollover, so you can press as many as you need to during a heated match. The keyboard can store and call up six different profiles.
Best Budget Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG TUF K3
The cost of Strix products is regularly high, but did you know you don’t need to spend more than $100 to get a decent mechanical keyboard from ASUS? While it might be part of the cheaper TUF line, the K3 comes with many of the bells & whistles you’d expect from its more expensive cousins. These include per-key RGB, USB passthrough, and excellent build quality.
ASUS makes an even cheaper Aura Sync keyboard, the ROG TUF K1. It’s a membrane model worth checking out if you don’t want your every keystroke to be heard in adjacent rooms.
Stealthy is the first thing that comes to mind when examining the K3. Bezels are non-existent, while the top plate and keys, are a deep black that contrasts well with the underlying RGB lighting. The spacing between keys is excellent, as is the inclusion of the detachable wrist rest with six solid pads that ensure the keyboard won’t be going anywhere.
ASUS used Kailh switches for the ROG TUF K3, which are less expensive than Cherry MX. You’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference since the Kailh switches mimic the hair-trigger nature and responsiveness of MX Reds believably. They’re great for twitch shooters where a slight delay can end up costing you a match, but typing up long paragraphs is no less enjoyable.
It’s great to see features like a passthrough on such an affordable ASUS product. Individual RGB is also impressive, letting you come up with countless color combinations to suit the occasion. The memory module can store only three layout profiles, though, accessible using FN and the first three number keys in the main top row. The arrows also let you cycle through some basic pre-made effects and adjust the brightness if you don’t want to use any software.
Best Tenkeyless Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG Strix Scope TKL
FPS gamers with little desk real estate will adore the tenkeyless version of the Strix Scope. It caters to optimizing your typing experience as much as to saving space. The keyboard cleverly deals with multimedia and shortcut keys, has a helpful privacy button, and comes with individually backlit keys in two switch flavors.
The Scope TKL’s standard version is an attractive take on the tenkeyless design, with an aluminum top plate and plastic base. It doesn’t have a Numpad, leaving you with 85 keys and more breathing room. One thing ASUS didn’t compromise on is the left Ctrl key. It’s as large as left Shift, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally hitting the Windows key when you want to crouch.
Focusing on multimedia instead of the last eight function keys is one of the keyboard’s unique features. You can always access the function keys while holding down FN, which is also useful for toggling the preinstalled lighting profiles and their brightness. The “ghost” function sharing the F12 key is another unique feature worth mentioning. Pressing it mutes the PC and minimizes active windows, helping you pretend to study while you’re racking up kills in the latest COD.
The Scope doesn’t come with a writs rest, and a USB passthrough is absent. However, it has a removable braided power cable for easier transportation. You can adjust its height thanks to two small feet, and everything feels solid regardless of position. The keyboard is available with either Cherry MX Red or Brown switches. The latter is a good compromise between Red and Blue in terms of response times and feel.
RGB lighting is executed well, with keycaps hovering high above the top plate for an even brighter glow. Like the Flare, the Scope has a bottom LED bar. You can configure the colors and patterns easily with Armoury Crate. That’s also where you can outfit the keyboard with five onboard profiles.
Best Compact Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG Falchion
Is the tenkeyless Scope still too large for you? Then ditch the function row and embrace the minimalism offered by one of ASUS’s sharpest keyboards! The Falchion does away with unnecessary gaps between keys yet manages to preserve many premium features in the process. Its altered arrangement might take you a bit to get used to, but once you do, there’s nothing this mighty tyke can’t accomplish.
Form takes a backseat to function as the Falchion is designed to make maximum use of limited space. It’s a 65% keyboard, meaning the arrow keys and part of the six keys above them are intact. Still, they’re squished to the left, with the right arrow key serving as the endpoint. Shift, Backspace, and Enter are smaller to accommodate the setup, so expect a couple of wrong presses until you’re used to the change.
A touch-sensitive soundbar is the keyboard’s most interesting feature. Its default setting is to control the volume by sliding your finger up and down or tapping the endpoints. You can reconfigure these as well as a third mid-way point to serve other functions in Armoury Crate. A battery indicator sits underneath the bar and would have been more useful if you could see it without lifting the keyboard or needing room to the left of it.
As if that weren’t enough, the Falchion is also wireless. It works on the same principle as the Claymore and maintains an equally stable connection. Passthrough is absent, but the battery life in wireless mode is fantastic. Expect 50 hours with the RGB on and a whopping nine times more if you engage power-saving mode.
This keyboard is built for portability, and ASUS was kind enough to include a solid protective cover. It will keep the keys from getting accidentally damaged or pressed during transport and conveniently strengthens the base when not in use.
You could initially get the keyboard with Cherry MX Red, Brown, and Blue switches. ASUS now offers versions with NX switches they developed in-house. There’s not much difference between them; Red, Blue, & brown versions are available, with travel and actuation force ranging from 1.8 to 2.3mm & 40 to 65g, respectively.
Best Hybrid Aura Sync Keyboard: ASUS ROG TUF K5
While typing or playing on them feels sublime, mechanical keyboards are loud, whichever type of switch you prefer. The K5 offers the best of both worlds since it’s a tactile keyboard that’s satisfying to type on but has membrane domes instead of mechanical switches. It’s quiet and perfectly suitable for either gaming or writing. You don’t get advanced features like per-key RGB, but the price is just right as a result.
You may upgrade to the ROG TUF K7 if you need a comfortable detachable wrist rest and more intricate lighting customization.
The K5 won’t be winning any design awards as it’s a large plastic slab with dulled edges and a few TUF engravings serving as its only visual stimuli. On the other hand, the plastic material is exceedingly durable and has a coating that makes it resistant to scuffing & spills.
The layout is that of a typical full-sized keyboard with only four additional keys for light and volume control. These aren’t lit like the rest. The RGB lighting is separated into five zones you can set up to glow with various colors and effects. The lighting looks great from the top, and a lack of bleeding makes the keyboard great for typing. Looking at the keycaps from an angle reveals brightness inconsistencies, but the chances anyone would bother to do so are slim.
We were most impressed with the K5’s hybrid keys. They’re based on membrane domes but designed to mimic generalist MX Brown mechanical switches. Their travel distance is 3.6mm, with a noticeable actuation point in the middle that gives the keyboard its tactile feel. Best of all, typing on it produces less sound than on real mechanical models, so the K5 is ideal for family rooms and late-night gaming sessions.
This is one of the least expensive keyboards on review, so it’s no wonder that ASUS cut some corners. For example, the wrist rest isn’t removable. On the other hand, it props your wrists up correctly and increases typing comfort. There are no USB passthroughs either, and there’s nothing special about the cable that connects it to your PC.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Aura Sync?
Aura Sync is the unifying feature that lets you coordinate the color and light patterns of supported ASUS and third-party hardware. Its main advantage is that you need to set everything up just one time. Any subsequently added hardware like case fans or peripherals will automatically be recognized and glow in sync with your preexisting components.
What keyboards work with Aura Sync?
Currently, only select ASUS keyboards are certified to work with Aura Sync. We’ve covered most of them in this article. You can find the complete list along with unique versions of some of our picks on the official Asus webpage dedicated to the matter.
Does Logitech work with Aura Sync?
No. Logitech peripherals won’t work with Aura sync, and neither will those from Razer or Corsair. Each manufacturer has a proprietary way of coordinating lighting that’s in direct competition with the others. ASUS is no different regarding peripherals, but other RGB products like cases, RAM, or decorative light strips under the third-party partner program work without a hitch.
