MadCatz S.T.R.I.K.E.5 PC Keyboard Review

This week I’ve been spending my time playing around with this S.T.R.I.K.E.5 keyboard from MadCatz, which as some of you may know is the “toned down” edition of their S.T.R.I.K.E.7 Keyboard which Tim reviewed for us a little while ago. I use the words “toned down” lightly of course, as this is still a completely mental keyboard that is packed with top of the line features, extreme combustibility and a hefty price tag.

Clocking in at around £179.99 this is still one of the most expensive keyboards we’ve had in the office, but with the Strike7 costing £249.99 the Strike5 suddenly seems like good value for money. Now I’m not going to dismiss this whole review on the fact that it’s so expensive, as when you pay a high price tag you expect a return from your investment and that is something we saw with the Strike7, sure its expensive, but it has a lot of features and technology, I expect we’ll see something similar today from the Strike5.

The one thing that stunned us (at first) about the Strike7 and the Strike5 is that they’re not fitted with mechanical keys, but instead feature high quality membrane keys. Our other reviewer Tim remarked that the Strike7 was not unlike Brown switches in terms of key-press performance and I suspect well see the same kind of keys in the Strike5. Although it is unusual for a keyboard over £100 to not feature a full mechanical layout, but I guess that can really be broken down to personal preference on what kind of keys you prefer.

MadCatz have been on a winning streak this last couple of years, not onlywith their own product lines but also their Tritton, Seitek and Cyborg ranges have been winning awards, not only from us but from many sources in the industry as well as winning over the hearts and minds of gamers, both in and out of the pro gaming community. It’s hard to find a gaming event that doesn’t have someone from MadCatz on hand listening to gamers, getting them to use their products and gaining feedback. The Strike5 I expect has been no different, so lets take a look at what MadCatz have packed into this keyboard and see if they really have delivered on what us gamers really want in a keyboard.