Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard

The Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 list) hits the right notes on the necessities with its swappable profiles and 25 programmable macro keys, and offers additional useful features like Roccat Talk, an app that lets the keyboard work in tandem with other compatible devices (such as a mouse). Unfortunately, the Isku slips on the more intangible elements that make a good gaming keyboard, with plasticky construction, too-slick keys, and a backlight that actually reduced key visibility in some circumstances.

Design
The Isku is big and wide?1.5 by 20 by 10 inches (HWD)?and is very quiet, thanks to its use of silicone dome switches, which rely on a rubbery membrane for the key's action. They're less durable than the mechanical switches used on other keyboards, like the Editors' Choice Corsair Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars), but mechanical switches also make more noise while you're typing.

Keys on the Isku are smooth, almost slick to the touch, and capture a strong glare from overhead lights. Visibility is excellent in low-light situations, thanks to an adjustable blue backlight, but the combination of blue glowing letters and the keys' semi-glossy finish makes them hard to read in regular lighting conditions (such as under a desk lamp). Unlike with the Razer Anansi ($99.99 direct, 4 stars), you can't change the color of the backlight, only the brightness. There's also a monstrously large wrist rest built into this giant slab of a keyboard. Roccat says it "acts like a sofa for your hands," and although it does provide a comfortable typing experience, we preferred the removable wrist rest on the Corsair Vengeance K90.

Features
There's a lot going on with the Isku besides the keyboard proper. A row of keys up top provides a number of media playback controls, and five macro keys are located on the keyboard's left side. That might seem like a far cry from the 18 macro keys on the Corsair, but Roccat also gives you the ability to assign additional macro functions to each of the five leftmost keys in the four main typing rows as well. Setting macro functions is easy, thanks to a Record button located just above the F3 key. Below the spacebar are three "Thumbster" buttons that let you cycle between saved profiles and call up the Roccat's customization software.

You'll need that software, too: It's the only way to take advantage of the multiple profiles and macro sets the Isku supports. There are rosters of preprogrammed macros available for several popular titles like Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2, or World of Warcraft, plus a few sets for non-gaming applications like Microsoft Office and Skype.

As an added bonus, Roccat Talk lets you use the Isku in conjunction with another compatible device, such as the Roccat Kone[+] gaming mouse. Press the EasyShift[+] button on either device (it defaults to Caps Lock on the Isku, but you can reassign this) to activate the secondary functions on both; for example, you can change the mouse's resolution right from the keyboard. Right now, only the Isku and Kone[+] can use Roccat Talk, but Roccat is planning to release other devices that support it in the future.

In gaming tests, the Isku performed admirably, serving me well whether I was exploring space in Star Trek Online or fragging enemies in Team Fortress 2. I was fine as long as I was typing by feel, but if I had to glance at the keyboard to find a key, I had to really stop and hunt; visibility in normal light is very poor. With the lights lowered the problem was solved, but it would be nice to be able to change up the blue glow to something else.

In the final analysis, the Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard doesn't quite measure up to the standard set by the Editors' Choice Corsair Vengeance K90. I had a few gripes about the slick, shiny keys and any-color-as-long-as-it's-blue backlight; and because of its lightweight plastic construction, the Isku felt more like a toy than a serious device?even when gaming, I want my equipment to be as serious as I am. These issues of personal preferences aside, however, the Roccat Isku Illuminated Keyboard is a solid choice for gamers.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard with several other keyboards side by side.

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