What's the difference between a good mechanical gaming keyboard and a great one? The $129.99 S.T.R.I.K.E. 4, the first flagship keyboard from the revived Mad Catz—the gaming-peripheral brand that shuttered in 2017, then rebooted under new management in 2018—is a prime example of the "merely good" side of that contrast. While sturdy and well-made, the S.T.R.I.K.E. 4 looks and feels like a caricature of a modern gaming keyboard. From the block-letter font on the keycaps to the brushed-aluminum base, every element feels recycled. It looks nice enough and feels good to type on, but this board doesn't bring much new to the desk. That's a tough sell in 2019, especially at its near-premium price point. A Sturdy Foundation While you don't get many fancy features to enjoy, the S.T.R.I.K.E. 4 does nail the basics. At 17.7 inches wide by 6.4 inches long by 1.7 inches high, it seems compact and a little tall given its overall footprint. By the numbers, the difference in size between it oth...
Though it packs durable keycaps and satisfying Cherry switches, the S.T.R.I.K.E. 4 mechanical keyboard from the resurrected Mad Catz needs more spice to stand out in a crowded field.
Solid build quality; Responsive Cherry MX switches and well-made "doubleshot" keycaps; Per-key-programmable RGB backlighting; Lighting shows deep color saturation
Software needs modernization; Lacks premium features like USB passthrough and media keys