Fnatic Streak65 LP Keyboard Review

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Fnatic is a pretty versatile brand, most known for its involvement in esports; dabbling in various popular titles such as League of Legends, Halo, FIFA, CS:GO, Valorant, and more.

They’ve also been making hardware for gamers with keyboards, headsets, mice, and mouse pads, so they’re generally quite heavily involved in the gaming industry.

Their catalog of keyboards is an interesting one. They’ve got this set of low-profile, ultra-compact gaming keyboards that are a bit different from what I’m used to, and I was very interested in trying them out.

Fnatic did send me one of those keyboards but, as usual, I’ll share my honest opinions – both the good and the bad. This is my Fnatic Streak LP Keyboard review, and it’s a pretty fun one!

Specs

Size (cm)	Weight	Actuation Force	Layout	Key Count	Cable Type
10.85 (L) × 31.75 (W) × 2.2 (H)	426 grams	45 grams (1mm pre-travel)	ANSI (U.S)/ISO (U.K)	69	USB-C

Of these specs, the number of keys stands out the most – 69! I had to count twice to be sure. It does say 65 LP, but that “65” just means the percentage of a full-size keyboard.

Features

When it comes to features, this thing is PACKED, but the most interesting for me was the textured keys.

Those keys are also advertised as double shot PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate). PBT basically means that they are durable and high quality, and double shot means two bits of plastic together.

You probably need to see for yourself for this to make more sense, but I’ve also got an image in the video below showing the difference between the old and new ones – just hit “play” to see.

There’s a coiled, USB-C cable here too, which you may or may not have a real need for while using the keyboard. If you don’t, at least you can find some other use for it – the beauty of universal technology, eh?

Build Quality

Regarding build quality, I’ve seen a lot of standard marketing lingo thrown around in the description of the Streak65 LP. “Strength”, “Durability”, “Solid Aluminum” but of course, real-world tests separate the legit from the pretenders.

That said, this keyboard does feel very tight. It’s got lubricated stabilizers so there’s less rattle and noise, and the whole thing just looks very clean and well put together. It did not feel at any point that Fnatic cut corners in any way with the build quality here.

So, after extended periods of use, I can confirm that the product is as advertised this time. This is a well-constructed, durable and consistent keyboard, and those qualities for me are some of the most important with a gaming device.

Whether it’s a celebratory or rage-induced keyboard smash (depends on which game I’m playing, really), the Streak65 LP shows that it can survive a bit of rough and tumble.

Disclaimer: Proceed with caution. I will not be replacing any keyboard lives lost in the process of testing this theory out.

Sound

If you’re not heavy-handed, then you’ll find that the keyboard is rather quiet.

However, if like me, you occasionally like to take out pent-up frustrations on a piece of plastic, then you will hear the sound of the keys bottoming out as you hit them. It’s not loud, but it’s there.

Lights

This may end up being a controversial opinion, but I really believe that the lights somewhat ruined the experience here – at least, visually.

On its own, with the lights off, the keyboard looks super clean and crisp. Then, you plug it in and it’s like the fourth of July and Christmas rolled into one 16.8 million color rainbow. I think it’s a bit tacky but again, that may just be me.

Thankfully, you can change this in software and pick something that matches the super clean simplicity of the keyboard better. I highly recommend doing that the first minute you take this thing out of the package it arrives in.

There’s a good range of color options to pick from, so you can have some fun tweaking until you find something that works.

Software

Now, about that software. There’s not too much to speak of in terms of functionality, which is fine for me. The simpler, the better, you know?

You can do keybindings in there, and there’s a quickstart guide that gives you more information to change lighting settings without the need for the software.

Keys

It’s a bit of a mixed bag with this one. I mean, I see what Fnatic was trying to do, making the form factor of the keyboard smaller by cutting down on the number of keys. I don’t mind it, either, I really don’t. But, some people may struggle, so it’s down to preference really.

The situation is this: there’s a function key that helps to retain the use of many functions that would otherwise have a dedicated key on other keyboards (those keys are labeled, obviously), and this helps to boost the ergonomics of the Streak65.

For people that use a wrist rest, the height reduction and form factor of this keyboard is great news because they can keep their wrists as rested as possible without having to stretch and reach as far to hit certain keys.

There are also adjustable feet as well, so if you want it lower or higher you can have that too. That’s all nice and dandy, but if you’re still unsure, here’s something else to consider.

Other gaming keyboards with more/bigger keys are usually a lot more chunky. A major downside is that they collect dirt more easily and are a lot harder to clean out.

With the Streak65 LP, everything is leveled out and easy to clean. You can just use some compressed air or wipe the keys down if you want a deeper clean.

It may seem like a minor advantage but when you actually begin to use the keyboard, you’ll see how much of a difference it makes.

Additionally, the smaller footprint here helps you to keep your arms and shoulders in a more natural position, and it leaves more room on your desk for other things.

Besides, when it comes down to it, this is just a keyboard. For me, it doesn’t have as much impact on playing as a mouse does. Quality and maintenance should be most important, and Fnatic has those two things well covered.

Gaming Mode

This is where I struggle a bit. I’ve never had to use the gaming mode on keyboards until I got this one. It’s usually just a case of having the windows key disabled. Here, you activate it by pressing Function + C.

Because the keys are so light and require such little force to actuate, I often missed the pressing keys. They’re just really sensitive – not necessarily a bad thing but might take some getting used to.

Many times, I’d end up pressing Windows + Tab, adding a new desktop, opening task manager, or some other random mistake. It was ANNOYING.

It happens less and less often the more I use the keyboard, which is why I say it’s mostly a matter of adjusting to the keys, switches, and the lower profile.

Cost

At £109.99 / US$119.99 / EU129.99 at the time of writing, the Fnatic Streak65 LP is a well-priced keyboard for the quality it offers.

If you’re lucky, the odd, occasional deal will appear on Amazon for less.

Verdict

Straight to the point, I’d easily recommend this keyboard to most gamers. You get a really well-built product with the PBT keys and aluminum base, and Fnatic has obviously paid a lot of attention to making a keyboard that just looks and feels…clean.

The low-profile keyboard is not for everyone (which is why I said “most gamers”), but when you think about the rationale behind it, it does make more sense.

I have the G Pro keyboard too and I can honestly say since I’ve started using this Streak65, I haven’t been tempted to go back to it. That itself is saying something.

Well done, Fnatic. You’ve done a good job here.