If I had to gauge the value of the ROG Claymore II based on how many ROG logos I get per dollar paid, I probably would give it a high recommendation for the value offered. I counted eight ASUS/ROG references just on the back of the keyboard with the wrist rest, which you will never even see in use! Every single switch has the ROG eye, as well as the ASUS logo on the other side. The ROG Claymore II is a massive ad for the brand, and you are paying $270 for it. There's no getting around that price point, however much I attempt to jest about the ROG branding here. I am struggling to reconcile this with everything the keyboard offers.

Yes, keyboards from competitors crack the $200 barrier, including the CORSAIR K100 with an MSRP of $230, though it is currently selling for $200, as well as the Logitech G915 at an MSRP of $250. I have no experience with the Logitech offering, but there are definitely things the ROG Claymore II does better than the CORSAIR K100, and some it does worse. The configurable form factor is the biggest feature here, though for me personally, the USP is the ROG RX switch. These are some of the most innovative switches I have had my hands on to date, so much so that they make the rest of the keyboard a letdown. The keycaps are of a nice design for the switches as they minimize wobble, but good luck making them last for as long as necessary to justify the price point. The stabilizers are drier than the Sahara in the summer, and the aluminium frame is a pingmaster. I am very curious how these switches would do in a different setup, which is all the harder given these are first-party offerings from ASUS. The software experience could definitely be better as well, especially compared to iCUE, which has been my favorite user experience of any of the keyboard drivers thus far.

I could probably put together a page-long comparison of the two keyboards, but let's get back to the ROG Claymore II on its own. As clearly shown by taking a look at the list above, there are definitely more positives than negatives. I can't help but think that the first negative alone negates most of the positives, though. Then we get to the others, including the various things around the excellent switches mentioned above. If I feel like I am being too hard on the ROG Claymore II, it might be because I really wanted ASUS to succeed here. There are so many good things going on, including features that are rarely seen. Something as simple as using a Type-C to Type-C cable for quick charging or a free USB pass-though port is unheard of, and the clever use of indicator LEDs to showcase multiple things is efficient design. I also really like the internal connector for data and power transmission both instead of multiple cables, which most people won't even notice. It's the same with the switches I keep coming back to, with a novel scissor-style stabilizer that supports the stem throughout its key travel. The central lighting is excellent, with very good color fidelity as well. If the ROG Claymore II were $200, I would have absolutely recommended it over the CORSAIR K100. Maybe even at the $230 the latter originally came in at. An extra $40 over that may not sound like much, but even $200 was a hard pill to swallow for many. I do think ASUS has done a lot of neat, innovative things here, though, so I will absolutely give it our Innovation award. But a general recommendation will be hard to come by, especially at its asking price in the US, and noting that it costs even more elsewhere.