You may be familiar with Fnatic Streak65. Very small? Live on ours best gaming keyboard list? The answer to “Fnatic Streak65”? Whether it rings or not, there’s a new version of this low-profile mechanical keyboard that adds some hardware improvements. It’s great.
Having said that, much of this brilliance is inherited. The Streak65 LP has the same compact dimensions and low-profile, linear Fnatic Speed switch as the original, so it will always feel great under your fingers. Even without the literal lightspeed technology of an optical-mechanical keyboard, the Streak65 LP feels amazingly fast, and what the Speed switches lack in their deeper, deeper press-switch design, they compensates for agility.
Half-height keycaps help maintain this sense of speed, just as they did on the first Streak65, although this time they’re made from a higher-quality plastic. These PBT keycaps (that’s polybutylene terephthalate, for chemists) feel more durable than the original ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) keycaps, although the biggest benefit isn’t in preventing problems broken assumption. It’s texture: a pleasant, but not rough, matte finish that directly enhances the basic glossy finish of the Streak65’s keys.
In addition to fewer oil magnets, the new Streak65 LP is also quieter in operation. Sort of – although the sound itself without the click of the Speed switches hasn’t changed, Fnatic has stuffed the inside of the Streak65 LP’s components with damping foam, which eliminates the ping when pressed down to the bottom. . Coupled with the slightly thicker keycaps, this keeps the chirping mellow and controlled, there’s still enough acoustic feedback for typing but no wasted sound that can be avoided. It just sounds so clean, which I think matches the icy white model I received (including the black model).
I better understand the last change compared to Streak65, which is coiled cable. I get that a lot of people like these, although I’m clearly not a fan of the Turkish Twizzer aesthetic. However, the entire cable is now braided, which is an improvement no matter how you look at it, and you can still remove the cable via USB-C for easy transport (or a cheaper replacement if the cable breaks).
Otherwise, all the best bits of Streak65 are still here. Features a lightweight yet sturdy build quality, thanks mainly to the aluminum chassis, plus customizable inputs and RGB lighting. There’s no dedicated function keys, but that’s normal for the 65% form factor, and at least you get the proper arrow keys and four macro keys for games. Previously there was also media control via the Fn key.
It’s probably not worth the upgrade from the original keyboard if you already own it, especially since the Streak65 LP is an expensive little board at £110/$120. But then that’s the cost of a standard Streak65 when out, so you won’t have trouble upgrading. The bigger concern for brand new buyers will be whether the 65% keyboard can provide all the buttons they need for their favorite games; As usual, MMOs and RTS games can easily overwhelm, unless you feel very unorthodox with your constraints.
With that in mind, the Streak65 LP feels good enough that I’ve been using nothing else for about a month now, although I’m very confused about changing my own constraints. For example, with the lack of the tilde key, forcing me to choose between being able to thank my Apex Legends teammates, do the gymnastics manually with Fn, or just put the answer on a different key, I choose to simply be rude and stop thanking people.
Can a smaller keyboard make you give up logic and manners so quickly? For my sake, I hope not. Because the your for sake, Streak65 LP is highly recommended.
