Customer Ratings & Reviews

I love this keyboard. The ability to set up different profiles depending on what I am working on is great! The buttons feel great too!

The Turtle Beach KB7 TKL wired gaming keyboard is a unique gaming keyboard with a built-in display. This is a TKL keyboard, but with the display, it is slightly smaller than a full-sized keyboard. I found the display to be a bit gimmicky at first, but after using the display for some time, it grew on me. I found various ways to use the display to my advantage throughout my testing. I tested the keyboard in both a gaming and office setting, so I will cover both areas. This is my review of the Turtle Beach KB7 TKL Wired Gaming Keyboard. *TLDR at the bottom ==================== IN THE BOX/SET-UP: In the box, you receive a wrist pad, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-C to double USB-A adapter, keycap puller, textured WASD keycaps, and some documentation. In terms of setup, the KB7 is plug-and-play unless you would like to dig into the keyboard’s settings. While the app is optional, I do recommend it, as it is necessary to be able to fully customize this keyboard. The app also provides your keyboard with firmware updates to patch any newly discovered bugs outside the box. The display has a built-in shortcut that will open a Run window on your computer and launch a website to download the software. ==================== BUILD QUALITY/COMFORT: In terms of build quality, the KB7 feels sturdy. The frame does have plastic, but it is reinforced by an aluminum chassis. The top plate is metal with a nice brushed finish. The media keys and the keys on the top row are plastic and feel like an afterthought compared to the rest of the keyboard. The keycaps don’t appear to be the most premium keycaps, but they certainly will last a long time due to them being double-shot PBT. The 4.3” display feels nice and responsive. It does have thick bezels, but they don’t stand out too much. One neat feature that would’ve been nice to have is a height-adjustable display. This way, the display is more easily accessible, especially if you are locked into a game or need access to constantly used shortcuts. I tried the keyboard with and without the wrist rest. While I do typically use my keyboards without wrist rests. This one did feel uncomfortable without it due to the raised height. The wrist pad places your hands in a more ergonomic position. In terms of typing, the keyboard is incredibly smooth. It is also quiet. The keys are more bunched up together compared to my previous keyboard, so it is taking me a while to get used to the spacing. The display’s location relative to the keyboard is also perfect if you are somebody that is wanting to use it as a number pad or for the special keys (Home, End, Del, etc.). ==================== FEATURES/SWARM II PC APP: The KB7 has plenty of features for the average gamer or office worker. The display offers many customization options, like an OBS app integration for those who use OBS to stream/record videos. I’ve used OBS to record videos in the past, and having shortcuts to start, pause, take screenshots, etc., is amazing. There are even templates to display your PC’s performance(CPU/GPU usage, etc.). For the office worker, the template that is an absolute godsend is the website template. Being able to launch frequently used websites is extremely convenient. Also, a tip for the display. If you scroll using the middle, you are bound to accidentally open an app. The best way to scroll between pages is by scrolling using the bottom empty space. There are also dedicated media keys and alternative keys (RGB lighting, profile switcher, etc.) on the top row. The rails on the side can be used to connect external accessories like a gaming number pad. The keyboard is incredibly customizable through the Swarm II app. The display’s widgets/pages, per-key actuation point configuration as low as 0.1 to as high as 3.2, remapping keys, and per-key RGB customization are some of the main customization options for this keyboard. While I love the customization options, the software has been too buggy, which makes the user experience frustrating. On top of that, the UI could be more user-friendly. There are icons with no labels, options that are hard to find, and a lack of description/tutorials on some settings (e.g., custom macros), which has made the software frustrating to use. On top of that, I have run into several software/hardware breaking bugs. In one instance, the space bar stopped working after deploying a display update. I had to unplug and replug the keyboard to get it to work again. In another instance, the software was non-responsive and would continually crash when launching. I had to force-close the app and restart it to get it working again. Luckily, the software can be updated on Turtle Beach’s end. I hope in 6 months to a year from now, some of these items get fixed or improved upon. This is a neat gaming keyboard that seriously would be a 5/5 if the software were more user-friendly. ==================== GAMING/OFFICE PERFORMANCE: The KB7 is marketed as a gaming keyboard, but it can absolutely be used as an office keyboard. I work in IT, and being able to customize the display, create macros, and set website/folder shortcuts on the display has been a godsend. I have to consistently navigate around different websites at work, and instead of clicking a shortcut or typing a website into the search bar, the shortcuts are easily available on the display at the click of a button (very neat). The volume knob and media controls are convenient, although the controls do require more effort when pressing down on them compared to previous keyboards I have used. They are also loud when clicking down (at least the keyboard itself is quiet). I would’ve preferred rubber buttons or some type of haptic feedback button. Also, if you are someone who is crunching numbers together, the display can be turned into a number pad. In terms of gaming, the KB7 is a great gaming keyboard. It is comfortable, and key travel is incredibly short. The ability to set the actuation point on a per-key basis is great, especially for those FPS games where a quick move can be the difference between a win or a loss. I also love the ability to update system volume from the display. Sometimes I like listening to music while gaming, and if I need to quickly turn the music down to hear dialogue in-game, I can simply swipe to the far left and use the slider on the display. Every once in a while I also like to see my PC’s performance during a game. The display can be customized with widgets that do just that. So, rather than having performance monitor take up space on your precious display space, the keyboard can display those performance stats. ==================== CONCLUSION/TLDR: In conclusion, the KB7 is a solid gaming keyboard that also doubles as an excellent office keyboard. For a gamer, the keyboard has everything you could want. From per-key actuation point customization options to creating/setting your custom macros, and the myriad of widgets that can be installed on the display (performance monitor, Discord shortcuts, system volume settings, etc.), there is plenty to be customized. For the office workers, the display can be turned into a number pad or a shortcut launcher for frequently used sites, folders, docs, etc. There is also a Teams/Zoom page available that can be used to run shortcuts within the app(e.g., mute mic, turn camera off). While the software is buggy and can be significantly improved, the keyboard itself is a great gaming/office keyboard. If Turtle Beach can clean up the bugs and improve the UI for the software, this keyboard would be a perfect 5/5. Overall, I would recommend the keyboard in its current state, but if you find buggy software frustrating, definitely wait it out for half a year or a year. Hopefully, by then, Turtle Beach would’ve cleaned up the bugs and UI.

