To celebrate the continuing longevity of the Street Fighter franchise and the fighting game community, the peripheral company Higround will be releasing a new collection of Street Fighter II-themed keyboards, mousepads, keycaps, and apparel. This limited-edition drop will be Higround’s first internationally distributed collection and will be available in the United States, Japan, and Europe.
The keyboards stand out as the highlights of the collaboration. The Street Fighter II version of Higround’s Summit 65, its flagship model, will feature Akuma in his classic dark blue gi and fighting pose. A red-framed version of this Summit 65, which includes a weighted bottom stainless-steel medallion, will launch exclusively in Japan, but the black-framed base model will be available for all three regions. Both versions of the Akuma Summit 65 are made from a CNC aluminum case and will boast such features as customizable on-board RGB lighting effects, a silicone dampener, and Higround’s trademark mechanical switches.
In addition to the Summit 65, Higround will also produce three Street Fighter II-themed models of its classic Basecamp 65 keyboard. The first design will showcase an intense battle between Ryu and Chun-Li, while the second will feature a mashup of several characters from the original game’s roster. The third design is a monochrome version of the Akuma Summit 65. Like the Summit 65, the Basecamp 65 will have on-board RGB lighting, but the frame will be plastic instead of aluminum. Other items in the collection include three different graphical mousepads, and a jelly bag with monochrome drawings of Chun-Li and Ryu.
Albert Jin, Higround’s Senior Director of Product, views this collaboration as a tribute to Street Fighter fans. “We are proud to partner with Capcom to develop this line of premium Street Fighter keyboards which pay homage to the cornerstone of gaming culture,” he stated. “As a fan of the franchise, Street Fighter epitomizes the excitement of retro arcade gaming, competing with friends, and enjoying the feeling of victory.”
For the United States and Europe, the official pre-orders for Higround’s Street Fighter II drop will begin on April 19 at 12:00 PM PST/9:00 PM CET and run through April 24. For Japan, pre-orders will start on April 20 at 4:00 AM JST and run through April 25.
For more information about Higround and to purchase items from the Street Fighter II collection, you can visit their website.
