When it comes to keyboards, I used to be waist-deep into the hobby. Nabbing up every switch, keycap, and budget 40% board that I could find. But as I slowly pulled myself from the cataclysmic, wallet-destroying hobby of keyboards, I found myself continuing to look for a good wireless option that could satisfy my needs.Â
Coinciding with my downfall into cheap handhelds came a bunch of retro-styled keyboards that might just fit the bill. This time, it’s Nyxi’s turn with their GameCube-colored keyboard called the Striker. How’s it hold up? Is it worth your $100? And is it the board I’m going to keep on my desk going forward? Well, thanks to Nyxi sending this over, I’ll be able to answer all three of these questions by the end of this review.Â
Nyxi Striker Specs
When it comes to this board, you’re getting a lot for $100, and that doesn’t even include their inclusion of a gasket structure built into the keyboard to help improve the sound and typing experience. But what you do get is as follows
- Keyboard Size: 97 keys, aka 96% Keyboard
- Switches: Jerrzi Red Linear Switches (45g Actuation, 60g to bottom out)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth/2.4ghz/USB-C
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Dimensions: 390x155x34mm
- Weight: 1,034 grams
In terms of weight you’re looking at one and a half Steam Decks, or 10 Miyoo Mini V2’s if you’re in the market for tiny handheld comparisons.Â
Software
Normally, the software is something that I’d save till the end, but today I’d like to discuss it early on so you get an idea of customizability. Just like with most software, Nyxi’s Driver software allows you to change the lighting configuration on the keyboard to help make it light up just how you’d like it. But it also gives you the option to set different macros across the board to help cover whatever you’d like. On 40% keyboards, this would be to activate new layers, but on one this large, it helps you cover any additional features you’d like to get from your board.
The other thing I really enjoyed was the pixel LCD display in the top right of the board. You can display whatever you can draw in a 9×9 grid, but I found that I did have to plug the board in if I wanted to upload the picture to the board. It was a minor gripe, but I was okay with it.Â
Overall, their software does really well feature-wise, but the one concern I always have with software is the fact that their download is linked through Google Drive. Considering all we do to get stuff for our handhelds, this isn’t the most concerning option, but still a bit of an odd one from a company like Nyxi.
Design
This is going to be a quick and easy discussion, but I just really want to mention the design of this keyboard. Its colorway is designed to mimic that of an Indigo GameCube controller, down to the color of the buttons. If they had just done that and left it there, I probably wouldn’t have had much to say about it. However, the inclusion of basic text and pixel art really cheapens the overall design, in my opinion. And on top of that, the top bar of the keyboard is shiny, slick plastic, which certainly doesn’t help.
Without those two things, I’d say they have nailed the design of the keyboard overall.
Ergonomics and Feel
HERE’S THE SUBJECTIVE CATEGORY.
In terms of ergonomics, the Striker does have 3 different levels of tilt adjustment to get your needs met just how you like them. With that being said, I left mine at the base level and used a wooden wristrest I got from Barrett Creative.
The keycaps on this board follow the traditional OEM profile, utilizing what I believe to be doubleshot PBT keycaps to help reduce smudging over time. The Jerrzi Red switches beneath are super light linears that are really easy to type on. To the point that I was almost making some mistakes when doing a standard typing test.
There’s minimal-to-no-ping in any of the backspace, shift, or spacebar keys, and overall, the keyboard has a very nice sound profile. Of which I’ve given an example video above, just like with my 8BitDo board review.Â
Wireless and Battery
This is a short section, but also an important one if you ask me. Nyxi features connectivity over Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless as well as USB-C. The nicest feature is that their connectivity switch is right on top and in red, so you know exactly where it is. Over my multiple weeks of testing between different devices, I never had any dropped key presses. At least, they’re not caused by me walking behind a wall or two. I was even happy enough to use this on the Bazzite PC I keep in my closet for when I was gaming on my couch. Overall some of the best connectivity I’ve had outside of the 8BitDo Retro Keyboard.
The other gold star goes to the battery life. While 4,000mAh might not be the biggest battery in a keyboard, I was impressed that over my two weeks of usage, I really didn’t have to plug this board in. Granted, I was using it without the RGB lights on, and I was still using the LCD Pixel display over the duration of my testing period, and that didn’t even mess with the battery either.
Overall super impressed in this regard as well. Once again rivaling the 8BitDo Retro in connectivity.
Final Thoughts
For $100 you’re getting a lot of keyboard for the money. And at the time of writing, it’s only $90 on their website, which means you’re getting even more value for your money. The typing experience is incredibly good, the sound profile, the battery life and the connectivity all work incredibly well.Â
The keyboard community has been in a race to the bottom for the last year or so and this keyboard is clearly evidence of it. Quality features, sound, and good build quality have become the norm in much lower price points than they ever have before. And in the case of the Nyxi Striker, it really comes up to bat and hits the home run. Even if you’re not a fan of the looks, if you’re interested in the 96% size and want something reliable and wireless. This is the big option.
For a Ten-Keyless board, the 8BitDo Retro Mechnical Keyboard might be better, and they even have a full-sized board for more space. But that’s all for a slightly higher price tag. It’s a good one, but it all comes down to what your needs are.
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