NZXT Function mechanical gaming keyboard review: A half-hearted try

The NZXT Function and Lift are the first gaming peripherals from the company. They are great additions to the highly optimized NZXT ecosystem.

The Function is a mechanical keyboard with red switches. It comes in three versions: a full-sized mechanical keyboard, a 75%, and a ten-keyless variant.

The well-known computer case manufacturer has introduced multiple colorways for the keyboard. These include white, gray, and black versions. The full-sized version sells for around $115, while the ten-keyless variant comes to $99.99.

We recently got our hands on the white NZXT Function ten-keyless keyboard. In this review, we will share our thoughts and experiences with it.

Specs of the NZXT Function mechanical keyboard

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The NZXT Function is a wired hot-swappable mechanical keyboard that ships with Gateron switches. Buyers can choose between red, brown, or blue switches. At around $100, the keyboard has some serious competition.

Product name	NZXT Function ten-keyless mechanical keyboard
Dimensions	361.7 mm x 127.8 mm x 40.3 mm
Weight	778 g
Wrist rest	Magnetic rubberized wrist rest
Switches	Gateron Linear Red switches
Lighting	Per-key RGB
Keycaps	ABS plastic keycaps
Warranty	2 years

However, the best part about the NZXT Function is that it can be fully customized via the manufacturer's official website.

The NZXT custom keyboard builder allows users to choose between their choice of keyboard base color, switches, keycaps, and cables.

Customizing the Function via the NZXT website (Image via NZXT)

There are a total of five switches users can opt for. These include Gateron Blue, Brown, Red, and Silent Black Ink Linear, as well as Gateron Aliaz Silent Tactile switches. The official website also allows users to check out a sample of the keycaps' sound to help them make better decisions.

Users can also choose between the base color of their keycaps as well as accent colors for the escape, enter, arrow, numpad, and enter keys. Additionally, they choose one of the accent cables bundled with the keyboard.

However, customizing the keyboard to the fullest can increase the total cost significantly, with our sample customization costing $200.

Unboxing experience

Packaging of the Function keyboard (Image via Sportskeeda)

The unboxing experience of the Function keyboard is straightforward. The packaging follows the traditional NZXT color scheme of white and purple.

Inside the outer box is an inner box that packs the keyboard, the cable, a keycap puller, a switch puller, and some paperwork.

That is all one gets in the box of the NZXT Function.

Build quality

The Function TKL keyboard (Image via Sportskeeda)

The Function's base is made out of plastic. The top, however, is made of aluminum. The keyboard comes with five rubber stoppers that add extra rigidity to the body. It is paired with a height adjuster that can be set in two stages.

The keyboard packs a volume roller in the upper left corner. It is made out of rubber and feels cheap to the touch.

The volume roller is included with the Function keyboard (Image via Sportskeeda)

The Function packs two dedicated macro keys on the side with a mute button. The first two of these buttons, including the mute button, trigger an LED. This makes them easy to use.

Since the keyboard is based on a compact form factor, the capslock and scroll lock LEDs have been shifted down to the space between the arrow keys and the cursor keys. This is an innovative decision.

The base of the Function keyboard (Image via Sportskeeda)

Overall, the Function feels well-built. Although it is not as premium as the Cooler Master CK550 or the HyperX Alloy Origins, it gets the job done pretty well.

Switches and keycaps

The Gateron Red linear switch (Image via Sportskeeda)

As mentioned earlier, the Function comes with a hot-swappable PCB. This adds versatility to the keyboard. Users can swap the switches with anything of their choice as the Function is compatible with the 5-pin layout Cherry MX switches.

Out of the box, the Function comes with Gateron linear red switches. These switches offer a great typing experience. However, they are extremely poor sounding and are not lubed well. This offers a janky experience at the end of the day.

The Function comes with ABS plastic PBT dye-sublimated laser-engraved keycaps that have a Cherry profile and are black irrespective of the color scheme you opt for. This nullifies the purpose of a white or gray base. However, the resulting duotone color scheme looks better than the usual black.

The keycaps on the Function keyboard (Image via Sportskeeda)

The keycaps, however, are not impressive. They are mushy to the touch and attract skin oils over time. Moreover, most keycaps feel wobbly and do not keep up with other equivalently priced keyboards on the market.

Both the keycaps and the switches deserved more work.

Wrist rest

NZXT, a certified computer case manufacturer, includes a magnetic rubberized wrist rest with the keyboard. This makes managing it easy.

The wrist rest has a polka dot pattern engraved into it. This will help improve the typing experience by miles.

Overall, the Function might pack the best wrist rest included out of the box with any keyboard. Props to NZXT for designing such a high-quality accessory for the Function.

Connectivity

The braided cable bundled with the Function keyboard (Image via Sportskeeda)

The NZXT Function is strictly wired. Users can connect it to their computers via the included Type-A to Type-C cable. The cable is braided and soft. It is around 1.8m long.

After testing the NZXT Lift and its poor-quality paracord sheath cable that could easily get tangled, the Function's bundled cable feels like a solid step up.

The Type-C connection of the Function cable (Image via Sportskeeda)

The included cable is removable. Thus, users can swap it with any third-party cable they prefer.

NZXT sells accent keyboard cables for $20 each on their website. Users can choose between eight different colorways for this cable. This will help one match the overall theme of their setup.

Typing experience

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Our review sample came with Gateron's red switches. Despite packing some trade-offs and bad design decisions, the keyboard can deliver a solid typing experience.

After testing both the Gateron Red switch-based NZXT Function and the Brown switch-based Cooler Master CK550 V2, the Function takes a solid lead in long typing hours. The keyboard can generically type at a much faster pace and can result in much lesser wrist pain.

The Gateron Red switch as installed in the Function keyboard (Image via Sportskeeda)

During long gaming hours, however, the Brown switches have an advantage. Thus, users who will be gaming on this keyboard should opt for the Gateron Browns while opting for the NZXT Function.

However, when pitched against the Cherry MX Red switch-based HyperX Alloy Origins, the NZXT Function keyboard falls apart. This shows how much the underlying PCB and the overall switch stabilization can affect the net experience.

Software

The Function keyboard bundles the NZXT CAM software. It is extremely polished, has very few bugs, and comes with a minimalist UI.

Users can customize the lighting of the keyboard, remap keys, and add macros to the device via this software. It packs a total of nine base color options, including some interesting options like Bass, Level, and Sync. On top of this, users can choose to add a reactive effect to further light up their keyboard.

Overall, the lighting options are solid. However, the black see-through plastic dye-sublimated keycaps do not do justice to the per-key lighting of the Function. Users should get their hands on double-shot PBT keycaps to properly experience the lighting of this keyboard.

The key remapping settings in NZXT CAM software (Image via NZXT)

The key remapping settings are adequate. It allows users to remap any key of the keyboard to virtually anything. Users can also add as many macros as possible and use them via the keyboard.

Overall, CAM is a very polished software. It packs sufficient customization options that allow users to take control of their NZXT Function keyboard.

Value

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The full-sized version of the NZXT Function keyboard costs around $115 today. The TKL variant has been discounted to $99 on Newegg. However, it is priced at $109 on the website.

At this price point, we cannot find any good reason to suggest this keyboard over the Ducky One 3 or the Glorious GMMK 2.

Users can buy this keyboard and choose better options for the keycaps and switches, but it will add to the cost. The underlying PCB is not particularly high-quality, and the switches could use a bit more stabilization.

Thus, unless users try to get into the company's ecosystem, there is no good reason to opt for the NZXT Function keyboard.