Bottom line up front: I liked the KB7 enough that I purchased the matching modular keypad, so my experience comes from someone who took the plunge to fully leverage the whole “modular command center” concept. That said, the criticisms of the Swarm II companion application you might see in other reviews are not completely without merit. Although it is incredibly powerful and flexible, giving you positively TOTAL control over every single key’s behavior with multiple functions per keystroke and multiple actuation points, Swarm II can feel a little sluggish and even frustrating at times. Still, if you muscle your way through the software usability issues (including a somewhat obtuse firmware update process), the hardware and typing experience you get in return is almost sublime. Let’s start with the keyswitches themselves. These are NOT clicky keys; for those of you used to the “feel” of mechanical keyswitches, know that there is no tactile feedback when you actuate the KB7’s keys other than the feeling of bottoming them out at the end of the keystroke. But, the movement is buttery smooth, and the long-lived hall-effect (magnetic sensors) switches allow you to customize actuation, rapid fire, or multiple functions per keystroke in increments of as little as 0.1mm! The keyswitch sound is a muted “thunk” that doesn’t ring loud enough to bother officemates (and I’m a REALLY hard typist who bottoms out every keystroke) which is why I’ve been using mine for 9 hours a day at work with no complaints from those around me. The keycaps themselves are low profile which I thought would feel more like a laptop’s chicklet keys than the full-sized keycaps I’ve been using for the past several decades, but it’s actually a really pleasant tactile sensation in part, I think, because each keycap is simply smaller and lighter than a standard full-size keycap. Whether YOU will like that sensation or not is another story, but at least in my head, I felt like I was able to get even faster keystrokes in than the Corsair and Logitech mechanical keyboards I’ve been using for ages. Like many modern keyboards, this one packs in a few dedicated multimedia controls including previous/next track buttons, a play/pause wheel that doubles as a volume control, and four triangular buttons that, frankly, feel a bit like afterthoughts. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely handy to have dedicated hard buttons for quick game-mode switches, onboard memory profile switches, and RGB on/off. The other triangle is a mute button, but not for playback, only for the mic. This feels like an odd choice, especially given that there is no dedicated audio mute button. Still, if you are using a headset that doesn’t have a mute button, or simply don’t want to reach elsewhere for a mute-mic control, it IS nice to have a dedicated key right up top. One other small design niggle--I wish the play/pause volume dial was limited to the outer ring of the play/pause button—as it is, the entire dial rotates which includes the play/pause graphic. It’s a small detail to be sure, but it looks OCD-weird to have all other controls on the keyboard oriented “normally,” but the play/pause button is hanging out upside-down or backwards based on the last volume adjustment. Within the Swarm II software, you can set literally limitless combinations of functions and actions for your specific use case. There are some gamer-specific functions that are especially welcome such as ReacTap. Other manufactures may call it something different, but it basically allows you to specify a set of keys where the most recent keypress is prioritized even over one that is being held down. This function will allow you, for example, to keep a directional key pressed while making a momentary counter movement with another key without having to lift your finger off the other key. Tired of spamming certain keys—you can set individual rapid-fire controls with a keystroke as little as 0.1mm. You can also customize actuation depth and return on a per-key basis allowing you absolutely mind-numbingly specific control over how your keyboard behaves whether you’re gaming or working. The Swarm II client also allows you to assign functions, macros, or various gaming and streaming-oriented plugins to pretty much any key you want. But the big star of the show here is the command screen, a full color touchscreen that is customizable with even MORE features and functions that you can adjust on the fly. The screen holds a total of 12 standard-sized “keys” per page, and there are three pages available for programming. This has come in very handy here at work when I really wanted a numpad for this TKL keyboard (before I bought the keypad module) or some shortcuts for often-repeated actions such as paste-text, undo/redo, or hardware monitoring (CPU temp, memory usage, etc.). You move between screens with a simple swipe action which allows you to store an impressive number of customized functions right at your fingertips. But what really surprised me was that you can also make the same sort of Swarm II customizations just using the keyboard’s built-in interface. From the command screen, you can set illumination levels, actuation points, turn ReacTap on and off, set rapid trigger, record macros, remap keys, and change the background. The settings are stored on the keyboard itself so you can take it with you to another PC and all your customizations will still be intact. Despite my own positive experiences with the KB7, there are some issues to be aware of. First, the Command Screen customization is fairly limited, at least at the moment. There are some graphical options and professional looking button displays (like a Steam icon or graphical buttons for Discord or OBS), but you can’t customize the buttons with your own graphics like you can with a Stream Deck or other macropod. And while it IS handy for the hotkey display to show the actual combination of keys in use, for example “(SHIFT+CTRL+V)”, you can’t customize the name of the function you’ve built to something that makes sense to YOU (“Paste Text”). Second, navigating the Command Screen isn’t always as easy as it should be. You must touch the screen to swipe between pages, but the screen’s design makes it so that there is virtually no place on the screen to touch that wouldn’t already be occupied by a control of some kind. So, unless you purposefully leave one area of the screen blank of a button/control, it’s VERY easy to accidentally press a button/control when all you wanted to do was change pages. I also noticed that while Num-lock and Caps-lock have an indicator on the Command Screen that they are active, Function-Lock does not—even the “permanent” FN-Lock key combination only gives you a momentary red “FN” icon on the display. More than once I wanted to press END or DEL only to bring up a developer menu or an oddball context menu instead. Finally, the Swarm II client really is a bit sluggish at times. Upon startup, the Swarm II display will show “Preparing” in the status window for the KB7 for what seems like an inordinately long time before you can actually jump into the program to start making changes. Changes to the Command Screen also flow one button at a time so you can’t build an entire page and sync it when you’re ready. Instead, it’s: make a change to one button, save—wait a moment to sync; now move on to the next button, make a change, save again—wait to sync; oops, I put that key in the wrong place--move a button, save, wait to sync, etc. etc. This makes customization tedious than necessary. The firmware update process also seems frustratingly unresponsive. The onscreen instructions might say you have to unplug and plug the keyboard back in to complete the update, but more than once I left the keyboard plugged in for the second half of a firmware update only to find that 5-10 minutes later, I still needed to unplug and plug the keyboard back in again to get the second update to “take.” And the very first time I ran Swarm II and the KB7 together, I had to update the firmware AND the Swarm II client which required a restart that wasn’t entirely self-evident. Still—I was eventually able to install all the updates and things have been working smoothly ever since. These minor annoyances aside, there really IS a lot to like about the KB7--it is a very powerful, infinitely customizable keyboard that slips effortlessly between work and play…and it lets you play HARD. Probably more than a casual gamer might need--but for content creators, serious gamers, and streamers who value versatility and appreciate the smaller footprint of a TKL keyboard without needing a separate macropod or Stream Deck-like appliance on the desktop, the KB7 offers you a LOT for your dollar. Well worth your time to check it out!

