With Isku now out of its packaging we can finally take a good look at all aspects of this gaming keyboard. From the overview we can see that the board uses both a matt and glossy plastic finish. This gives a very nice two-tone visual aspect and adds even more depth to an already feature-packed layout. The layout is similar to that of a standard keyboard although the keys are actually further over to the right due to having a series of buttons on the far left that span vertically.



Spinning the keyboard over the back – instantly you realise just how light this keyboard is. On the reverse we have 6x rubberised pads that prevent the keyboard from slipping around. We also have 2 stands that can give the keyboard additional height if this is your preference. From the photograph below you will notice there are many lines and sections on the back of Isku – these are routing channels that allow you to neatly tuck away the cable.



Along the top of Isku we have a series of handy multimedia keys. Mute, volume control, backwards, forwards, open default web browser and windows explorer. This section of keys are very useful to have for just general usage around windows or watching movies/listening to music.



Further along the top of Isku there is a section of LEDs labelled P1-P5. These are profile indicators, showing you which profile you are currently using. A little later we will see that commands/macros can be saved under a maximum of 5 usable profiles. Additional to this section we have a large record button too. This assists with the recording of macros – to be able to perform these tasks we need to install ROCCAT Isku software, something which we will take a look at later.



Down the left side of Isku are the buttons M1-M5. Again, these can be mapped to certain commands for extra functionality.

Underneath the main keyboard area of Isku we have the thumbster keys – something we first saw on ROCCAT Arvo. These keys have been placed here for quick access via the thumb – for things like rapid weapon change. Of course, these keys can also be programmed with macros or pre-defined commands.

At this stage it’s probably a good idea to mention that the ‘Shift’ key on Isku is also the EasyShift[+]. This was first introduced with ROCCAT’s Kova+ and Kone+ gaming mice, with this key we are able to duplicate the amount of commands. ROCCAT actually comment on EasyShift[+] saying:






Customary to all ROCCAT products is the USB cable that has a unique shape and also has the name of the product printed on it. This is useful if you have various devices plugged in at the back (or even at the front) of your computer, you can find what goes to where quickly and easily.