Azeron Cyborg II Review: The Keyboard Killer?

The QWERTY Rebellion

Why are we still gaming on typewriters? The QWERTY layout was designed to prevent mechanical jams in the 1870s, not to strafe-jump in Apex Legends. The Azeron Cyborg II asks a simple, arrogant question: “What if we built a controller for PC that wasn’t held back by legacy?” It solves the “WASD problem”—wasting three fingers just to move—by offloading movement to a single thumbstick, freeing up four fingers to cast spells, reload, and teabag with unprecedented efficiency.

The Cronenberg Prop

The Cyborg II looks like a prop from a Cronenberg film or a piece of deactivated Cyberdyne tech. It is a skeleton of 3D-printed PLA, adjustable screws, and exposed wiring. It feels raw, industrial, and bespoke. The texture of the 3D print gives it a grip that smooth plastic lacks, a tactile reminder that this was made, not molded. The “omron” switches click with a satisfying, mouse-like snap—short throw, instant actuation. It doesn’t look like a product; it looks like a prototype that escaped the lab.

The Monopoly of Weird

At over $200, the Cyborg II laughs at “premium” keyboards. You could buy a Wooting 60HE for this price. But the Wooting is still a keyboard. The Cyborg II has no direct competition. The Razer Tartarus is a toy by comparison—membrane keys and a D-pad that thinks it’s a joystick. The only rival to an Azeron is another Azeron. It is a monopoly of its own invention.

The Cognitive Rewrite

The first week is hell. You will feel clumsy. You will forget how to walk. You will die to bots. Your brain has spent decades mapping “W” to “forward,” and the Azeron demands you map “Thumbstick Up” to “forward” while your fingers handle skills. It is a complete cognitive rewrite. I spent three days running into walls in Destiny 2 before it clicked. But when it clicks, it feels like taking off weighted training clothes.

Surgical Input

Once mastered, the Cyborg II is fluidity personified. The Hall Effect thumbstick is the star—360-degree analog movement that feels buttery smooth and, crucially, never drifts. You can walk slow, run fast, and strafe at angles a keyboard can’t comprehend. Your fingers rest on the “towers,” tapping down, pulling up, or flicking sideways. Input density is insane; I have 30 commands accessible without moving my hand. It feels surgical.

The Printed Skeleton

It is 3D printed, which historically meant “fragile.” But the Cyborg II feels dense and finalized. The new metal screws and sturdier chassis inspire confidence. The upgrade to USB-C brings it into the modern era. However, it is an open chassis—dust is its enemy. Keep a can of compressed air nearby, or it will look like a lint trap within a month.

The Developer Tool

Azeron’s software has matured from a hobbyist project to a legitimate suite, though it still retains a “dev tool” vibe. It is powerful—dead zones, angle snapping, rapid trigger settings—but it assumes you know what you’re doing. It doesn’t hold your hand; it hands you the keys to the engine and hopes you don’t crash.

The Early Adopters

The community is a mix of evangelists and pragmatists. They praise the Hall Effect thumbstick as the “killer feature” that finally makes the thumbstick viable for high-level play. They laud the improved durability of the switches, noting that the “double-click” issues of the V1 seem resolved. However, the complaint of the price is constant—it is an investment that equates to a high-end GPU for some. But the consensus is clear: once you adapt, you cannot go back to a slab of plastic keys.

(Note: Links are representative of sentiment found in research).