The Corsair STRAFE Mechanical Keyboard Review

Conclusion

In terms of quality, the Corsair Gaming STRAFE Mechanical Gaming keyboard rates much better than most similarly priced keyboards that I have used. It loses some luster and feel over the models with the aluminum frames but the plastics are of very good quality, significantly better than the majority of $50-100 keyboards that I have previously encountered. The keys are very sturdy and the cross supports reduce wobbliness down to a minimum. Cherry, the most renowned manufacturer of switches, is Corsair's supplier (and revered trading partner, these two companies have struck many deals recently, including Corsair's exclusive RGB switch). The responsiveness and feel of the two extra square keys is excellent as well.

The design of a peripheral is a largely subjective matter and the STRAFE is no exception. It is an elegant keyboard, fancy enough to be appealing on a gamer's desktop but not overly kitschy so as to drive potential customers away. The red stripes on the sides are subtle and not intrusive, giving the STRAFE a futuristic design and feel. The textured Space Bar key is another nice touch, as it feels exceptional while typing and should last a little longer than a typical keycap. For gamers, the inclusion of the two contoured keycap sets may be a nice addition. We do not really find it practical to change keycaps between casual use/work and gaming, or to be restricted within specific key sets on a programmable keyboard, but they might be useful for some gamers, especially those who intent to use the STRAFE just for gaming. Although it is not a critical omission, the lack of dedicated volume controls is not very good for a quality gaming keyboard. On the other hand, the inclusion of a USB port is a nice addition, one that Corsair will hopefully expand to higher and lower tier products.

The greatest advantage of the STRAFE is its programmability and compatibility with Corsair's CUE software. The CUE software is one of the best of its kind, with ludicrous programmability and lighting options that will satisfy even the most advanced and demanding of users. It allows for the programming of each and every key on the STRAFE, as well as of any number of different profiles/settings. The downside is that there is no native profile switch key on the STRAFE so, unless a key is reprogrammed to cycle through profiles, the profiles need to be changed manually or set to actuate automatically once a specific application launches. I can only find it unable to do one thing, which is the recording of mouse movement macros with absolute on-screen coordinates. Still, absolute cursor coordinates can be manually inserted if necessary, making the programming of very precise and swift macros possible, albeit rather time-consuming.

To be clear on our testing here, we usually test the peripherals we review for several days before writing the actual texts. However, we did not have the luxury of time with the STRAFE, as the sample arrived just a few days prior to the NDA lift. Still, it was on my desk for a good couple of days, tested in the lab, and this review as well as two 15-page reports were typed with it. It also encountered about half an hour of gaming and some casual use without issue.

Summarizing, we feel that the STRAFE Mechanical Gaming keyboard is another great idea by Corsair. No, this is not a perfect product, neither a keyboard for everybody. It is a product bridging the gap between standard non-programmable keyboards and the fully programmable RGB family of products, severely reducing the cost for those that want a high quality and fully programmable keyboard but do not care for RGB backlighting or cannot afford an expensive RGB family model. The STRAFE just became available today and sells for $110 including shipping, which is exactly Corsair's MSRP. Considering that the K70 RGB now retails for $155, nearly 25% lower than its MSRP price, the STRAFE may soon live up to its name and be sidestepping the MSRP and selling for less, making it an amazing deal for a greatly adaptive gaming keyboard. Even at its current retail price, the STRAFE is a product that we would easily recommend to anybody wants a high quality programmable keyboard, likes its design and does not mind about having the full RGB experience.