Software

There are no software drivers for the XPG Summoner, with all functionality hardware based. As such, I have chosen to combine this section with the performance section below.

Performance

The XPG Summoner keyboard supports full N-key rollover USB, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. You can choose between 6KRO and NKRO using Fn + Ins/Del respectively. Similarly, no key chatter was detected on any of the keys using Switch Hitter. As with just about any keyboard these days, there is no right Windows key, having being substituted by an Fn key instead.


When first connected, the keyboard lights up in a static red color for all keys, and Fn + F1-5 changes the color, going through blue, indigo, white, green, and yellow for a total of six selectable colors for all keys. White is close enough to a true white to where I have no complaints, especially for an RGB keyboard. Fn + left/right arrow keys also toggles through seven lighting effects (including the default static) for each color, except for the last one, which is a static WASD mode that lights up specific keys in the specific manner as seen above. Fn + up/down arrow also provides brightness control in five steps (0/25/50/75/100%), and that is really it as far as lighting control goes.

Seen above are three of the available lighting effects, and the rainbow wave mode in particular just makes the lack of more customizable lighting control all the more evident since the hardware clearly can handle it. The keys and LEDs are capable of per-key 16.8 M colors, but you only have control over 31 of them. ADATA and XPG really need to do better here if they want to compete against the more established brands with far more lighting control, especially in a world where this is taken for granted even with keyboards that only offer onboard control, but with way more options.

There are other onboard controls, including setting up onboard profiles which are also tied to the color changes mentioned above. Fn + F6 toggles through game mode which, while also disabling the Win key, allows for more customization to the profiles in terms of the lighting effects and macros. The manual better describes how the macro recording works, but interesting is how you have to record the macro first before assigning it to a key, which is usually the other way around with other keyboards. That's about it as far as customization goes, and also note that you are limited to 4 key presses or 20 seconds, whichever comes first.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the XPG Summoner keyboard sample at ~105 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Cherry MX Speed (Silver) switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out often given the relatively light spring and shorter travel distance in these switches, but it is fairly easy to avoid with some practice, which in turn also allows for a quieter keyboard as a whole. These switches were designed with gaming in mind, with a shorter response time between strokes due to the shorter travel distance, all other things being equal. It does mean that typing can result in some errors, however, especially if you tend to rest your fingers on keys.