Cosmic Byte CB-GK-33 Astra Review – A Mechanical Gaming Keyboard That Can Do With Some Improvements

In the hotly contested mechanical keyboard market featuring brands like HyperX, Razer, Corsair and more, Indian counterpart Cosmic Byte aims to offer players with a cheaper alternative for their gaming escapades.

But is the company doing enough to satisfy gamers, who are looking for the best viable option at the lowest price point? To find out more, we checked out Cosmic Byte’s latest mechanical keyboard, the Cosmic Byte CB-GK-33 Astra.

Cosmic Byte CB-GK-33 stra Specifications

Here’s some details on the CB-GK-33 Astra Keyboard:

Features, Design and build quality

On paper, the Cosmic Byte looks like a bargain with all the features that players can get for just under Rs. 5,000. But, has the manufacturer cut any large corners to keep a feature-filled mechanical keyboard at this price point?

To start off, it’s quite a compact 60% keyboard, even with the inclusion of arrow keys. However, it still has some amount of weight, which has its pros and cons based on how you see it. This weight and compact design make the keyboard a bit heavier than one would expect.

Thanks to its moderate weight and the four rubber grips at the back, the keyboard stays put unless a decent amount of force is applied on it. The size is adequate for the layout, and it shouldn’t face any issues of being part of smaller setups.

On the back, there are dual adjustable height stands. While the longer height stand feels quite sturdy, the shorter one has the tendency to lay flat at the slightest push or tug of the keyboard.

Though the keyboard is made of plastic, it doesn’t have any cheap aesthetics. The keyboard comes with a decent build quality that may throw users off from it. Users should not be concerned about breaking the keyboard during slightly rough use.

Connectivity, keyboard layout and the switches

There’s also an ON/OFF toggle for users who wish to use the Cosmic Byte Astra via a Bluetooth option. Since the keyboard offers Bluetooth connectivity, users can pair up to three devices at the same time. They can easily switch between the devices using the FN + Left Shift/Ctrl/Alt combination.

Looking at the front, the layout comprises of the numerical keys at the top with the “Delete”, “Page Up” and “Page Down” buttons on the right-hand side. There are no function keys in the layout, however, there is a volume roller on the top right of the Cosmic Byte Astra.

When it comes to ergonomics, personally, the keyboard offers the best typing experience with the longer stands turned upright. With a slightly raised keyboard, it’s easy to travel between the keys, which makes it a smooth experience. While gaming, the shorter stands work better. However, the lack of sturdiness serves as a major disadvantage, which is why it’s better to turn the flaps flat during these situations.

Moving on to the keys and switches, the Cosmic Byte comes with Blue Outemu variants. However, it also supports Cherry MX, Gateron and Kalih variants as well. The process of replacing these switches is quite easy as well, with the company providing a key switch puller in the box. (Cosmic Byte offers Gateron switches as a pack of 10 for Rs. 220)

All that Shine and Lighting

Let’s delve deeper into the keyboard’s RGB aesthetics. Gamers love an RGB setup, and the Astra works well in that regard for players with a budget. The keyboard offers per-key lighting, which means players can customize any key to have a color from around 16.8 million options.

This can be done through Cosmic Byte Astra’s official software, which we will talk about in more detail later. However, the lights themselves aren’t particularly the brightest. Plus, there’s some light to medium bleeding between the keys that users will have to deal with.

Performance of the Cosmic Byte Astra

Thanks to the Blue Outemu switches, typing on the Astra is a decent experience, especially with its loud clicks and clacks. While they aren’t tactile like their counterparts such as Gateron or Cherry MX, it’s still a decent choice for players in this budget.

IGN India · Cosmic Byte CB-GK-33 Astra Keyboard

Note: The recording was taken with the keyboard placed 10-15 cm away from the recording device.

With wired connectivity, the Astra has little to no input lag. However, when the keyboard is connected via Bluetooth, the typing experience takes a downturn due to several instances of input lag. The experience is the same during gaming as well.

Software

This is where Cosmic Byte falls short the most, when compared to the giants of the keyboard worlds. The companion software for the Astra is quite a mess to traverse through, which makes the experience feel a bit lackluster.

To start off, players cannot use the software in the wireless mode, which means you can’t customize your keyboard unless it’s connected to your PC using the USB-A to USB-C cable.

The software itself feels unappealing and on certain occasions freezes. It does not indicate the battery status of the keyboard. The lighting tab comprises of various lighting animations for the keyboard. However, the per-key customization is quite a hassle, with the software not working as intended sometimes.

Creating profiles is a headache as well with programming macros being a real problem. For the hardcore gamer who needs a plethora of key binds, the Astra will be quite detrimental unless they’re willing to spend hours changing and mapping macros.