Product On Review: Isku FX Gaming Keyboard
Manufacturer & Sponsor: ROCCAT
Street Price: £85 Inc. V.A.T.
Based in Hamburg, Germany, ROCCAT are swiftly making a name for themselves not only through their wide range of peripherals, but also through innovation in the field of cross-peripheral interaction. Our most recent experience with ROCCAT was the Gold Award winning Kone Pure, a slimmed down mouse compared to the very high end Kone XTD with many of its core features including Easy Shift, Easy Aim, wide button rebinding and lighting customisation. One of the features we weren’t able to discuss very much was its ROCCAT Talk FX functionality, chiefly because we had yet to see the then upcoming Isku FX keyboard. Well, now here it is.
The Isku FX is an evolution of the Isku reviewed by David way back in 2011 and has been designed with the same ethos which has permeated the latest Kone mice – extensive customisation, to an almost absurd length. The Isku FX also adds far greater lighting range than the previous Isku, now in theory allowing one of 16.8 million colours and the ability to synergise with Kone[+], Pure and XTD mice for additional ambient effects or dynamic changing based on gaming conditions through the use of Talk FX.
Through the use of Easy-Shift the Isku FX has a frankly ridiculous 36 macro buttons available, including three specifically for the thumb, and unlocks the potential of the Kone XTD, Pure and [+] by allowing activation of Easy-Shift mode on those devices. At its core however it remains a membrane-based keyboard, and so must be judge in the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of this particular switch type.
FPS gamers will also have access to Easy-Aim on the keyboard, reducing the sensitivity of mouse movement without changing any other mouse attributes, helping aiming and stability without the use of an Aim button built directly into the mouse.
About The ROCCAT Isku FX:
Total gaming domination. It’s easy with the right tools. Combining the world’s smartest gaming engineering with jaw-dropping design, the ROCCAT™ Isku FX Multicolor Gaming Keyboard hands you the power to own any game the easy way -- and be legend.
Total gaming domination. It’s easy with the right tools. Combining the world’s smartest gaming engineering with jaw-dropping design, the ROCCAT™ Isku FX Multicolor Gaming Keyboard hands you the power to own any game the easy way -- and be legend.
At near the £85 mark this premium keyboard locks horns with other very high end membrane keyboards currently on the market, as well as a number of mid-range mechanical 'boards which eschew the extensive feature set for a theoretically better switch type. It's a tough job, so are ROCCAT up to it?
