Price: Starts at $72.99
Works with: PC
Where to buy:Newegg, Amazon, Micro Center, NCIX and Tiger Direct.
Roccat is known for putting out great PC gaming gear but their Isku model is one of the cooler ones we've seen in a long time. Guess what, it talks. Not in a K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider type of way but in an way that you don't have to open up a separate application to know what's going on way.
As far as the basics, the ISKU feels sturdy and has a little bit of weight to it but it doesn't feel clunky. The slim design gives it a futuristic tone without looking like a toy. The only thing I noticed was that the illuminated keys are a bit tough to read at certain angles but that’s not a deal breaker. This keyboard looks and feel like it can take a lot of abuse and that’s a good thing considering its main purpose is for gaming. If you’re a gamer that’s always on the run, the ISKU’s got you covered.
The feeling of the keys are a perfect blend of mechanical and your regular everyday keyboard. So typing or gaming feels deliberate without sounding like you’re tap dancing in the heat of an online battle. There’s five slots available to save profiles and an awesome “Easy Shift [+]” function that lets you execute macros with the ease of typing a capital letter.
The most amazing feature of the ISKU has got to be its “Talk” audio feedback technology. Forget about beeps and tones, It actually speaks. It isn’t for vanity purposes as you would first assume. It’s to let you know what settings changes you’ve made without you having to look at the keyboard and mouse--Roccat Kone [+} that is. This works very well when you need to switch profiles or change mouse settings but can’t take your eyes off the screen. You never know what an enemy is up to so that split second means a lot.
Don’t expect Mac support as there aren’t any drivers or layouts for the ISKU (as of this writing). It works out of the box with Mac but as a standard keyboard. If you’re working with a Mac computer, skip this keyboard. All the cool stuff the ISKU has to offer are on the PC side. Otherwise, investing a mere 80 bucks is worth every cent.
For more info on the Roccat ISKU, check out the official website.
