I just received a Strix Scope II 96, and I feel this might be the sweet spot in terms of value.
I’ve hit the wall of diminishing returns with other hobbies ( IEMs in particular), where I know I’m getting 95% of the experience spending 5% of what is labeled as top-of-the-line.
What am I missing with this keyboard, that I could have with an unlimited budget?
And to have a broader discussion, what do you consider end-game?
To me, as I’ve come to realize, is finding the right keycap set. Especially as my favorite profile is XDA and all the cool ones are either Cherry or SA.
For me, you’re missing out on the efficiency of a properly thought out layout, and the ability to alter the keymaps, through layering and characters swapping, to make your keyboard truly your own.
The keyboard you have is decent, but it is literally the “same thing everyone else has”, with very minor tweaks, to remove the spacing between some of the keys.
By contrast, I have all those same features, fit into a 60% case, and have the ability to alter the keymap however I want on top of that.
Here’s a pic of my work board, so you can better understand what I’m talking about here.
https://preview.redd.it/0h1h9q9lt52c1.jpeg?width=3811&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8d4b39a58e118d0f8cba75b48dcbd8efcf2a1aa
For day-to-use, my keyboard allows me to put frequently used features closer to the home keys, so I don’t have to move my hands all over a larger board, to get to them.
Most notably, it allows me to put the numpad directly over my right hand alphas, so I can switch back and forth from numbers to letters, on the fly, without moving either hand from its home position.
For gaming, it allows me to create custom keymaps, to fit my needs in a specific game, should I need to do so.
This feature is especially important when you hit one of those games where the designers were too lazy to include the ability to alter the controls.
Don’t like the fact that a particular game forces you to use the arrow keys for movement?
A good programmable keyboard will allow you to program your WASD keys to send the arrow characters, solving the problem.
For me, endgame is when you are in a position where you look at all the “new” stuff being offered, and are able to honestly say, “but that’s not as good for me as what I already have”.
I’ve hit that point with my two customs.
The keyboards I have are designed by me, for me to use in specific locations.
That’s something you can’t just run out and buy off the shelf.
Budget doesn’t necessarily play into this either.
If you ignore the amount of money I’ve spent on keycaps, my builds are relatively inexpensive, but offer premium components.