I consider myself a hardcore gamer, in the sense that I want the best peripherals, because I want to perform in the top percentiles. So, in a keyboard I want 8,000 Hz polling and Hall Effect keys. When I game with friends I want an easy mute key to mute my mic. I also tend to watch media while I game so having dedicated media keys is helpful. Last, I also use my computer for work. So having a num pad and other features is important. This keyboard somehow has all of the things I want. Which is why I was interested in it. And for the most part it does a brilliant job. But there are some things that I wish it did better. As if it were to do that it would be the perfect keyboard for me. TLDR: This is an excellent keyboard. One of my favorites due to the unique touchscreen, low profile titan hall effect switches, and 8,000 Hz. So the hardware is excellent. The software needs some work though. PROS: • 4.3” Command Touch Display: This is the main reason why I got this board. I think this is a brilliant addition. You can swipe between four different screens, three of which you can customize yourself (but that customization is limited and would like to see some expansion to it). This all works normally without software running (Swarm). o If you swipe left it brings you to the system volume where you have your master volume and then each application that you can move. This is amazing. o The next is the typical middle row of keys (print, delete, end, home, etc. o Swipe right again and you get a num pad (without +, enter, -, /, *). Then the last swipe right screen is more of a custom settings. Which I personally used to have a shortcut to record my gameplay making it very simple to get a replay. Which I loved. • Next on the top you have dedicated keys. From left to right you have a volume knob with a play/pause button in the middle. Turning the wheel feels good with dedicated steps but the play/pause button feels very cheap along with the rest of the buttons I’m about to mention which is forward, backward, game mode, profiles, mute mic (love this dedicated button!), and lighting (on or off). • The board has a top aluminum plate. Very little flex. But is very light making it feel cheap and plastic like. As everything else but that plate is plastic. There is a single step up on the back with some rubber feet. • Personally, I enjoy low profile keycaps. But that might not be every bodies cup of tea. • The Titan Low-Profile Hall Effect switches are nice. I’ve gotten spoiled with them from other keyboards. It allows you to adjust the actuation of the keys meaning that can be as low as 0.1 mm which does increase reaction time simply because you don’t have to move the switch as far. They do report adding “controller support” which means you can essentially get joystick maneuverability in the future. Which does help in racing type games or more finite control of your character as it goes based on how far you press the switch down kind of like how far you move a joystick to say the right. Which I have in another keyboard that I use a lot and enjoy. But that is a pending feature and you should never buy a product based on what is supposed to come. • Additionally, with the switches it allows you to reset a lot faster. So, quickly, normal key switch 4.0 mm. Activates at 1.5 mm. Resets after you go past that 1.5 mm mark. With this you can move 0.1 mm down and then another 0.1 mm up and it resets. This also allows for SOCD. Which can make more advanced movement easier, but is also banned in some games. • Modularity: You can connect extra command series equipment to the left or right. Which I think is pretty awesome. • TKL: The fact that it is TKL size I like a lot. Means more room for my mouse or tablet when I’m playing/working. But the touch screen allows me to have all the other features very close as well. While keeping full arrow keys. • The low profile design I like a lot. As I’ve always liked laptop keyboards and this is similar to that. While still having a more deeper typing experience. MEH: • RGB Is fine. It is mostly accurate color wise and equal shine through. But secondary keys (%^&* etc) are not lit up. It doesn’t get very bright. It is per-key which is appreciated. I think I like the underglow the best (especially with the rubber see through wrist pad) as it diffuses through that well. • They report keys are pre-lubed. But they still feel scratchy to me. • This isn’t really a con, but you have to either use 2 USB’s or a USB-C port to get this keyboard to work. Due to the features (polling rate, RGB, hall effect, touchscreen) all uses more power requiring a more advanced port (USB-C) or two USB-A ports. • The aesthetic design is very gamer like (which I don’t like). But also, kind of like rustic/utilitarian (which I like). Where I’m stuck almost really enjoying the look but also hating it. • If they add controller support (which I hope they do), these keys are 3.2 mm of travel instead of 4.0 mm on a normal keyboard. Which means it will be slightly less precise due to less distance. Where normal controllers have about 6 – 7.5 mm of distance from middle to edge. CONS: • There were times when I was playing that the keyboard didn’t respond or would give ghost inputs causing my character to behave oddly. This happened twice out of many hours of use. Also, I’ve had two updates in a short amount of time. So, I’m not too worried about this but is worth mentioning. • I could never get the linking of Discord to work, despite trying multiple times. Which means I couldn’t use any of those shortcut screens on the touch display. • They report this is an 8k keyboard. Technically, you need 8k polling and report rate for true 8k. I’m not sure if this has that. As they just say polling. Additionally, no where in the settings was I able to find a switch to toggle this. Allegedly they have it set to 8k polling all the time. But then if you plug this keyboard into some legacy devices that could make it not work. Granted with a touchscreen it may not work anyways. • Swarm II software: It doesn’t always detect the keyboard. Updating firmware takes a long time (they say up to 10 – 20 minutes) during which the keyboard doesn’t work. I was never able to get discord or other more advanced features to work. It isn’t very user friendly or intuitively laid out. I often have to hunt for settings, where sometimes I find it and sometimes I don’t. Despite it being very “simple”. It needs a lot more time in the oven before it is ready and complete. • This is a thin keyboard. But I don’t think it comes with any additional padding that a lot of the competition is now offering. Which improves the typing sound. The typing sound on this is “fine”. But if compared to other high quality keyboards is bad. There is no thock. Other keyboards are a lot more satisfying to type on. This one isn’t bad but for a flagship-like keyboard I would have liked more. • When you turn the volume knob it turns the play/pause button. Which irks the OCD part of me.

