Trust ODYSS GXT 881 Keyboard Review

When you're looking to build a PC or upgrade your peripherals, finding the right keyboard and mouse are the primary tasks for this.

A keyboard in particular has to feel right when using it for games or even a Slack message; otherwise it's a waste of time. If you're on a budget or wanting to splash out, there's plenty of variants that you can purchase.

With ODYSS, they have recently released a keyboard that's low on price but with an aim to make it as comfortable as possible for a potential owner.

We have been trying out their 

GXT 881 ODYSS Keyboard

for the last fortnight, and while we don't think companies such as RAZER have anything to worry about, there are some good aspects to consider this if you're on a budget.

Design - Score 65

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It's a full-size keyboard, with every key functioning as expected. Each key is semi-mechanical, which feels odd at first, but you do get used to it. It feels softer than your standard cherry-key, but they do the job.

The keys are also sunken into the keyboard, so there is a curvature where your fingers can easily rest on the

WASD

layout, especially for games like Fortnite and DOOM.

The font on each key isn't the greatest, which reminds me of a similar font used on mid 1990's detective shows when interviewing someone. It makes the keyboard look very outdated just from this one aspect.

After a week of trying the keyboard out, they just felt soft to the touch when playing a game, not having that satisfying 'click' that other keyboards have. It does the job here, but for £34.99, it's all you're expecting.

There are shortcut keys as well which, while mostly useful, seem muddled. There are ten buttons here, with five a side, but you have the 'mute' button on the left side of this, and the rest of the volume controls on the right.

There's also a shortcut to disable the Windows button registering. While one can understand the intent, it does seem rather pointless. It would be good to see these keys able to be customised in a future version of this keyboard for the player to have them tailored to their needs.

The RGB is simply, fine, with dim multi-coloured lighting that covers the keyboard, but it's nothing to write home about. There are 6 different modes and adjustable brightness, but they don't light up your setup.

Price - Score 90

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At £34.99, it's at a great price for someone just starting out their Gaming PC build.

When one considers the amount of keyboards now available, it can be difficult to choose one that's right for you, and also seeing which of these falls into your price range.

However, with the Trust GXT 881, it's at a very fair price for a keyboard, regardless of its shortcomings in the shortcut keys and the semi-mechanical features.

Our Score

Pros

  • Great Price
  • Acceptable Backlighting
  • Typing is fine for work and gaming

Cons

  • No rest for your wrist
  • Keys feel cheap
  • Shortcut buttons feel like they're in the wrong order

As keyboards go, the ODYSS GXT 881 won't set the world on fire, but it does the minimum, and if you're looking for a cheap keyboard to tide you over until payday, this is the one for you.

The shortcut buttons at the top are strange in their placement, and it feels as though they could have been made smaller for more shortcuts to be placed there, but they also fulfil their need.

The RGB is also fine, but it's not as bright and colourful as other keyboards we've tested in this price range, so it would be nice to see a new version of the 881 where some keys are lit up individually for example.

There really isn't much to say for this peripheral from ODYSS. It does its job fine at a good price, but don't be expecting anything on the level we've seen from RAZER and SteelSeries.

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