For the uninitiated XPG (Xtreme Performance Gear) is the Adata brand dedicated to all those products inherent to the world of Glorius PC Master Race. Inside we find a lot of products ranging from headsets, mice, keyboards, cases, power supplies, and memories, all characterized by the typical gamer footprint, therefore with an aggressive design and also equipped with RGB LED lighting. In these days of quarantine we will talk about different XPG branded products, starting with Summoner, which is a mechanical keyboard equipped with Cherry MX Red Switch, RGB lighting and USB pass-through port in the body.
The package with which XPG Summoner will be delivered to us is black, except for the edges which are red. On the front we find an image of the keyboard, the name of it and some main features such as the presence of the USB port or RGB lighting.
On the back we find another image of the product followed by other information, such as the aluminum frame, in order to better address the end user during the purchase phase. The bundle inside the package is essential, like all those of the keyboard. In addition to XPG Summoner we find nine replacement KeyCaps in red, the pin to remove the keys, a quick manual and some XPG themed stickers.
XPG Summoner, as you can well understand, is a mechanical gaming keyboard available in three Switch variants: Cherry MX Silver, Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Red. Our specimen is equipped with Cherry MX Red, characterized by a 'high speed thanks to the actuation point of only 1,9 mm.
The switches in question are linear, extremely quiet when compared to the Blue ones and which need one strength of 45 grams to be operated. They are very suitable for gaming due to their speed, but they also lend themselves well to writing after having taken a little confidence: initially you will happen to make several writing errors due to the ease with which the switches are activated. As is customary in mechanical keyboards, the keys are 100% anti-ghosting.
XPG Summoner boasts a very elegant design despite being a product dedicated to gamers, in fact it will lend itself well in any type of location. The keyboard body is made entirely of sandblasted aluminum, making it extremely robust and light at the same time. The color is gunmetal gray as regards the upper part, while it is black in the lower part where we find a plastic cover. Depending on the layout we are going to buy, we can have from 104 to 109 keys.
Each keycap is equipped with RGB lighting and we find 7 pre-installed lighting profiles (Static / Intermittent / Trigger / Explosion / Color cycle / Color wave / WASD mode). We also have up to 5 macro keys programmable directly from the keyboard without using auxiliary software.
The switches also offer a pooling rate of 1000 Hz, thus offering an immediate response, without adding further lag during our games. The dimensions of XPG Summoner are quite small despite being a keyboard with numeric keypad: the measures are around 449 in length, 135 in width and 44 mm in height, with a total weight of 951 grams. As anticipated a few lines above, XPG Summoner is equipped with a magnetic wrist rest in eco leather.
Being magnetic we can position it as we like, so either keep it attached to the keyboard, or in a more suitable position for our seat or eliminate it completely. At the center of it we find the XPG logo in relief.
On the top right we find, in addition to the LEDs that will indicate if the Caps Lock keys, the numeric lock and the scroll lock are active, also the multimedia keys in order to manage our players without having to go back to the window, and a practical wheel to adjust the main volume of our system. As now happens in all gaming keyboards, we find a USB pass-through port, so that we can connect our peripherals extremely quickly.
XPG Summoner is beautiful and functional, with everything in its place, but how does it behave in use? The original Cherry MX Red switches certainly make the difference, differentiating themselves from the Chinese imitations circulating on the net. The speed and the little pressure required to operate them make them suitable for any type of video game, whether it is a competitive FPS, whether it is an RPG and therefore a slower and less frenetic genre. As far as the writing and production of texts is concerned, initially you will have a bit of difficulty in typing the words correctly, but once you get the hang of and the right precautions, you will be able to write a truly impressive number of words per minute.
Unfortunately, our sample has the US International layout as its layout, but don't worry, the one in ITA is also present in addition to the DE / UK one. The USB pass-through port is a really useful addition especially if you have the PC under your desk or far enough away from the keyboard which forces you to get up.
The RGB lighting is done really well. The LEDs have an adequate brightness which will hardly bother us or disturb us during our games, but instead they will help us to type better when we write in the dark or in low light conditions. The effects are the classics that we can find on any RGB product. If you are not fond of lights you can always turn them off.
Ergonomically, the XPG Summoner has proved equally successful. The not excessive height of the keyboard allowed us to make an intense use of it, about 9 hours a day, divided between the gaming session and the writing session, without causing strange pains in the wrist. The speed of the Cherry MX switches also did not sore our fingers, as sometimes could happen with the Cherry MX Blue or the Cherry MX Black, the latter now disused, which require high pressure.
The magnetic wrist rest also proved to be very comfortable, thanks above all to the eco-leather fabric and the really soft padding. The fact of being able to move it and use it at will, therefore not only anchored to the keyboard, has allowed us to experiment with new forms of comfort and adapt our setup to all the variants in which we can loom, such as desk depth, chair height and our highness. If we have to find a fault with XPG Summoner it lies in the feet for the riser: they are not very rubberized and if we place it directly in contact with our desk it will risk slipping. To remedy this we can place it directly on our mat.
Another flaw is that there is no accompanying program to manage macros and lighting.
XPG Summoner is a truly exceptional Gaming keyboard, both for the build quality and for the price at which it is sold. The sandblasted aluminum frame is really beautiful to look at and gives the keyboard a really elegant look. The Cherry MX Red need no introduction and know how to satisfy every need of any gamer, lending themselves well even during the writing phases. Unfortunately, the lack of layout in all languages could be a major problem for us, as our vocabulary is full of accented letters. The RGB lighting is done really well and does not cause any discomfort, making it useful during our sessions in the dark. The lack of accompanying software is felt, especially for the management of macros and lighting.
If you are looking for a great keyboard, with excellent materials and extremely comfortable, you can buy XPG Summoner for about 95 €.
