The ROCCAT Magma Membrane RGB gaming keyboard is a full-size, non-mechanical board in the budget price range. It uses rubber dome switches that require some force to actuate, but they provide a fairly light and responsive feeling overall. You can set macros to the alphanumerical keys on the left side of the board, including 5, T, G, and B. Also, it has an Easy-Shift[+] function, which unlocks a second layer of macros to these keys for as long as you hold it. The semi-transparent top plate lets a lot of RGB light through, but it may be overwhelming for fans of more subtle backlighting. Unfortunately, the board lacks individually-lit keys, and there are only five lighting zones. Also, its plastic body exhibits a lot of flex, and it uses ABS keycaps, which may be prone to develop shine over time.
Our Verdict
The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is good for gaming. It has low latency, a Game Mode button, and customizable RGB backlighting; however, the keys aren't individually lit, and there are only five lighting zones. You can set macros to the alphanumerical keys on the left side of the board, including 5, T, G, and B, and you can also set an Easy-Shift[+] button, which gives you a second layer of macros on these keys. The rubber dome switches require some force to actuate, but the overall feeling remains light.
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Low latency.
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Comes with a wrist rest.
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Short pre-travel and light operating force.
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Macro-programmable keys and lots of customization options.
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Only decent build quality.
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Only certain keys are macro-programmable.
The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is a wired board and isn't meant to be used with mobile devices or tablets.
The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is good for office use. It has one incline setting and a detachable wrist rest. While the rubber dome switches require some force to actuate, they still feel light overall. Also, they're quiet to type on and provide nice tactile feedback. Unfortunately, the board only feels somewhat well-built and flexes a lot.
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Rubber dome switches are quiet.
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Comes with a wrist rest.
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Macro-programmable keys and lots of customization options.
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Only decent build quality.
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Only certain keys are macro-programmable.
The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is just okay for programming. While there are macro-programmable keys, you can only set them on the alphanumerical keys on the left side of the board, including 5, T, G, and B. The rubber dome switches feel light overall, but they require some force to actuate, and they provide a decent typing experience. Unfortunately, the board only feels decently well-built, and its plastic body exhibits a lot of flex. Also, it's a wired board that can't pair with more than one device at a time.
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Rubber dome switches are quiet.
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Comes with a wrist rest.
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Macro-programmable keys and lots of customization options.
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Only decent build quality.
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Only certain keys are macro-programmable.
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Wired-only.
The ROCCAT Magma keyboard is bad for use with a home theater setup. You can't use it wirelessly, so you need to have a cable running from the board to the computer. Also, there's no built-in trackpad or volume control wheel; on the bright side, it does have media hotkeys and RGB backlighting.
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Media hotkeys.
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Only decent build quality.
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Wired-only.
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No built-in trackpad.
- 7.7 Gaming
- 3.5 Mobile/Tablet
- 7.6 Office
- 6.8 Programming
- 4.2 Entertainment / HTPC
- Updated Jan 12, 2023: We've added details for the ROCCAT Magma Mini in the Differences Between Sizes and Variants section of this review.
- Updated Jun 28, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Jun 21, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 15, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 11, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 23, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The ROCCAT Magma is only available in a black colorway. There is a compact (60%) variant of this keyboard available called the ROCCAT Magma Mini. We purchased and tested the full-size version, and you can see our unit's label here.
| Name | Size | Included Wrist Rest |
|---|---|---|
| ROCCAT Magma | Full-size (100%) | Yes |
| ROCCAT Magma Mini | Compact (60%) | No |
Compared To Other Keyboards
The ROCCAT Magma is a good budget gaming board. It's similar to other membrane gaming keyboards, like the Corsair K55 RGB Pro and the SteelSeries Apex 3; however, it lacks the dedicated media keys and the less limited number of macro-programmable keys the other models have. It has a semi-transparent base plate that lets RGB lighting come through, which may be overwhelming for fans of more subtle backlighting. Unfortunately, it lacks individually-lit keys, and there are only five RGB lighting zones. Also, its plastic body exhibits a lot of flex, and it uses ABS keycaps, which tend to develop shine over time.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best keyboards, the best gaming keyboards, and the best cheap keyboards.
The ROCCAT Magma and the ROCCAT Pyro are similar wired gaming boards, but the Pyro is a mechanical board, while the Magma isn't. The Pyro has a dedicated volume knob and linear TTC Red switches. On the other hand, the Magma has rubber dome switches and a semi-transparent base plate that lets RGB light through. Both boards also have very low latency and an Easy-Shift[+] function that lets you enable a secondary layer of commands.
The SteelSeries Apex 3 and the ROCCAT Magma are both similar-performing non-mechanical gaming keyboards. They use rubber dome switches, which feel light, but they require some force to get over the tactile bump. Both have customizable RGB backlighting with only five zones, but the ROCCAT has a semi-transparent base plate that lets more lighting through. The ROCCAT also has a much lower latency and onboard memory, but it lacks the dedicated media keys and volume control wheel that the SteelSeries has. Also, you can only set macros to certain keys on the ROCCAT, while you can set them to any key on the SteelSeries.
