Yet the frustrating design flaw is that backlight, which is simply too dim. In daylight, it functions well enough, but at night it isn’t bright enough under a half-decent monitor to read the keys, making it almost unusable in the dark.

A media control bar on the top right of the Lycosa allows for, as its called, simple media controls. Play, pause, next and previous media, volume controls and the backlight. There are three backlight settings: off, on, and WASD, which makes those four keys the only ones illuminated, but they are twice as bright as standard key lighting. 

Functionality plays a big role with the Lycosa, as mentioned earlier. Because it has no dedicated macro keys, every key can have a specially assigned function. Through Razer’s software, it’s easy to set any number of commands for any key. That’s right, ever single key on the keyboard (not the touch-sensitive media keys) can be reprogrammed to do any command. 

 

 

That software is also simple, intuitive and lightweight. Just hover the mouse over any key you want to pick, click on it and set the function. It’s so easy, insert Geico Caveman slogan.

The Lycosa is a strong, accessible gaming keyboard that doesn’t sacrifice size for functionality. It’s top-notch software receives nothing but praise. The keys, and specifically the lettering and lighting, don’t match that excellence, being difficult to read in almost any given situation. But without dedicated macro keys, having difficult to read keys anywhere on the board can be the difference between getting that last kill or losing the game. 

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