Turtle Beach Impact 700 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - unboxing and first impressions

Turtle Beach are well known for their range of PC, Xbox and PlayStation headsets, the company have been pushing out new audio related devices for many years now. This year though, Turtle Beach has branched out into PC gaming accessories in a big way with new gaming keyboards, mice and even mouse pads.

Last week I received a box full of the new Turtle Beach accessories, and today I will be unboxing the IMPACT 700 Premium Mechanical Gaming which is retailing for £159.99/$195.99. The full feature list can be seen below:

Cherry MX Brown Switches – Cherry MX Brown key switches provide a smooth responsive, tactile feel to handle quick and repeated taps.
Illumination – Laser-engraved keycaps have adjustable soft-to-hard red backlighting and multiple illumination modes to fit players’ surroundings and moods.
The Center of It All – With two USB 2.0 ports that allow audio pass-through, and pink/green audio/mic jacks, gamers can connect all their gaming peripherals directly into the IMPACT 700.
Make Every Keystroke Count – Six-key rollover with full anti-ghosting means fast fingers can control games without the fear of missed moves and dropped instructions.
Built to Last – A steel-reinforced chassis with gunmetal keycap plates provides stability, durability and a distinctive backlight shine.
Gamers’ Key Delights – For the avid gamer, the IMPACT 700 includes extra gaming keycaps with a flexible metal keycap puller so keys stay pristine and unmarked.
Spread Your Fingers – Enjoy a full-sized 104-key keyboard with laser-engraved letters.
Designed for PC and Mac – Whether playing on a PC or Mac, the IMPACT 700 has it covered.
Easy Setup – Just plug it in and go with USB plug-and-play compatibility.

Although we will have a full review of the keyboard in the next week or so, my first impressions have been positive despite what seems like a high price tag when compared to other competitor keyboards.

On first looks the packaging for the Impact 700 reminds you of the companies recent headsets, its bright and makes everything clear as to what is inside. Upon opening it up you are greeted by a well sealed shiny black box housing the keyboard itself. The keyboard was wrapped up well and the cabling was hidden behind more cardboard but very easy to get to.

The keyboard is very sturdy and really easy to set up, thanks to a driverless install which requires no additional software to be put on your machine. It also looks great thanks to the red-backlit keyboard and the steel design.

The keyboard also comes with the option of two USB ports, which means you can add other devices to it, a good option considering the keyboard itself takes up two USB ports on your PC. Some mechanical keyboard fans may also be disappointed to know that the Impact 700 only comes with Cherry MX Brown key switches, without the option of others.

Overall it seems like a good package so far, although the price tag may put many people off. I'll know more once I've had a little bit more time with it. In the meantime check through our full unboxing gallery below.