ROG Strix Scope TKL

If you play a lot of FPS titles you'll know that rapid reflexes are often essential to your survival and the gear that you use can often have a major impact on your performance. The Strix Scope TKL, one of ROG's latest keyboards, has been designed to best assist fans of the genre as it has a super skinny "tenkeyless form factor" and has features like a plus-sized control switch. In the UK, the keyboard retails for roughly £140 and it can be found in both black and white colour variations (for our review we sample the black version).

Before I start though I should highlight that the Strike Scope TKL shares a lot of similarities with the ROG Claymore II with regards to its design and features (you can check out our review of it here if you want to see our thoughts), so I'll be making several comparisons between the two throughout this review given that I have used both.

The first thing you might be wondering is what is included in the box. Well, the Strix Scope TKL comes packaged with a Republic of Gamers sticker, a USB-C cable, and a memory foam wrist rest that magnetically connects to the bottom of the keyboard. The wrist rest here is worth spotlighting as it's the same one bundled in with the Claymore II and it makes using the keyboard over longer durations feel so much comfier.

The Strike Scope TKL has the same sleek look as the Claymore II with it having a grey metallic frame that wonderfully complements its black keys. It features RBG lighting behind the back of its keys and there is a ROG logo on the left-hand side and a bar along the bottom that is also brightly illuminated. Just like the Claymore II, the lighting here can be fully customised within the accompanying Armoury Crate software. Here there are more than 11 different lighting effects to toy with and flicking between them is effortless.

Something that struck me right away about the keyboard is how compact it is. The device is only 35.6cm wide, 4cm high, and has a depth of 13.6cm, meaning that it took up very little room when placed on my desk. Its slimmed-down look is also attributed to the fact that it has a "tenkeyless form factor," which essentially means that the number keys usually seen on the right-hand side are absent. This is said to optimise the keyboard for FPS gamers as your mouse has a lot more freedom for movement on your desk. I personally thought the sacrifice was worth it, as I never personally use the additional number keys and you can always repurpose the use of other switches.

The device is also purely wired, but it doesn't make a lot of the same mistakes as its competitors. Firstly, the USB-C cable here is lengthy and it's made of a braided material that feels tough and durable. Additionally, the cable can be completely detached which allows for the keyboard to be neatly packed away and replaced if broken. If you're an Android user then you'll be pleased to know that it can be used to charge your phone too.

The mechanical keys themselves feel really snappy and responsive and they don't rattle as loudly as the ones present on the Claymore II. There aren't any additional keys here for programming, but the F5-10 keys all have their own secondary uses for music playback and you can change the function of any part of your keyboard within the aforementioned Armoury Crate software. F11 also functions as a dedicated stealth switch that mutes your audio and hides all the apps that you have open and the control key is larger than usual here to minimise the risk of accidental key pushes.

It might not have all the same bells and whistles as the Claymore II, but the Strix Scope TKL is still a competent gaming keyboard that has been crafted with FPS gamers in mind. The device feels wonderfully compact due to its "tenkeyless form factor" and its mechanical keys really pack a punch and don't produce too much noise. If you're an avid FPS fan that's looking to get an edge on your rivals then you might just want to give this one a look.