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 is a premium-feeling keyboard with a lot of unique features that I haven’t really encountered on other keyboards, most notably the LCD touchscreen that sits where you would normally expect to find a ten-key number pad. Feel-wise, I find this keyboard exceptionally comfortable. The layout is intuitive, the buttons across the top are minimal without feeling stripped down, and the keyboard still has a nice wide, stable feel sitting on the desk. It is extremely low profile, though. I actually found myself wishing I could tilt it up a little higher because I’m just not used to typing at such a low angle. The switches fall somewhere in the middle in terms of sound. They’re definitely not the loudest keyboard switches I’ve used, but they’re not particularly quiet either. I work from home and I’m really picky about keyboard noise because some boards can sound like a machine gun when I’m typing while I’m on the phone. I’ve used this for the last two full workdays, though, and nobody has complained or even mentioned hearing my typing through my microphone, so that’s a good sign. The LCD touchscreen and Swarm II software are really where this keyboard gets interesting. There is a huge amount of customization available, and I can absolutely see people nerding out over the possibilities as Turtle Beach adds more widgets and features. You can customize layouts, assign shortcuts, build macros, change backgrounds, and create multiple screens depending on what you’re doing. The software itself is actually pretty easy to understand. Setting up macros and working through the more advanced keyboard functions was much more intuitive than some other keyboard software I’ve used, where I never manage to figure out half of what the program supposedly does. That said, I’ve had a few software-related hiccups. A couple of times, changes I made to the LCD layout didn’t sync correctly until I closed the software or unplugged and reconnected the keyboard. I’ve also had the keyboard fail to respond once or twice after waking my computer, requiring me to unplug and reconnect it. I suspect that’s software-related as well. I also wish there were more customization options for the appearance of some of the built-in touchscreen buttons. Some widgets already have really nice styling and colors, while some of the more basic functions look fairly plain and don’t give you many options to change their appearance. You can change the background of the overall keypad layout, although even that took me a couple of attempts before the changes synchronized correctly. My biggest issue with the touchscreen, though, is switching between layouts. You swipe across the LCD to move between different screens, but there’s basically a button everywhere you could possibly touch. Almost every time I swipe, I accidentally press a number, launch the Snipping Tool, open a browser, or trigger something else I had no intention of doing. I really wish there were a small dial or wheel next to the screen that allowed you to quickly cycle through layouts without interacting directly with the touchscreen. And if you’re somebody who uses a traditional ten-key constantly, don’t assume the LCD is going to replace one. I have an accounting background and basically live on a ten-key when I’m working. The touchscreen version just doesn’t work for me as a true number pad because there isn’t enough room for the addition, subtraction, and other math keys that I need. I can type numbers on it, but I can’t operate it quickly or by feel the way I can with a physical ten-key. However, my 11-year-old son thinks this may be the greatest keyboard ever created. He absolutely loves the touchscreen. He’s been setting up shortcuts to launch games, websites, and other things he uses all the time, and watching him work with it really changed my perspective on the screen. You can practically see the wheels turning while he’s deciding what he wants each button to do. For someone who loves customization and shortcuts, I can completely understand why this feature is so appealing. The keyboard is also designed around the idea of being modular, and that’s something I’m becoming increasingly interested in. Turtle Beach sells a separate physical ten-key attachment, and I’m strongly considering getting one. For someone like me, I think adding that would dramatically change the entire experience because I could keep the touchscreen for shortcuts and widgets while still having a real ten-key for work. I didn’t spend much time using the included wrist rest because I’ve never been a big wrist-rest person. It’s made from a whitish translucent material that looks really cool when the RGB lighting is on in a darker room. During the daytime, though, it looks a little unusual, and I do wonder how well that translucent finish will hold up once it starts collecting normal hand oils and dirt over time. The RGB lighting itself looks good, although it’s not the brightest RGB keyboard I’ve ever used. Since this keyboard has to remain plugged in anyway, I actually expected Turtle Beach to go a little harder with the lighting effects because battery life isn’t something they have to worry about. Performance has been excellent. The 8,000Hz polling rate makes the keyboard feel extremely responsive, and I haven’t had any issues whatsoever while gaming, working, or just typing normally. Every keystroke has been accurate, and I haven’t experienced any double inputs or missed strokes. Overall, the Command Series KB7 is a really unique keyboard with a ton of potential. The LCD touchscreen is much more than a gimmick, especially if you’re somebody who loves shortcuts, macros, widgets, and creating a highly customized setup. The Swarm II software is easy to understand, although it still feels like it has a few bugs to work out, and I would really like to see a better way to switch between touchscreen layouts.

