FNATIC STREAK65 KEYBOARD REVIEW.
Checking out a new Fnatic product is forever going to be interesting as I’m always expecting a no-compromises tool built for competitive play. Fnatic puts gamers first and that’s clearer than ever with the new Streak65 keyboard. This is the GameRevolution review.
Impressive first impressions
Once you start paying over $100 for a keyboard, first impressions really start to matter. From size and weight to the feel of the keys and sound, it’s a combination that needs to deliver satisfaction from the first hour to the last. With the Fnatic Streak65, I was immediately impressed.
Though it’s a 65% layout, meaning it has dedicated arrow keys and four additional buttons on the right edge, it’s only a little larger than my 60% boards. This is thanks to the small bezels. Even with a mouse set to a low DPI, the 65% form factor allows for plenty of room to swing about. It’s ideal for avoiding frustration in the middle of a hectic gunfight.
Buy the Fnatic Streak65 keyboard on Amazon.com here
When it comes to weight, the Streak65 comes in at just 420 grams. This is on the lighter side when it comes to premium mechanical keyboards, but it makes sense when you consider who this product is aimed at. The light weight makes the Fnatic65 extremely portable. You shouldn’t feel this in your backpack as you take it to a friend’s house, LAN party, or competitive event.
Despite the light weight, it still feels solid. There’s no flimsiness to the build and it doesn’t flex easily.
Further adding to the portability is the detachable USB-C cable. It’s a pretty unexceptional cable but gets the job done.
Switches made for gaming
In addition to being short in width and height, the actual depth of the keyboard is also reduced. This is thanks to a combination of low-profile switches and keycaps. The switches are produced by Kailh but have a custom orange coloring. They are linear and quick to actuate. They feel incredibly fast and are smooth to the touch. The stabilized keys are the stars of the show here, clearly lubed to perfection with no discernible rattle. This is usually the weak point of mainstream keyboards, but the Fnatic Streak65 owns it.
As a fan of linear switches for both gaming and typing due to their silent yet smooth actuation, I love the Kailh switches chosen by Fnatic here. They’re a fantastic choice, especially for gaming with speed and quick inputs in mind. At no point did I feel like the keyboard slowed me down. It kept up with intense gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Apex Legends.
The keycaps are where the Streak65 loses some points. After just a day of use, I was starting to see clear signs of fingerprints and oil building up. ABS plastic is notorious for this and the smooth surface doesn’t help matters. What’s more, as this keyboard uses both low-profile keycaps and a 65% layout, finding PBT replacements is harder than usual. With that said, full-sized keycaps can fit, but your mileage will vary when it comes to the bottom-out sound.
I’d love to see Fnatic themselves bring out some PBT alternatives, either for future keyboards or as an additional pack. We’ve seen this with Razer, Corsair, HyperX, and other brands, so here’s hoping Fnatic can mirror that in the future.
RGB light show
The glossy ABS keycaps do a good job of enhancing the RGB, however, reflecting the light nicely. It’s often tricky for a totally black keyboard to give a good light show, but the Streak65 delivers simple yet effective RGB implementation which shines through successfully. There is also a magnetic nameplate on the backside of the board. When stock, it just shows the Fnatic logo, but hardcore users could have their name placed there, I suppose.
Installing the Fnatic OP software allows for RGB customization, as well as key rebinding and assigning macros. The Fnatic application is lightweight and relatively barebones. The layout is easy to navigate and I quickly assigned one of the eight RGB presets and programmed some macros.
Compared to the competition, RGB personalization is a tad limited. However, competitive gamers are likely to just stick to one color or a gradient and call it a day to avoid distractions. With that said, I grew to like the Reactive Ripple with its smooth animations best.
As for the macros: they work well. While I’ve never found assigning macros to the four additional keys to the right of the board too useful for gaming, some may find it useful. Personally, though, I feel like more keyboards need to add keys to the left side to be easier to hit while moving with WASD.
Fnatic Streak65 Review: The final verdict
At $109.99, the Fnatic Streak65 is a fantastic gaming keyboard that puts gaming first. It’s the perfect 65% form factor for gamers, leaving plenty of room to swing a mouse without forgoing dedicated arrow buttons. It uses smooth and speedy switches combined with well-lubed stabilizers for quick responsiveness but also a satisfying typing experience.
All I ask is that the ABS keycaps are given a rethink. Though it won’t impact the performance of the keyboard when it comes to gaming, this is a great-looking product that deserves to stay great-looking.
Ultimately, the Fnatic Streak65 delivers a god-tier experience for gamers who are looking to elevate their performance to the next level with quick switches in a super-portable package.
Fnatic Streak65 review unit was provided by Fnatic.
