Note: This article was first published on 5 June 2023.
ASUS announced a new white linear mechanical switch at Computex 2023 called the NX Snow. It will be pre-lubed out of the factory, and feature a walled stem design for added stability. The first keyboard to feature NX Snow switches will also be new to market, the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless, which is a 96% keyboard that will also debut the ROG Omni Receiver, a single USB receiver that can accept multiple devices simultaneously.
The ROG NX Snow switch is a linear mechanical switch that is pre-lubed with a Krytox GPL 105 + 205 lubricant mixture, which according to ASUS, is the right consistency that they were looking for to achieve a smooth keypress while retaining a nice 'thocky' feel. The NX Snow will have a 40g initial force, 45g actuation force at 1.8mm, and will bottom out with 53g of force at 3.6mm.
Another new feature of the NX Snow switch is a walled stem design, as seen here compared to the standard NX Reds and Browns. According to ASUS, this should provide additional key cap stability, with a maximum wobble of only 1.6-degrees as compared to up to 2.8-degrees for traditional ROG NX stems. The rounded inner wall also means it will still work with standard MX-compatible keycaps.
Along with the NX Snow switch comes the new ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless keyboard. It's a slightly compact 96% keyboard with detachable armrest, a multifunction hotkey and scroll wheel, triple connectivity (USB wired, Bluetooth and 2.4G ROG SpeedNova), and supports the new ROG Omni Receiver multi-device connectivity feature. ASUS claims up to 1,500 hours of battery life with the keyboard when using the 2.4G connection.
Besides having the brand new ROG NX Snow switches, the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless will also have an additional dampening layers below the switch mounting plate and PCB board, just like most custom mechanical keyboards. This makes the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless a very quite, smooth, and stable keyboard, and yet still have that solid key 'thock'.
You'll get a choice of either PBT doubleshot keycaps or ABS keycaps with a special ROG UV-coated treatment that provides additional durability and protection from finger oils. These ABS keycaps actually feel really slick, but I guess only time will tell how well they stand up to prolonged use. Besides the keycap type, there are also other design embellishments such as this ROG-styled backlit spacebar.
The multifunction controls on the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless comprises the ROG logo button and a scroll wheel at the top right corner above the keypad. Pressing the ROG logo button will scroll through the different modes you can control: volume, playback, lighting, and custom. These are reflected by the icons on a small LCD strip on the keyboard. The scroll wheel would then be used to control the selected mode.
The ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless will be the first keyboard to feature and support the new ROG Omni Receiver. With this technology, a single USB receiver can connect multiple devices without performance impact. This chart shows the company's own internal testing with both keyboard and mouse (ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition) connected to the ROG Omni Receiver. ASUS boasts lower latencies, lower power consumption, and higher polling rate than competing 2.4G wireless technologies.
