The Mark IV recon droid was similar in design to the R-1 recon droid and R-4 recon droids, which were also manufactured by Arakyd Industries and were based on the DRK-1 Dark Eye probe droid. All three were principally used for gathering intelligence, carried an integrated blaster, and could be equipped with a transmitter that signals ally ships for an orbital strike. However, some Mark IV units were also known to have substituted a self-destruct mechanism for the orbital strike beacon.
Both the beacon and the self-destruct could be activated remotely by the droid's operator and were means of killing hostiles and destroying enemy matériel from a distance. When the self-destruct mechanism was used, it would take several seconds for the internal bomb to be primed for detonation during which time all other operations of the droid were shut down. This rendered it vulnerable to hostile fire before detonation. The advantage of the orbital strike beacon was that it allowed the droid to remain mobile while the strike signal was being transmitted, but requiring coordination with an orbiting ship means it was a less autonomous offensive measure.
In the 2004 video game Star Wars: Battlefront, the sniper class is equipped with a remotely controllable recon droid, which is capable of blaster fire and calling down an orbital strike on its position.
Although each faction's recon droid is functionally and aesthetically identical, they are classified as different models according to Star Wars Battlefront: Prima Official Game Guide. Whereas the clone sharpshooter carries the Arakyd R-1 recon droid and the scout trooper and Rebel marksman carry the Arakyd R-4 recon droid, the droid assassin is outfitted with an Arakyd Mark IV recon droid. The recon droid returns in the sequel, Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005), as a part of the clone commander, MagnaGuard, the Wookiee warrior, and Imperial officer's arsenal instead, but Star Wars Battlefront II: Prima Official Game Guide designates them all as the Arakyd Mark IV recon droid. The recon droid's orbital strike ability in the first game was also replaced with a self-destruct ability in the second. This gameplay change incidentally means that the Mark IV is the only one of the three models known to have a self-destruct device within the lore.