Viper V770 Gaming Keyboard Review

Viper releases a new keyboard with an amazing amount of features, the V770!

I have been really impressed this year with what I have seen from Patriot/Viper gaming. They have made some amazing peripherals for gamers at a high end. From the V370 Headset to the V551 Mouse and the V765 Keyboard, everything they have sent by my computer desk has been of great quality.

So when the V770 appeared, I was very enthused to see a keyboard designed not just for gaming but for a multimedia powerhouse.

The number of feature keys is astounding! For starters, you get 5 macro keys on your left side to do with what you wish. This is perfect for gamers, as it gives your pinky 5 extra options without having to move far from your WSAD stance. Along with those five you get volume rockers, playback buttons, and on the fly color and preset buttons. But the bonuses don’t end with buttons as you get a USB passthrough on your left side and an audio jack passthrough on the right. The keyboard comes with an audio adapter to split the jack into a speaker and mic out so that you can use whatever headset works accordingly. This is nice because it saves a few bucks for gamers who would otherwise have to drop a few more dollars to get their audio devices to work. The V770 does need to use two USB ports and plug into your headphone and mic jacks to get all of these features to work, so plan accordingly.

The base is made from aircraft aluminum with a gunmetal finish, while abs plastic is used for the keys and other parts. The V770 is a bit weighty, but when you want all these pro features along with durability, that makes perfect sense.

The look of the V770 feels a bit retro to me, as the color scheme and graphics remind me of Hasbro designs of the early ’80s, most notably G. I. Joe and Transformers. Because of this, I went into the Viper software to choose a color scheme that made me feel as if I was working for Cobra. This is punctuated by the amazing LEDs on the wrist rest—and this may be the first company I have seen to add LEDs to a removable rest. The Viper LED logo really adds to my concept, which I love.

Viper has decided to go with Kalih switches on the V770 instead of the Cherry MX, and so far I really do not feel much of a difference. Some will argue that the only difference is in overall durability, but take into consideration that Viper offers a two-year warranty on this product. With the quality of the parts on the V770, I don’t think many of them will ever be returned.

Features

• 100% mechanical Kailh Red switchesLED illuminated and removable magnetic palm rest
• Full-spectrum RGB LED, Individual customizable backlit keys up to 16.8 million colors
• 108 programmable macro keys
• 5 dedicated additional macro keys
• Aircraft-grade aluminum chassis
• USB pass-through port
• Audio pass-through port
• Dedicated multimedia control keys
• Dedicated volume and mute wheel
• Dedicated light effect control keys
• Game mode
• 109 key rollover anti-ghosting
• 5 profile control key
• 10 level LED reaction management
• Multi-level LED-backlit dimming

Thoughts

I love the V770. I love the look, I love the options, and I love the durability. I love thinking I am working for a diabolical overlord in an ’80s animated series. There is very little not to like with the Viper V770. 

The only true obstacles that may cause a gamer not to plunk down hard-earned dollars for this keyboard are twofold: size and price. This is a bigger, heavier keyboard that will not fit comfortably in a backpack if you are gaming on the go. This is a flagship keyboard that belongs attached to your main desktop PC and not your expensive gaming laptop.

At the price of $129.99, it may not be in everyone’s budget, but I assure you if you take your computing and gaming seriously, it is worth finding a financial path to ownership on this keyboard.

In closing, I would say that the Viper Gaming V770 is a keeper! I feel so strongly about this that I have retired my long-standing writing keyboard for this one and you should too!

A sample of the Viper V770 was made available by Patriot/Viper Gaming.

If you would like to read my previous articles, click here.