In this review, we’ll look at Fanatics newest edition of their mechanical keyboard, the Fnatic Streak.
Being Fnatic’s second lineup of mechanical keyboard ever, I expected it to be at least better than it’s predecessor, the Gear 1 but not groundbreaking.
Let’s just say, after a week of use, it surpasses expectations but has a hefty price tag.
The Streak is one of the heaviest keyboards I’ve come across. The dimensions of the streak are 440 x 141 x 36mm without the wrist rest and 440 x 192 x 38mm with it.
It has a weight of 962 grams making it fairly hefty.
The Streak also has 8MB of memory with a 1000 Hz polling rate. The cable provided with this keyboard is 2.2m which has enough length to be set up anywhere.
The switches – contains Cherry MX switches of colors such as red, blue, silent red and brown.
Lastly, it has an FN lock (which disable the functions of F keys), LED nameplate to personalize your keyboard and a metal volume wheel.
Fnatic Streak: Features
There is a full-powered USB port
The provided wrist rest is padded with a PU leather top
The Competition mode blocks all the third party notifications so that you can enjoy your games without any sort of disturbance.
The keys on the Streak are programmable, which means you can remap it via OP software.
8 lighting modes
Fnatic streak features macro programming and special competition mode.
The thick yet durable chord has two USBs that can be attached to your PC/gaming rig.
Fnatic – Streak Introduction
Is the Fnatic Streak a decent gaming keyboard, you may ask? Let’s just say it has everything a high tier gaming mechanical keyboard has with a few minor upgrades.
Fnatic has been producing some phenomenal gaming gear and accessories over the years. The brilliance of Fnatic was displayed when their recent gaming mechanical keyboard, Fnatic Gear Rush made it to the markets. Being a gaming enthusiast myself, I love little features and tweaks that make gaming more convenient or comfortable. The fnatic streak has just that.
You can see from my Fnatic G1 Silent review that I had some ups and downs when testing it. I don’t just play games and write a review – I actually check out the insides – the switches, functionality, quality, and features, so that you can make an informed decision.
After assessing it through my tests, this keyboard continues Fnatic’s legacy of creating great gaming mechanical keyboards and is definitely an upgrade from its predecessors (but it also costs a lot more).
So what’s so special about this keyboard? Let’s take a look at this masterpiece in this Fnatic Streak Review.
Fnatic Streak Review: Unboxing
First of all, thanks to Fnatic for sending me a review unit of the Fnatic Streak and Mini Streak (read the Mini Streak review here).
The Streak comes in a standard cardboard box. On the front, it has the Fnatic Streak branding and on the back, we have the product description, specifications, and its features.
After opening up the box, you find a wrist rest, wrist rest bracket, the user manual, and some stickers.
Note that this keyboard comes with a 2-year warranty. After that, you find the keyboard itself. Along with the keyboard, you also find the wrist rest which provides a comfortable gaming experience.
Design & Performance
The streak is one of the sleekest keyboards I’ve ever come across.
Every single feature of this mechanical keyboard is clearly geared towards making a better gaming experience. Here are some of the ones I found were a differentiating factor:
It’s surprisingly heavy, making it less prone to slipping
It had many functions for gaming like competition mode
Aesthetics such as the RGB nameplate, macro settings, and customizable RGB
Very versatile and comfortable wrist rest with an adjustable metal bracket
Lighting effects
The RGB lighting with 8 different profiles can be changed on the go without going through the OP software. It measures up to just 28mm on its thinnest side, making it extremely sleek.
It has LED light under all of its keycaps which can be brightened/darkened or switched off using the controls on the keyboard itself.
The responsiveness, the refresh rate, the smoothness, the features and the tactile keycaps are excellent and what you would expect for its price.
If you want a mechanical keyboard which has all the bells and whistles that a high tier gaming keyboard would have, the Streak won’t let you down.
Software Support
The Fnatic Streak comes with its own cloud-based and cross-platform software known as OP software.
I tested this software and observed tons of customization options. Here’s what you can do with this software:
You can change lighting profile for your keyboard.
The user can adjust the brightness or switch the lights off.
Streak’s software lets to customize and remap the keys according to your preference.
You can personalize keyboard by writing your name on the given LED nameplates via the OP software
Build Quality
Overall, I think the quality of the fnatic streak is excellent.
After a week of use in a mostly gaming environment with games like counter strike and Fortnite, this keyboard has had no hiccups whatsoever.
The heaviness prevents it from slipping and the wrist rest is super comfortable. The only issue I can foresee is that the wrist rest can add a lot of space to your desk, but it’s removable.
And as I said previously, I dislike the chord that’s attached to the keyboard. Unlike the streak mini, this one had a super thick chord that is not flexible, making it hard to place the chord in tight areas or put back in the box.
I suggest they just have an additional chord for the keyboard instead of attaching two of them into the single chord, making it look awkward.
Here are some qualities that stuck out to me:
An all metal built giving it a very premium look and feel.
The keys and buttons are very tactile which is something very satisfying for gamers.
The keycaps are easily detachable which means you can easily add customized keys to your keyboard.
Cherry MX switches are used in this keyboard and are smooth.
You are also provided the wrist rest, which also has an all metal build on the bottom and leather on the top.
Overall, this mechanical keyboard has met my gaming expectations. For its price, it has everything a typical high tier keyboard would have. The buttons provide great response giving me a hassle-free experience while playing games like CS: GO, FIFA, and PUBG. That being said, the price is very hefty and right now you can only buy it on their site or BestBuy.
If you’re looking for something under $100, check out my best under $100 list here and best under $50 list here. However, don’t expect a premium adjustable wrist rest or competition modes in those lists. You get what you pay for.
If you are a die-hard gamer looking forward to a mechanical beast that also serves well in general tasks, the Fnatic Streak is one of the best options you can find.
It has everything I wanted from my keyboard to match my prolonged gaming sections. It provides a very premium, durable and comfortable gaming experience. However, if you’re more prone to traveling and bringing a keyboard to work, the Streak can weigh you down (check out our keyboards for office list here).
Check out my review of the streak mini, the compact counterpart to the streak. It’s essentially the same as the streak Mechanical keyboard but it’s tenkeyless with a detachable cord.
Have any comments or thoughts on Fnatic’s newest mechanical keyboard? Let us know in the comments below.
