Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 4 keyboard review: Functionally fantastic, visually vicious

Mad Catz is a veteran accompaniment brand, which recently reentered the market later on being bought out by another company. Mad Catz has since produced a range of decent gaming accessories, focusing primarily on PC as a starting point. I previously reviewed the Mad Catz R.A.T. mouse and found that while it ticked all the boxes every bit a production, its toy-like design betrayed its relatively loftier toll. The aforementioned could probably be said for the S.T.R.I.K.E. iv keyboard, which is smashing on your hands, only so much on your eyes.

A solid choice

Mad Catz S.T.R.I.G.Eastward. 4 keyboard

Gorgeous on your hands ... not and then much on your eyes.

$130

Bottom line: The Mad Catz S.T.R.I.One thousand.E. four keyboard is a bully keyboard overall, with great action, onboard storage for macros and settings, and solid build quality. Mad Catz needs to modernize its design ideas, though.

Pros:

Onboard storage for settings.
Lots of software options.
Good fundamental action and travel.
Solid build quality.

What you'll love nigh the South.T.R.I.Thou.E 4 keyboard

When it comes to functionality, there is zippo to complain almost with the Southward.T.R.I.K.East. four keyboard. This is a rock-solid keyboard, that ticks all the correct boxes. The Carmine Crimson MX mechanical switches provide a very tactile (if loud) key-press action. Mad Catz says the keys tin can survive tens of millions of keystrokes, and at that place'south certainly a sense of premium robustness in the materials the visitor has used hither.

A stone-solid keyboard, that ticks all the right boxes.

In improver to all the standard keys, Mad Catz throws in a range of multimedia controls and extra Windows system functions across the F keys at the tiptop. There'south also a channel for the durable braided cablevision on the back, assuasive y'all to orient the connectedness to the left, right, or in the middle, depending on your setup. The cable is also about 1.5 meters long, giving you plenty of room for connectivity, complete with a velcro cable tie for keeping things tidy. You tin can also angle the keyboard flat, or at an elevated bending, depending on your preference.

When it comes to software, the "Flux" app Mad Catz maintains for its PC products is practiced, allowing y'all to customize over a dozen RGB options, sporting millions upon millions of color shades. Yous can tweak away for hours, adding all sorts of lighting effects and macros, which you tin can also set up to activate per game. My favorite is a ripple result, which sends a wave of lite out from your keystrokes as if you were hitting a pool of light. The settings are stored direct on the keyboard, as well, and then y'all can close the Mad Catz configuration Flux app later utilize.

What you'll dislike about the S.T.R.I.K.E iv keyboard

Design criticisms are always subjective, simply Mad Catz, like many PC manufacturers, includes a ton of "edgy" designs in their products that I'm non sure anyone really wants. The font type used by Mad Catz on its keys is a bold type that looks extremely tacky. A big Mad Catz brand across the bottom and a weird drove of shapes in the eye of the bottom lip ruin the keyboard's look. If you're later on subtlety, this keyboard ain't it.

Additionally, the Flux software doesn't support High DPI displays properly. To get it working on my Surface Volume 2, I had to battle with the compatibility options to even become the app to a betoken where I could view all of its elements. I'm non sure why this is even so an upshot for software developers in 2022.

Should you lot buy the S.T.R.I.One thousand.E four keyboard?

Whether you should buy this product hinges on whether you lot like its pattern. At a functional level, the Mad Catz S.T.R.I.Grand.E. four does nigh everything right, except for its high DPI-shunning software. The keystrokes feel skilful and have solid travel, the keys are piece of cake to remove for cleaning and maintenance, and it has good RGB features if you're and then inclined.

The just real downside in my view is the design. If y'all don't listen the way it looks, you'll take admittedly no issues with this keyboard. Information technology's rock solid, a pleasure to use, and is reasonably priced.

A solid selection

Mad Catz S.T.R.I.Chiliad.Eastward. 4 keyboard

Gorgeous on your hands, not and so much on your eyes.

The Mad Catz S.T.R.I.M.East. 4 keyboard is a great keyboard overall, with dandy action, onboard storage for macros and settings, and solid build quality. Mad Catz needs to modernize its design ideas, though.

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