With space at a premium for the gamer/streamer trying to complete their setup in the most efficient way possible, minimalist tech offers a simple solution. Trying to balance quality with a lack of quantity however can be difficult in todays market, especially with the mentality of ‘bigger is better’. Trust has bucked the trend with the Trust Gaming GXT 834 Callaz TKL by making a compact but competitive gaming keyboard that aims to be the answer the Michael Scott question of ‘does it fit’.
As with most Trust products, price has been taken into consideration to give consumers the best chance of owning a hard-wearing, long lasting piece of kit that won’t break the bank. Being fully mechanical is certainly a draw for the price (most outlets look to sell this at around £40) and any click feels satisfyingly sturdy under the finger. Reviewer thought processes when it comes to mechanical keyboards has always been the louder the better, however the Callaz might have changed that thinking. This is honestly one of the loudest keyboards that has come the way of Cubed3 and the jury is still out on whether or not this is a good thing. At lease you are fully aware that its been pressed though you might forget what you are writing over the sound of the jackhammer under your wrists.
Aesthetically the boxes are ticked of a non-threatening keyboard with a sleek black finish and solid sharp corners again contributing the feeling this will take a beating if necessary. Sturdy enough to handle the heaviest of handers and ensuring no unwanted flex. Rainbow lighting is the pizazz of choice with a satisfying swoop of colour whenever the system is powered up. Lighting is LED with presets allowing for around 20 options. As this is a budget option there is no option for customisation for these however, for anyone who doesn’t take pleasure in fiddling endlessly (to again quote Michael Scott), this is more than enough.
That’s the basics down, a compact Tenkeyless (no number keys take off about 20% of a standard size) keyboard with a pleasant lighting rig. Here comes the nitty gritty. Being the budget option as well as no light customisation, there is also no option for assigning macros for gaming. For the budget price this isn’t really an issue but could be a turn off for a lot of PC gamers, regardless of what they are getting on a budget. Keys can also not be rebinded and even for the budget, other keyboards in a similar price bracket will give that option. The Trust Gaming GXT 834 Callaz TKL does however keep one of the favourite features of disabling the Windows key if needed. A great feature that all keyboards should incorporate so nobody ever accidently rage quits from a heavy session of Dark Forces. Lifespan is advertised at 50 million key presses which is more than enough for any frantic fragger.
