A Closer Look – STRIKE PRO WIRELESS
the MSI STRIKE PRO WIRELESS is unmistakably an MSI keyboard, with design elements we’ve seen across their peripherals range in recent years, so it should pair up well with other products in their gaming range; such as the mouse I have to hand today. It’s a full-size keyboard, so there’s no compromise on button configurations here, but of course, if you prefer a TKL or smaller design, you may want to look elsewhere in their product catalogue.
It comes packed with handy features too, such as this seriously cool media control block. There are dedicated buttons for mute, skip, play/pause, and next. furthermore, there’s a massive scroll wheel allowing for smooth control of volume levels. I listen to a lot of music while I work and game, so having this in such an easy to use configuration is certainly welcome.
There’s a strong focus here on not having to rely on their desktop software, as seemingly everything can be controlled directly from the keyboard. There’s a mixture of dedicated keys, such as the wireless, Bluetooth and lighting controls along the top, as well as Fn+Shift functions throughout many of the other keys.
For example, these navigation keys also feature a range of options o control the ARGB lighting, with functions to toggle speed, transitions, effect direction and profiles of the built-in lighting.
There’s also colour and brightness controls built into the arrow keys, so there’s not really much you can control to get the lighting just right with just a few key strokes. There’s also a full-size numberpad, which may not be useful for a lot of gaming, but given how much spreadsheet work I do in a day, this is absolutely essential to my daily workflow.
Up on the top bezel of the keyboard, there’s a small built-in display, allowing you to see things like profiles and other hot-key settings at a glance.
As if there weren’t enough settings already, there are three dedicated profile buttons on the top row too. These are fantastic additions, allowing you to fully configure every key action, macro, shortcut, per key lighting, and more, and set it to a unique profile. Need a profile for gaming where all but the WASD and shift are disabled? How about one for Photoshop where certain keys are colour coded to commands? Well, you can do it all with these!
The keyboard its self is pretty standard in terms of layout, fill a set of durable key caps, and those lovely silent Kailh switches, allowing for silky smooth typing, but also a light and fast actuation to maintain your gaming edge while playing competitively. The Kailh Midnight Pro Silent Tactile switches feature an operation force of 45gf and a 55gf tactile bump. MSI say they’re got an “integrated muffler pad” which effectively removes the need for O-ring mods, and keeps their noise levels below 35dB.
Each key has a 1.9mm pre-travel and 3.7mm total travel, so they feel broadly the same as other high-end switches such as those from Gateron and Cherry, but are also rated for 70 million keystrokes, so they’ll stand the test of time. Importantly, they also feature an MX stem, meaning their competitible with popular custom keycap brands.
Tucked away at the back of the keyboard, you’ll find a little nook to stash the USB dongle, as well as a master power switch, allowing you to lock down the keyboard and save power when it’s not in use.
On the underside, it’s a very durable thick plastic base, providing a stable base for your typing. There are also two stage adjustable feet. with durable rubber grips.
There’s the smaller inner feet for a slight angle adjustment.
Or you can kick up the larger ones for a more prominent angle should you need it.