I’ve been using the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 for gaming as well as everyday typing, and I’ve been pretty impressed with it overall. There’s a lot going on with this keyboard, and while it isn’t perfect, the hardware itself is really good. I love the design of the keyboard. The TKL layout give me plenty of room on my desktop, which keeps it comfortable for everyday use as well as gaming. Since I use Apple Magic keyboard with my Mac Studio, I really like the low-profile keys. The aluminum top gives it a nice premium feel. The keyboard is very comfortable to type on. The Hall Effect switches are incredibly smooth and responsive and it’s great that I can adjust the actuation point. The KB7 feels extremely fast, and I haven’t noticed any latency while using it. The programmable buttons and media controls are also handy. I like being able to adjust the volume and control media without reaching for the mouse. There are a lot of ways to customize the keyboard, and Turtle Beach gives you plenty of room to make it work the way you want. The 4.3-inch touchscreen immediately grabbed my attention. I have used another keyboard that has a similar feature and it’s actually a suprisingly useful feature. I can set up shortcuts, control different functions, access macros, and monitor things like system information. It’s basically a little control center built right into the keyboard, which is pretty cool and saves me from having another device taking up space on my desk. Where I’ve run into some frustration is with the Swarm II software. It gives you a ton of customization options, but it can also feel slow and a little clunky. Some changes take longer than I’d expect to sync, and the firmware update process could definitely be more straightforward. I’ve also had the touchscreen occasionally feel sluggish, particularly when switching between pages. It’s easy to accidentally hit a button when you’re trying to swipe to another page. That’s probably my biggest complaint about the KB7. The hardware feels like a premium product, but the software doesn’t always feel like it’s at the same level yet. Hopefully Turtle Beach continues to improve it with firmware and software updates. One other thing worth knowing before buying is that Turtle Beach’s Swarm II software is Windows-only. The keyboard itself can be used with a Mac, but you won’t have access to the full customization experience through the software. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker for a gaming keyboard that’s primarily designed for PC, but it’s something Mac users should know before spending this much on it. I’d also pay attention to the USB requirements before buying. Depending on your setup, the keyboard can require two USB-A connections, which could be a problem if you’re using a laptop or already have most of your ports occupied. Despite those issues, I really like using the KB7. The switches feel great, the keyboard is responsive, the customization options are impressive, and I actually find the touchscreen useful. It’s definitely more keyboard than most people need, but if you’re a serious gamer, streamer, or someone who just likes having a lot of customization options, there’s a lot to like here.

This Command Series keyboard is a low profile keyboard which means it lays very flat compared to typical gaming keyboards. It’s not as flat as a membrane keyboard but definitely doesn’t have a step-up pattern between rows. Because of this I find myself more tentative when typing fast but it’s not as big an issue when playing games. The Swarm 2 software gives you total customization of the keyboard functions, the extended control functions at the top of the keyboard and the side display which takes customization to whole new level. The display shows 12 function buttons per page that can be configured for widgets, functions or even launching 3rd party apps. So you can flip between a display page full of gaming functions, office functions or even Photoshop functions! Swarm 2 includes several templates to use or build on. Overall this is the most customizable keyboard I have ever used but you have to be someone who likes a low profile keyboard. Pros: - Configurable touch screen - Tunable Actuation point on HE switches - Configurable macros as well as some preconfigured included in software - Intuitive Swarm 2 software - Very quiet keys Cons: - Requires two USB-A port or single USB-C port - Low profile feels flat - RGB lighting even on high seems dim The keyboard looks and feels very solid. It is a low profile keyboard which means there is very little slope even when the legs on the bottom are fully extended. Because of this it took me some time to get used to the key placement especially when typing quickly. The key caps are nicely cupped and they produce very little sound when being actuated. Compared to a mechanical keyboard it’s nearly silent. Using the Swarm 2 software you can adjust the HE switch actuation/sensitivity individually to get the fastest response for gameplay. The keyboard also has an extended command bar that can be customized to your match your application. You can use it for media control, launch macros/profiles or perform certain Windows based functions. The 4.3 inch touch screen is also customizable or you can choose to use one of the templates provided in the Swarm 2 software. There are media, work flow and gaming templates that you can customize to your exact needs. Keep in mind that there are 12 possible buttons on the touch screen so it cannot include all the functions of a full sized keyboard.

I have been using this keyboard to play Helldivers 2 and this keyboard rocks. This is a full-size keyboard with every feature I want to play my favorite game. It’s corded so there’s no concern about wireless latency here. Design and Ergonomics This keyboard has a specific feature that makes it stand out from other gaming keyboards. It has a high responsive screen that allows a user to change settings on the fly and even throw in macros on the game. I have not programmed macros myself, but the features are there. There’s a software to update the firmware and opens up pretty deep customization, though most of the keyboard settings can be modified directly from the keyboard’s screen. I really like the aluminum chassis, which gives the premium impression deserving of a high end computer gaming system. The rocker button is very useful, though it is placed on the left side of the keyboard. I would have liked it more if it is placed on the right side of the keyboard because in high intensity FPS games, it will be quicker to change the volume while keeping movement of the character on the game. Also, the keys on the top of the keyboard are made of plastics and feels a bit cheapish. Nothing biggie but it’s not consistent to the overall premium look of the keyboard. The keyboard screen is just great and it’s the real hero here. It’s bright, sharp and very responsive. The keyboard comes with a palm rest that is comfortable to use for extended gaming sessions. The palm rest is made of transparent material that allows it to transfer RGB lights coming from the keyboard, which is pretty cool for a gaming keyboard. Performance The keyboard is responsive. In FPS games, it doesn’t feel that there’s any noticeable lag. However, the keys are not as high as my previous mechanical keyboard but then again this is a titan low profile hall-effect keyboard with all of its advantages, as well. Keys actuation are programmable right from the keyboard screen. I like the sound of the keypress, which is not as loud as a mechanical keyboard. I don’t play games as an esport player, but I like this keyboard for how responsive it is when playing FPS games compared to my mechanical keyboards. The keyboard uses 8K polling rate, so it doesn’t feel like I’m losing any edge when using this hall effect keyboard. Is it a great option to replace mechanical keyboard for competitive gaming? For my needs yes with some tinkering into the setting. Might be a different answer if you’re looking for a split micro second difference on esport games. For me, this keyboard is fast and responsive enough. Conclusion This keyboard is definitely a keeper. I like the ability to throw stratagem on Hell Divers 2 on the push of a button on the keyboard screen. I still have some macro programming to do but this keyboard is the right tool for that purpose. Pros: Great screen 8K polling rate Comfortable palm rest Sleek aluminum chassis design Cons: Top row keys are made of plastics Rocker key is placed on the left side of the keyboard