The Corsair K55 RGB PRO and the ROCCAT Magma are both non-mechanical gaming keyboards that use rubber dome switches, but the Corsair's switches feel heavier to press and are mushier than the ones on the ROCCAT. Otherwise, the Corsair has dedicated media keys, a much lower latency, and, along with the dedicated macro keys, all of its keys are macro-programmable. Comparatively, the ROCCAT can have macros set to certain keys only. The ROCCAT has a semi-transparent base plate that lets a lot of RGB lighting through, but you may find this overwhelming if you prefer more subtle backlighting.
The Logitech G213 Prodigy and the ROCCAT Magma are both wired non-mechanical gaming boards. Both use rubber dome switches, but the ones on the Logitech require more force to actuate than the ROCCAT's. The Logitech has dedicated media keys, and you can set macros to some of the F-row keys. Also, it has a significantly lower latency, which is ideal for gaming. On the other hand, you can set macros to any alphanumerical key on the left side of the board on the ROCCAT. It has a semi-transparent base plate that lets RGB light through, although it may be overwhelming for fans of more subtle lighting.
The SteelSeries Apex Pro is an overall better gaming keyboard than the ROCCAT Magma. The SteelSeries uses proprietary linear OmniPoint switches, which lets you adjust the operating force to your preferences. It has much lower latency, individually-lit keys, and you can set macros to any key on the board. Comparatively, the ROCCAT only lets you set macros to certain keys, activated when in Game Mode only.
The Keychron K6 is a 65% compact mechanical board, while the ROCCAT Magma is a full-size membrane board. If you prefer a wireless option, the Keychron is a better option, and it can pair with up to three devices at once. Also, it's compatible with many operating systems, including Android and iOS. It's available with Gateron Brown, Red, and Blue switches. On the other hand, if you prefer a wired non-mechanical board, the ROCCAT uses rubber dome switches. You can set macros to any key on the left side of the board, and you can set an Easy-Shift[ button to give you a second layer of controls.
The Razer Ornata V2 and the ROCCAT Magma are similar non-mechanical gaming keyboards. If having a lower latency matters a lot to you, the ROCCAT is a better option. Also, the ROCCAT Magma has a semi-transparent plastic base plate that lets a lot of light through, but you can only control it in five zones. It uses rubber dome switches that are very quiet but require some force to actuate. On the other hand, the Razer may be a better choice if you value dedicated media keys, a volume control wheel, and having more macro-programmable keys. It uses proprietary Mecha-Membrane switches designed to mimic the feeling and feedback of a clicky switch.
The ROCCAT Magma and the ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini Air are gaming keyboards. The Magma is a wired-only, full-size keyboard with rubber dome switches. The Vulcan II Mini Air is a wireless model with a smaller Compact (65%) form factor and optical switches.
Test Results
The ROCCAT Magma feels decently well built. Its chassis and base plate are both made of plastic that exhibits a lot of flex. There are six rubber pads on the underside and another six on the wrist rest, but they don't perfectly prevent the board from sliding on the desk. The ABS keycaps feel good, but they may be prone to developing shine from finger oils. All of the keys feel stable, although the spacebar wobbles a bit more than the rest. That said, it still actuates evenly.
The ROCCAT Magma has good ergonomics. It's a straight board with one incline setting and a detachable plastic wrist rest. The wrist rest isn't plushy and has a horizontal lined texture to it.
The ROCCAT Magma has customizable RGB backlighting. It's great at color mixing, and you don't see hints of other colors when you set the lighting to white. Unfortunately, its keys aren't individually lit, and there are only five lighting zones. The entire base plate is a semi-transparent plastic that lets a lot of light through, so people who prefer more subtle RGB lighting may find this board a little overwhelming.
The ROCCAT Magma has a standard rubber cable that isn't detachable.
The ROCCAT Magma has media hotkeys to control your media, but it lacks the volume control knob that the similar ROCCAT Pyro has. There's a Game Mode that you can activate by pressing Fn+Scroll Lock, which disables the Windows key to prevent you from accidentally minimizing your game. You can also set macros to the alphanumerical keys on the left side of the board, including 5, T, G, and B, which only activate when in Game Mode. By default, the CapsLock key acts as an Easy-Shift[+] function, which lets you unlock a second layer of macros to these keys for as long as you hold it. While you can set macros to these keys only, you can remap the others through the ROCCAT Swarm software.
The ROCCAT Magma uses Rubber Dome switches that don't feel mushy, and they provide a nice amount of tactile feedback. They require some force to actuate, but the overall feeling remains light.
The ROCCAT Magma provides a decent typing experience. The keys feel stable and actuate evenly, although the spacebar wobbles a bit more than the other keys. The rubber dome switches feel light and provide a nice amount of feedback. The spacing and key shape are similar to most standard keyboards, so they shouldn't cause any fatigue or more typos than usual.
The ROCCAT Magma has very low latency and should feel responsive enough for most gamers.
You can make many customizations through the ROCCAT Swarm software, including saving up to five profiles, remapping key assignments, customizing the RGB, and setting character repeats. You can also program keypress sounds, and you can choose from a list of presets or use your own audio files. You can set macros for specific games and applications, but you can only set them to the alphanumerical keys on the left side of the board, including 5, T, G, and B. Like many other ROCCAT models, the ROCCAT Magma also has the AIMO lighting engine, which reacts to your behavior and makes changes based on your setup, the apps you use, and other ROCCAT devices you connect.
There's no software available on macOS or Linux, but all the keys work on Linux. However, the Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, Fn, and Menu keys don't work on macOS, and the NumLock key registers as Clear and Insert key as Help.