Overall and Final Verdict
So I will be honest, the 200K isn’t exactly going to be my first choice when picking out a keyboard for myself. I have been using higher end keyboards for far too long. Adjusting back to the scissor switches wasn’t my cup of tea. Frankly I actually prefer typing on my Yoga 2 Pro’s keyboard a lot more even. That said there are a couple really good things about the 200K that I think anyone who is looking for a budget keyboard should keep in mind. For starters you get a full backlit keyboard with seven different lighting options. Even better you don’t have to install any bulky or poorly made software to control it. You can just flip through the colors with a single button or adjust the brightness up and down. Hell you can even set the lighting to breath. The 200K also has media shortcuts for people who like to have those controls close. You do have to use the function key to get at them though. Heck you even get a button that opens up the calculator for you!
All said the 200K really only had two gaming features that stood out. It had the weird WASD/Direction Pad swap option that I just couldn’t find much of a good use for. You also get 19 different gaming specific keys that are designed to not ghost when you press them. I would have liked to see a few more keys specific to MOBAs added, but all in all I don’t think you can ask much more from a budget keyboard. You most likely won’t get anything close to that with the standard non-gaming keyboards in the same price range.
So currently the 200K sells for just under $30 on Newegg. After spending a lot of time looking around at the options, there really is only one keyboard (that is focused on gaming) that could potentially be better. Cooler Master does have a model at the same price and they even bundle a mouse with it. In the spirit of complete coverage and potentially at the cost of my sanity I actually have that Cooler Master Keyboard/Mouse set coming in right after our vacation.
So where does that leave the 200K. Well I’m going to give it a value award because after looking there just isn’t much at this price point that competes. But given my disappointing experience with the scissor switches I would really only recommend it to people who are coming from a similar keyboard. If you have been running a mechanical keyboard or even a keyboard with more features and you just need something to hold you off, I’m not sure this is the one. That is disappointing to me because Cougar clearly knows how to make a great keyboard. I’m just not sure that a real gaming keyboard can be made at this price point. It might be best to stick with the standard keyboards until you can get to something a little better. A good example from Cougars product lineup would be their 500K. It has membrane switches but all of the features that their higher end keyboards have.
Amazon link: HERE