If you’re a content creator or streamer, especially, you’re going to love this keyboard. Historically speaking, I really enjoy using low profile keyboards and especially the linear key switch versions. I’ve been unhappy with other releases because none of them really had the hall effect magnetic switches that everybody else does on the standard height keyboards, but this changes that. So first off, as a keyboard, I want to explain that again, this is low profile so if you’re used to this, great if you’re not, you’re still going to love it because it’s way less draining on your wrists, especially with the wrist rest that is included here. It’s got hard media control keys at the top and a USB-C cable. Obviously, the TKL form factor is perfect on this, and I like the way the F1 key is lined up with the number 2 instead of being further over like some of them are. The screen is pretty much the star of this keyboard. Now, it has several base screens that you can swipe through on the actual screen itself, as it’s a touch sensitive panel, of course. You can have a number pad or one of many quick functions that can all be customized in the swarm software. I like using some of the defaults, like mic mute, seeing my RAM use, my CPU and GPU temperature, and being able to launch Steam. It does pick up a lot of fingerprints, but that’s to be expected and is easily wiped off. LEDs on the switches are nice and bright and fully customizable again in the software, so is the lighting at the bottom of the keyboard that goes into the wrist rest which is a really cool effect, especially at night. I will say I don’t tend to use any sort of snap tap or anything like that with the hall effect switches I’m more of a set it and forget it type, but this really makes sense when you buy another keyboard and you’re trying to get used to it, and it’s a different actuation point than your last one it becomes very annoying. This resolves that because you can just send it to the exact same height that it was, which for me was 1.2 mm all the way around. Super buttery feel when typing or gaming special feels great that it’s low profile. I think this is a really clutch keyboard for those that have a use for shortcuts, especially streamers. For the money, I don’t think there is really any competition in this space, and it fills a gap I've never really thought any company was going to.

The KB7 keyboard with Hall effect is a unique in its own category, and remarkably comfortable to type and use with various options to customize for game. First on the first impression, the keyboard as per se has the functionality of a full keyboard, but having all of it in a mix of mechanical keyboard with a touch screen, the size is smaller than actual full size keyboard. Now, what in the box: - Turtle Beach® Command Series KB7 - USB-C to USB-C Cable + USB-C to 2x USB-A Adapter - Illuminated Wrist Rest - Quick Start Insert - Extra grippy WASD Textured Keycap + Keycap Puller As per its specification, here is the list as per the brand product specifications, I think it is good to know each of the unlike other devices as it help to understand the complexity from which is made but easy to use: -Form Factor: TKL -Connectivity: USB C or 2 x USB-A Wired -Cable: 1.8m / 5.9ft Detachable USB-C + 7.9 inch 2 x USB A Adapter Cable -Lighting: RGB Per-Key Illumination -Switches: Hall Effect Magnetic Switches -Actuation Point: Adjustable 0.1 - 3.2mm -Switch Lifecycle: 100M Keystrokes -Processors: Dual Core 32-bit ARM Cortex M3 and 32-bit ARM Cortex M4 -Screen: 4.3” Colors Touchscreen Display -Polling Rate: 8000 Hz -Adjustable Height: Yes, Double Kickstand -Keyboard Rollover: Full Key, Anti-Ghosting -On-Board Memory: 32MB -Software: Swarm™ II -Product Weight: 858g/1120g (with palm rest) -Product Dimensions: 399x256x31 mm (with palm rest) The specification does tell the complexity of hardware and software induced for a gaming keyboard, and having it on hand, it does’t feel as a mechanical type of keyboard that includes a display. It feels as a central command control device instead, and its series name does reflect it without a miss. To start using, first it requires to have installed Turtle Beach Software Swarm II, then it requires to connect with USB-C or USB-A. Once it is recognized and connected, immediately start the update process which consist of two parts. And in case of missing out by buyers, this is only for PC. It doesn’t support others OS as of the date of review. And from the Swarm II, can personalize keys and command in the display as one would expect. But what is remarkable is how well feel typing and interaction with all of actionable key controls for multimedia with the number of options in the touch display. As additional note on the typing experience, it is like no another keyboard have tried. As typing, tactic sensation is smooth with sound between muted to clacky, effortless and still responsive. And during the gaming it can fee how fast act as changing objects and windows to type Another feature of the keyboard, it is being a modular, it can be plugged in the side other modules that can be slipped into KB7 and make single keyboard. For last, the palm rest accessory looks out of space at night due to the key illumination effect. And again, this is a massive keyboard. The only thing I wish it were its compatibility with Mac. But as the keyboard press is for Windows, can’t add anything else.

As far as I know, I don't think there is anything on the market quite like the KB7 and it does show in it's price tag. It is so modular and has so many features, it can make a casual gamer like myself, go bonkers trying to figure it all out. But my kids on the other hand actually loved all the features. The hall effect switch was a really necessary feature for my son because he plays a lot of fps games, gave him the adjustability in his gaming style. And the rapid trigger was also a huge plus. The keyboard also has capabilities of adjusting each individual keys rgb lighting, and I thought that is really cool but not something I would probably ever choose to do. For me, as a casual gamer, I really thought the touchscreen was a great feature. I loved using it to scroll between all the different applications, especially for pulling up the numbers keypad when needed. The screen was very responsive and was clear, crisp and easy to see. I love that you can configure it to what is most useful for the user. My kids find certain applications useful while for me, it was other applications. Like I stated, so many features. The screen and the media buttons, especially the knob, was my absolute favorite thing about this keyboard and, imo, worth every dollar. The keys have a nice feel and relatively quiet, although it is a little close together for my size fingers but not enough for me to take off a star. The wristpad was not good. It did not feel comfortable at all resting my palms or wrist on it. Although the lighting that came through the pad was kinda cool, I couldn't use it. The keyboard itself is built like a tank. It is heavy and premium. There is no give when using it and it gave me confidence that if you are playing any type of game and get a little aggressive, the keyboard will not move. I was very impressed with the build quality. There is also a keypad attachment that I will probably have to get because I like this keyboard so much.

