The gaming keyboard market in current year has blown up so much to the point that it's no longer simply viable to categorize based on preferred features, but the sheer breadth of options has even resulted in the splitting-up of the very keyboard types themselves, based on how many keys you're ideally needing. Full-size, TKL, 60%...we haven't even gotten to whether one prefers it wired, wireless, RGB lighting or no RGB lighting. Do the engraved character fonts for each key and their accompanying colors matter to you at all? For enthusiasts looking to get the most for their specific budget -- and to find a keyboard that suits their game library and play-style alike -- there's nothing wrong with big-hitters like Corsair, Razer, Logitech and Steel Series crafting hardware, flooding the market with choice. After all, more choice means more people will likely come away satisfied, right? That is, unless you're a complete newcomer to the world of PC gaming in the context of making that first, brave step into purchasing something more custom-tailored. In this regard, choice can become overwhelming -- all talk of switches, lighting, macro-programming and all other form of customization, helpful in principle, can be a turn-off. The requisite for the lucrative peripheral market perhaps is in that very blind-spot. An opportunity to reach those bothered less by enthusiast-level options and aesthetic touches in favor of something more approachable, albeit still arguably worth the asking price.

GXT 834 Review Screenshot

Whether or not this was Trust Gaming's intentions when they came up with the GXT 834 -- the company's latest TKL, compact alternative to some of the market's more popular brands -- is unclear. But after spending some time with the device's mechanically-oriented attire, it's safe to assume Trust may have tapped into something here. Providing a fair alternative against the domineering brands we've all heard at least once in common discussion. One that more importantly doesn't break the bank and, so long as you set your expectations at a reasonable level, offers a product that is both functionally and aesthetically pleasing in what it can offer. Above all else, it just might prove a more-than-sufficient "first step" if you will, for those anxious on diving head-first into the PC peripheral rabbit hole. Aided on top, in the very first steps, by an instructional booklet (the only other bundled-in content aside from the keyboard itself, in what the packaging's back-face describes as an attempt to cut back on resources) whose simplified, primarily-visual communication, provides an easy route into understanding the hardware's built-in functions.  I mention "reasonable" expectations, as its asking price already paints that necessary picture on Trust's offering being that of a keyboard in no way the most lavish nor the most "all singing, all dancing" peripherals. How you feel about some missing features here will depend entirely on one's preferred level of simplicity. At the cost of additional niceties.

In perhaps getting the cons of the GXT 834 out of the way, while the device comes built-in with roughly 20 RGB lighting configurations -- personal favorite being the "sine-wave"-like transitioning from right to left -- there sadly isn't any ability to tweak colors or map particular shades to certain keys. Though there is the option, amid its many modes, to turn the back-lit function off completely. Even have it so that color only appears per each press of a key. But the most glaring omission will likely be the lack of a detachable USB cable; the GXT 834 instead going the way of hard-wiring it into the device. Meaning if you're the kind who'll likely be moving peripherals -- keyboard especially -- around on a regular basis, just be wary that the cable is something you can't sort on its own. But as noted, for anyone who makes this their first ever gaming-oriented keyboard, what you'll find in the GXT 834 is a TKL mechanical keyboard, despite the implications of its asking [retail] price, is one that hasn't cut too many corners in so far as its design and its functionality. In fact, the most noteworthy bit about Trust's offering here is their attention to those novel and pleasant details around the figurative edges. Seemingly insignificant and minor these inclusions are, credit to Trust for dedicating at least some time to injecting the 834 with a sense of presence and purpose to help it stand out, as opposed to blending in with other TKL's on the market for fear of ridicule.

GXT 834 Review Screenshot 2

There may well be that one person who takes issue to the 834's diagonal ridges -- as if the corners have been literally chopped off in favor of some more octagonal shape -- and if that's the case, an unusual critique to hole. Meager that detail may be, it ends up adding so much to the device's look. The way the bottom edges' are slanted higher compared to that of the top corners, a small inclusion but one that is easy to spot and doesn't suffer from some overruling of vanity. What's more, the decision against a more modern-day font to represent each of its keys, as previously mentioned, manages to provide just enough of a favorable nostalgic glisten without overdoing it. Further proof Trust have approached the design philosophy of the GXT 834 in a way that signals accessibility, but one with immediate style. Then of course you have the resulting "clickety-click" sound commonplace among all mechanical-oriented keyboards. One that with the GXT 834, users needn't worry about when it comes to the potential noise created by rapid key presses. Even when sufficient force is applied; a user's attention more likely to gravitate towards the differences in timbre between individual letters and that of keys like the spacebar, back-space and enter functions alike.

In fact, when it comes to the usage of the keys themselves, it's how well this device handles tasks outside the realm of gaming, that provides another surprise aspect. I myself, more than capable at getting not one, but two separate 5,000 word pieces, completed with little difficulty in such a short span of time. One minor nitpick, if you can even call it such, is that the resulting elevation of keys means that for those quick on natural typing speed, you may find yourself unintentionally misspelling or otherwise knocking into other keys from time to time as a result of the spacing. And yet, Trust are that confident in the life expectancy of their product -- let alone the versatility with which this device can be used in and outside video games -- the GXT 834 comes with an estimated usage of around 50 million key presses. But Trust's justifiable reassurances doesn't mean the company are naive to the likelihood some users may, for example, want to switch out keys for some other aesthetical equivalent. To that end, this device makes switching out of its black metallic keys easy to work with.

GXT 834 Review Screenshot 3

Closing Comments:

While Trust Gaming's efforts are not the most all-encompassing, even when restricted to the niche of TKL mechanical keyboards, what the GXT 834 lacks in fully-fledged customization, it more than makes up for as an all-round, general-purpose, at times surprisingly-crafted "entry level" keyboard. For all positive talk of its straightforward introductions, reasonable noise levels and even the bundled-in RGB settings, by far the most pleasant take-away is Trust's appreciation for the small details and of the company's willingness to stand out, even on aesthetic alone. That may come across like a contradiction, an accessible product with enthusiast-esque attention to detail its intended audience may well ignore, or simply care little for. Not least when its main appeal for most may be that it's compact but comfortable. If nothing else, the GXT 834 is a TKL keyboard that isn't ashamed of its intended limits, but relishes the opportunity to stand out despite them. An ideal fit for anyone new to gaming keyboards or simply on a budget.