INTRODUCTION

   Technologically speaking the Computer Keyboard has gone a long way since its inception back in the early 1970s but no matter how one sees it its design has remained virtually the same ever since. Microsoft was the one to start the keyboard design "evolution" with their natural/ergonomic keyboard lines back in the 90s but it wasn't really up until roughly a decade ago that we witnessed the gaming peripherals revolution which really changed the way we see keyboards. Even so although gaming keyboards featured several aesthetic and performance additions which aimed to improve efficiency/speed while gaming the design remained pretty much the same. Mad Catz is perhaps the only manufacturer that really pushed the envelope when they released their truly unique S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 adjustable gaming keyboard several months ago but unfortunately although impressive both in terms of quality and features its price tag was set higher than what most people can afford. Well Mad Catz thought of that as well when developing the S.T.R.I.K.E. keyboard line and so today with us we have it's less expensive but equally impressive brother the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 adjustable gaming keyboard.

   Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (NYSE MKT: MCZ) is a global provider of innovative interactive entertainment products marketed under its Mad Catz® (gaming), Tritton® (audio), and Saitek® (simulation) brands. Mad Catz also develops flight simulation software through its internal ThunderHawk Studios™; operates flight simulation centers under its Saitek brand; publishes games under its Mad Catz brand; and distributes games and videogame products for third parties. Mad Catz distributes its products through most leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information please go to www.madcatz.com.

   Like it's "elder" brother the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 is a high quality feature-rich special engineered membrane based keyboard that simulates the tactile feedback and responsiveness of the keys found only in mechanical gaming keyboards. I still don't know why Mad Catz opted for a membrane design especially since mechanical designs are not really that expensive anymore (besides the S.T.R.I.K.E line is not exactly cheap) but I’m pretty certain they had their reasons. That aside the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 has one major difference with its elder brother and that's the lack of the V.E.N.O.M. TFT LCD Touchscreen which has been replaced with the smaller (and naturally less expensive) E.Y.E OLED Display that can be used for the same things but in a slightly smaller degree. The good news is that the rest of the keyboard is identical and so once again we see 7 modules which can either be combined into a single keyboard or into two separate ones. Taking a closer look should make things easier for everyone so let's move forward with our review of the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 adjustable gaming keyboard by Mad Catz.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 is packed inside a large box with a product picture at the top, the keyboard layout, Mad Catz logo and a small box pointing out to the 16m available colors of the backlight.

A large mechanical scorpion drawing is placed on the right side.

At the front of the box we see a rather short description of the E.Y.E OLED Display in 5 languages right next to a picture of one of the possible combinations.

The available E.Y.E based apps are showcased at the rear of the box.

All of the features are explained at the bottom again in 5 languages with the help of 4 small pictures.

As you can see the bundle is safely placed inside formed pieces of cardboard.

There's a good reason for the large sized box and so inside you will find the main keyboard, Num-pad, active palm rest, two wrist rests, function strip, E.Y.E OLED display, 3 module connection cables, 8 Allen screws, Allen key, user's manual, two game promotion papers, warranty information paper and one large cardboard page that explains all of the possible keyboard combinations.

THE S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 PART 1

The S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 gets shipped with the main keyboard modules separated (perhaps to reduce strain on the joint).

Mad Catz has used very high quality materials something which you can easily see once we zoom in.

Membrane based keyboards may not be as sturdy as mechanical ones but they do tend to last for many years. The main problem for most gamers is the lack of tactile feedback and responsiveness something which does not apply for the entire S.T.R.I.K.E. line thanks to the special engineered membrane technology used.

Once combined you have a rather regular gaming keyboard in your hands, great looking but regular.

To secure the main modules in place you will need to use the provided Allen key.

At the base of the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 we see 4 height adjusters and two large aluminum pieces obviously used to reinforce the entire body (aluminum is used beneath all of the modules).

The height adjusters are made by both aluminum and plastic for increased durability.

The active palm rest features a very convenient wheel on the right along with a small button (both are programmable) while the two wrist rests although not very large are quite comfortable when using the keyboard.

All three modules can be extended outwards by a total of 3.5cm.

The small function strip offers 4 more programmable buttons and can be mounted on the left side as seen above.

The E.Y.E. OLED display is certainly eye catching but as expected not as much as the V.E.N.O.M TFT LCD Touchscreen.

Unfortunately the E.Y.E. OLED display doesn't have extra powered USB ports at the rear (on the bright side it doesn't need extra power aside the one from the usual USB connector) instead we see two headphones/mic 3.5mm connectors and a single leg used for extra stability when using the display.

Only the two paired cables are used if you decide to stay with the combined keyboard design.

In the above picture we have the 3 most used combinations for the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 (as you can see the last and longest connection cable can be used for the third combination).

THE S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 PART 2

Here we see some of the backlight colors available and as you can see they are very bright (you control the brightness levels).

The E.Y.E. OLED Display comes ready with a chronometer and two countdown timers but you can also adjust the backlight brightness levels and the microphone and speaker volume levels.

USING THE S.T.R.I.K.E. 5

The very first thing you will need to do is head over to the official Mad Catz support page to download both the latest drivers and software versions (and a firmware version if released). Mad Catz also has some game profiles available so you can give them a shot if you don't want to spend much time configuring the keyboard with your games.

Through the Smart Technology control panel offers the end user a total of 3 different modes and for each of those you can set the lighting colors, assign up to 21 commands accross all modules, bind applications with the E.Y.E. OLED display, check for driver updates and contact Mad Catz support.

CONCLUSION

   When we reviewed the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 several months ago we were so impressed by it that the only thing we couldn't figure out was the reason as to why Mad Catz chose to use a special engineered membrane design for the keys instead of a mechanical one. For us the overall build quality, the design and all the features of the keyboard were at such high levels that mechanical keys seemed like the only obvious choice. Regardless the special engineered membrane used for the keys works like a charm and right now we can say that with certainty since it's been slightly over 8 months since we started using the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 with our primary test rig and so far we've had no issues with it (it's used to type almost all of our reviews as well). The E.Y.E. OLED display may not be on par with the V.E.N.O.M. TFT LCD Touchscreen in terms of aesthetics and it lacks some features/applications but the fact that it's smaller, doesn't draw your attention all the time and will most probably last longer is a plus.

   The lack of the V.E.N.O.M. TFT LCD Touchscreen has a direct effect on the pricing of the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 Adjustable Gaming Keyboard and so right now you can find it for USD173.44 inside the USA (Purchase Directly from Amazon.com) and for 205Euros inside the EU (Purchase Directly from Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is roughly 30% cheaper than what the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 currently retails for. Overall both members of the S.T.R.I.K.E. family by Mad Catz are amazing but in the end they are way too expensive for most people and with so many mechanical keyboards placed at around the USD100/100Euros price range only hardcore gamers and enthusiasts will opt for one of these two. Still we are here to also award quality, features, innovation and performance not just the price of a product and for those the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 Adjustable Gaming Keyboard walks away with our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Innovation
- E.Y.E. OLED Display
- 7 Gaming Apps
- 21 Programmable Keys
- Full Button Illumination (16m Colors)
- 7 Part Modular Design
- Rear 3.5mm Ports (Headphones/Mic)
- Double Braided Cables With Gold Plated Connectors
- Control Software 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Membrane Keys (For Some)