I’ll start by saying if you want the coolest looking gaming keyboard just go and buy this one. I’m not a dedicated keyboard and mouse gamers(I try) lol, but I do love the latest and greatest technology. This gaming keyboard is by far the best looking keyboard I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned several from top brands. The screen not only looks great but is functional and very useful. You can customize via the swarm app to your liking. You have several presets as well and you have an always available number pad as well if you swipe to the left. I like to see the gpu and cpu performance and temps so I chose those plus website shorten used often and even steam. It’s works great but unfortunately you have to open the app for it to be able to monitor your cpu/gpu which is a slight disappointment but take a min so not the end of the world. As far as gaming on the keyboard, it works great, not the most amazing switches but still competitive. You can customize everything pertaining to the keyboard through the app and adjust the keys to your preferences. RGB is nice and the palm rest RGB is something different and much appreciated the way they implemented the lighting. Very cool stuff. You get a nice volume wheel and shortcut keys up top as well. This is wired and sometimes I do have to unplug it and plug back in even after I updated the keyboard. Maybe just a software glitch and I don’t believe it a hardware issue at all. Again, even if you don’t want to play keyboard and mouse I highly recommend this keyboard just for the looks and features of the screen. I love it and everyone says it the coolest keyboard they ever seen lol and that’s saying a lot.

Super excited for a keyboard that has a display and other options. This Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 TKL Wired Hall-Effect Gaming Keyboard for PC was my wish come true. Setup. Setup was super easy. plug and play with keyboard recognition. I also had the Swarm 2 program on my PC and went through all of the setup. Customization of the screen was really easy using the Swarm 2 program. Also all of the lights and affects are easy to control. The wrist pad is a nice touch as it allows for the LEDs to be shown off more. Basically using it as a medium to transmit light through. Color is nice black with subtle metallic accents. Use is good. Keys are medium. Not too squishy and not too clicky. Response time is good for game play. No noticable lag. BTW it requires double USB a connectors. At least that's what the instructions call for. There is also a side rail option to buy a 10 key pad that locks into the side. Might be my next purchase to complete this keyboard. On board diagnostics for Motherboard info was not complete for my PC. The website did indicate that this feature does not work for all setups. For mine, it would not pickup the CPU temp. It picked up GPU, RAM etc. Overall nice keyboard with cutting edge screen use.on keyboard. Overall nice keyboard. Something fresh and slick.

The TB Command Series KB7 TKL has a bunch of features that I've never seen before on a PC keyboard as well as some refined and newer iterations of some gaming features. Right away, you'll notice the digital touchscreen that replaces the numpad and gives you multiple dynamic buttons that are assignable and customizable. You can create macros, shortcuts or even launch apps directly from the touch pad. Another new feature is the ability to attach modular accessories on either the left or right side or both. I had wondered when someone would come out with a keyboard to do this, as many people do not use a 10-key all the time but when they do they might be able to use a BT 10-key or just attach it in the case of the KB7. This gives you the best of both worlds where you have a compact TKL keyboard for comfort but if you want to use your numpad for work or data entry, you can attach it. Very cool. The wrist rest is securely attached and also has LED shine through. It is also very comfortable. Each key is also individually addressable with RGB. The keys are low profile and are super solid and do not wobble which is fantastic, but key travel is not as long as a full sized cap. It is still excellent to type on with the hall effect switches. I'm pretty impressed by the KB7, just MAKE SURE to update the firmware and update and install the latest Swarm 2 software or things may go awry.

