Introduction
The ZEROCOMPACT is a mechanical gaming keyboard made by OCPC Gaming. It features an ergonomic and splash-proof design and comes with Outemu blue switches. Coming with an MSRP of only $29.99 it looks to be a decent entry-level offering into the world of mechanical keyboards. The ZERO range of keyboards also features a full-size keyboard, the ZEROPRO. There is also the ZEROMINI which is a 61-key keyboard based on a very similar design.
ZEROCOMPACT Specifications
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87 Keys Mechanical Keyboard
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USB plug and play
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Partial Anti-Ghost
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Full Mechanical Switch
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Splash Proof
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Ergonomic Design
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Compact Size: 385x136x35.5mm
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Light Weight: 720g
Closer Look
Packaging
The front of the box has a nice image of the keyboard on it. In the bottom right corner, it lists some of the main features such as its ergonomic design, splashproof, mechanical switches, and its RGB lighting.
On the back, we have another image that shows off the keyboard in all its glory. We can also see a list of all the main features the ZEROCOMPACT has to offer.
ZEROCOMPACT Keyboard
Getting the keyboard out of the box and it feels lightweight as advertised. The keycaps have a bit of a unique color scheme to them and there is a small knob in the upper right corner to make changing the lighting effects easy.
Even without the RGB backlighting on, you can still see the letters and numbers on the keys with ease. The font choice is a bit outdated but it’s nothing to worry about as still easy enough to read.
In the top right corner is a knob that lets you change the RGB effects on the keyboard. OCPC Missed a trick here as all you can do is push the knob like a button. You can not turn it at all which is a shame.
Being able to turn the knob could off added more functionality to the ZEROCOMPACT keyboard. If nothing else, it could have been used to control the brightness of the LEDs. They could have also changed what button controls the LEDs and used the knob for volume which is becoming more and more popular.
OCPC Gaming has gone with Outemu blue switches for their ZERO range of keyboards. These are full mechanical switches but they are on the cheaper side of things. However, I have never had an issue when using them on any keyboard over the years.
The switches are also hot-swappable and OCPC has included a few spares in the box just in case.
One thing I did enjoy seeing was the feet on the bottom. There is two different settings so you can make sure the keyboard is at the right level for you when typing. It may seem like a small feature but a lot of more expensive keyboards still seem to over look this.
RGB Lighting
Each switch has its RGB LED on the top. As you can see, they do light up quite nicely. The laser-etched keys look amazing and are easy to see when the lights are on.
Absolutely no issue trying to read any of the letters when using the RGB lighting.
Final Words
As with the MR11 Gaming Mouse we recently looked at, the ZERO range of keyboards is more aimed towards those on a budget. The ZEROCOMPACT is not the most feature-rich keyboard but considering it comes with a MSRP of only $29.99 it’s not all bad.
There are a few lighting modes and the Outemu blue switches are a great entry into the world of mechanical keyboard switches. The blue switches are far too clicky and noisy for my taste, but this is how blue switches are designed and they are still great for gaming. I just type far too much and can’t handle too much clicking while doing so. This is in no way anything wrong with this keyboard, just a personal preference on blue switches in general.
If you are looking for a cheap backup keyboard or your first mechanical keyboard, the ZEROCOMPACT is worth checking out.
