Software

Software drivers for the Mad Catz STRIKE 13 can be found in the downloads section on the product page, with the installer downloading as a compressed folder that only contains a single file of ~20 MB. Installation is one of the better experiences I have had, especially off late, with all the options I could ask for, except for whether or not to add a desktop shortcut and start menu folder. The final installation only takes up 46 MB, and note that the program version is only 0.1.0.2, so it was just released. Indeed, the keyboard did not have software drivers at launch, so this review being put together after it was put out works in favor of Mad Catz. The drivers are extremely light on system resources, including on any moderately older hardware you may still have.


There's an interesting two-tone design language with the software drivers, so much so that the top section ends up being more transparent than anything else on a standard blank Windows Explorer directory. The minimize and close buttons seem to float, as do the listed keyboard firmware and software versions. That aside, it is actually laid out pretty well. We see profiles on the left to choose from, and a macro recorder. The Mad Catz logo makes an appearance as well, and then we have a couple of other things below where it gets a black background. The red Apply button is fine, but the text itself is without enough contrast, so it would merit changing. There are no doubt other things Mad Catz wants to do, however, especially since the layout does not immediately indicate any key-mapping functionality by just looking at it.

Using the software drivers with the Mad Catz STRIKE 13 is simple enough, and knowing these are specific to the device means no other devices are supported. The three profiles up top are self-explanatory, and the macro recorder is detailed enough to appease most users. There are of course three languages to choose from, which makes sense considering you could go about the installation process in the same three languages to begin with. Funnily enough, the polling rate is kept at 125 Hz by default, but it is easy enough to switch to 1000 Hz. Clicking on a key brings up the sorta-secret key assignment options, including a single key re-map, a macro which brings up the same recorder as before, and a preset list of "multimedia" options. It is only when you check the Light box on the left that the virtual keyboard lights up in its currently set effect, which also has more options show up, including static, dynamic, and reactive effects with effect-specific sub-options, such as speed and direction of effect. Choosing a custom color is easily done and allows the user full control over 256 brightness steps for the R/G/B channels and a total of 16.8 M colors. Per-key lighting is possible in custom mode, which has some presets based on game genres but also a few empty options for both a base color and a highlighted key color.