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 TKL is one of those keyboards that sounds great on paper. It has Hall Effect switches, adjustable actuation, Rapid Trigger, an 8,000Hz polling rate, per-key RGB lighting, a built in 4.3-inch touchscreen, dedicated media controls, programmable buttons, onboard profiles, and even the ability to attach a separate numberpad to either side of the keyboard. On paper, this should be one of the more impressive gaming keyboards Turtle Beach has ever released. Unfortunately, my experience with the KB7 has been the exact opposite. The hardware itself is actually pretty decent, but getting the keyboard to consistently work like a normal keyboard is a completely different story. I've used a lot of Turtle Beach products over the years, and honestly, I'm baffled that the KB7 was released in this state. The KB7 is a wired, TKL keyboard with a 78 key layout. Instead of the traditional 6 navigation keys, Turtle Beach uses that space for the 4.3-inch color touchscreen. The chassis combines a plastic body with an aluminum top plate, giving it a somewhat premium feel without making the keyboard excessively heavy. It also comes with a detachable shine through wrist rest, double-shot PBT keycaps, adjustable kickstands, per-key RGB lighting, and a detachable USB-C to 2x USB-A Ports, which can be an issue for those wanting to use this keyboard with a laptop. The KB7 also supports an 8,000Hz polling rate with a claimed 0.125ms latency. Turtle Beach includes a USB-C-to dual-USB-A adapter, and they recommend connecting the keyboard directly to the PC rather than through a USB hub. Also, if you game on a laptop make sure you have 2x USB-A ports side by side, because you won't be able to use this keyboard if they are not. The touchscreen is supposed to be the star of the show, and I really wanted to love it. The KB7 has a 4.3-inch color touchscreen built directly into the keyboard. You can use it to switch profiles, control lighting, adjust actuation, enable Rapid Trigger, record macros, control applications, monitor system information like GPU and CPU temps and launch various functions. You can also create multiple pages and swipe between them, essentially turning the display into a built-in macro pad. The Swarm II app allows integrations for applications such as OBS, Streamlabs, Discord and games like CS2. In theory, this is really cool. In practice, the touchscreen is one of the more frustrating parts of the keyboard. I've experienced noticeable latency when swiping between pages, and the touchscreen can feel inconsistent. Having haptic feedback would also be ideal so you get some sort of feedback when pressing it. Then when swiping between the different pages the touch detection is just awful and registers a swipe as “press”, so you accidentally will press the tile when you are trying to change pages. It feels like you're interacting with a prototype implementation of the product and not a final product. There is definitely potential here, but Turtle Beach needs to spend considerably more time optimizing the software and touchscreen experience. Above the function row is the Action Bar, which includes a clickable volume dial, media controls and four programmable shortcut buttons. The four additional buttons can be mapped to different functions, and you can configure things such as Game Mode, profile switching, microphone mute and lighting control. Unfortunately, these buttons feel and sound noticeably cheaper than the rest of the keyboard. The switches underneath those buttons have a more plasticky feel, which is a little disappointing considering the price. One of the more interesting aspects of the Command Series is the modular design. Turtle Beach designed the KB7 with modular rails and pogo-pin connections that allow you to attach the Command Series KP7 keypad. This is an interesting idea in that the keypad can be attached to either side of the keyboard, which I can see being a big selling point for those left-handed gamers. Now this is where the review takes a turn and it's the moment you plug this keyboard into your PC, where my experience with the KB7 completely falls apart. The keyboard just simply didn't work properly right out of the box. I'm not talking about some features not working or an advanced setting that wasn't configured correctly. I'm talking about the keyboard itself just refusing to cooperate with the computer. There were situations where I couldn't even reliably use the keyboard to log into Windows, and there would be times where at login it would spam one letter at the Windows login and locking me out. I ended up needing a second keyboard just to log into my PC and troubleshoot the KB7. This is completely unacceptable for a wired keyboard. A wired keyboard should be one of the simplest peripherals you can connect to a computer. Plug in the USB’s, and Windows immediately detects it, and it works. The problems do not stop there. One of the most frustrating issues is what happens after shutting the computer down. If I turn my PC off for the night and come back the next day and power it back on, the KB7 just refuses to work. The keyboard is connected, but Windows does not properly recognize the keyboard input. The solution is to unplug the keyboard and plug it back in. Then I have to wait around 13 seconds for the keyboard to boot back up and register with the PC. Again, this is a wired keyboard. This should not be happening. I shouldn't have to physically disconnect and reconnect a keyboard every time I start my computer. If this were a wireless keyboard that occasionally needed to reconnect, I could maybe understand having some connectivity quirks here or there , but this keyboard is physically connected to the computer. There should be almost nothing to troubleshoot. Installing the firmware was also another headache I ran into. Turtle Beach's Swarm II software would immediately crash when I tried to launch it, so I ended up having to uninstall and reinstall the software just to get it to open properly. Then, once I finally got the software running, trying to update the KB7's firmware became another frustrating process. The firmware update would start and then crash or fail during the process. The entire selling point of this keyboard is customization. You need the software to get the most out of the Hall Effect switches. You need it to customize the touchscreen, configure RGB, create profiles, program macros and access many of the keyboard's advanced features. So when the software crashes, and fails to recognize the keyboard or has trouble completing firmware updates, it undercuts the entire product. If Turtle Beach can fix the software and the touch screen latency, I could see the KB7 becoming an ok gaming keyboard. The foundation is there. But right now, it feels like a product that was released before the software was ready. Pros Hall Effect switches Adjustable actuation point Rapid Trigger 8,000Hz polling rate Low-profile design Detachable wrist rest Modular Options Cons Major out of the box connectivity issues May not work when Windows first boots Needed a second keyboard just to set it up Swarm II software is awful Touchscreen can feel sluggish when swiping between pages Needs 2x USB-A for connection Wont work with a lot of laptops Overall, the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 TKL is a case of decent hardware being held back by terrible software. The Hall Effect switches and feature set are good when they work, but the number of bugs I've encountered makes it incredibly difficult to recommend. Until Turtle Beach gets Swarm II and the keyboard's firmware and startup behavior sorted out, I would personally wait before buying this keyboard.

Best buy, this isn't living up to its name best buy. I liked it first. But then I noticed that every time I reboot my computer, I have to unplug and replug the thing because the software will not allow for it to be connected to after the reboot. Also, the keyboard is slow. It has moments where it's repeating keys 100 times way after you press the keys, it acts like a Chinese wireless keyboard that has no quality and a lot of latency. I thought that I would like it but the more I tried to use a software the worst performed. I immediately decided to get rid of it once I saw the repeating characters. I knew that I would hate this keyboard because I would play a game online. I would play a game online and then later on find out that during the game when I'm streaming I have to apologize for losing because of the stupid repeating keys in the keyboard and freezing. Worse by I ever experience because I liked it so much and wish that it worked but it doesn't

My laptop is capable, intel i9, 64gb ram, etc. However, when I downloaded the software and plugged this in. My laptop couldn’t operate. Took me a long time to get through setting up and using this thing. I took it to work and installed on my PC that I use to manage my shop, another very capable machine. Was not as slow but, wouldn’t consistently show the macros and stuff on the screen. Just got tired of fighting it.

i like alot of different elements with this board. the lights and heel rest are great of course. the keys are sensitive! so it makes for quick work but i will say that it takes some getting used to cause you can accidently hit keys especially for someone like me who is used to computers, but have using my phone for so long before finally getting myself a home pc.

There’s a really bad bug where the display starts to glitch when the fans are pushing 35 degrees which should be addressed.

Looks crazy good on the desk with the rest of my RGB setup. Still coming up to speed on the configuration software, which probably does way more than I need.