I'm a big fan of the Cherry MX Blue switch when it comes to mechanical keyboards, and so you can imagine my excitement when the new HyperX Alloy FPS arrived from Kingston. Sporting Cherry MX Blue, this premium keyboard is part of their increased effort in taking market share from rivals Razer, Logitech, among others. So, is it any good? And should you pick it up if you're looking for a new mechanical keyboard?

Bear in mind that this is actually Kingston's first mechanical keyboard. Kingston is rather late the party, and the HyperX Alloy FPS will need to be quite the peripheral to woo gamers if HyperX intends to extend their line of products from headsets to input devices. There are now a ton of options available, not only gamers but average PC users from a wide variety of brands. Luckily enough for Kingston, however, the Alloy FPS is an excellent first effort. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more

With the Alloy FPS, you need only look at the name of the keyboard to understand just who they are targeting with this product: first-person shooter (FPS) gamers. The HyperX Alloy FPS utilizes red illuminations, throwing in textured keycaps and a detachable sleeved USB cable. The compact design removes the back cover, exposing the keys and the switch pads. I prefer this design as it allows for easier cleaning and removal of caps. It's worth noting that this isn't a tenkeyless keyboard, so if you really want the ultra compatible companion for LAN parties, you'll need to look elsewhere. That said, it's both sturdy and small enough not to be an issue when packing your stuff away. At 443mm wide, 130mm deep, and 36mm high it's far from bulky and fits comfortably alongside an oversized mouse pad on a desk. However, I would have liked to have seen even more shaved off these numbers, particularly the width. There's also no wrist rest included, so you'll need to bring your own or make do with utilizing the surface underneath. I don't tend to use rests for my arms and thus don't view this as a negative, but for anyone who absolutely must have one attached to their keyboard, this is a possible con and something to keep in mind should you be considering a purchase.

Another space saving measure is the absence of any media or extra function buttons. Kingston instead opted to add second functions to various keys with the addition of the FN-key. Pro gamers and LAN event attendees will appreciate the included soft carry case for safer transportation. The build quality is really, really good. You'll find hard surfaces on the front and underneath the keyboard, both of which work in unison to protect the peripheral against flex and wobble. And unlike other companies, Kingston has decided to stick with Cherry MX switches. These switches are accompanied by LED backlighting, which is unfortunately not RGB. It's is a strange decision considering the price. I would have expected to at least see some color variations available.

That aside, the actual backlighting effects are easily accessible and can be turned up to a fairly bright level. You can alternate between five brightness options, as well as six lighting effects. No software is required for configuring these settings. Everything can be achieved using the FN-key combinations. I found the actual LEDs themselves to be a little dim on the lower-half of keys with secondary functions. The shot below shows how it's difficult to see the light through the keys with engraved icons and text on two levels.