The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT is a solid mid-range gaming keyboard. It has a nice and clean design (I especially like the texture on the spacebar and macro keys) and it would suit both the dedicated or casual gamer alike. The programmable macro keys on the left of the keyboard can come in handy in the office and when gaming. There was only one thing that caused me to score it slightly lower than others, and that is due to the bottom row of keys. If you look at the images of the keyboard below you will notice that the keys on the bottom row are not standard sizes, with the Control, Windows and Alt keys being all different sizes. On a regular keyboard these are the same size. The non standard bottom row will annoy those who wish to replace the keycaps at some point as it will be harder to find a third party set of key caps that will fit. However, the included PBT double-shot key caps should last a long time.
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Summary
A solid mid-range gaming keyboard from Corsair. The non standard bottom row will annoy those who wish to replace the keycaps at some point, but the included PBT double-shot keycaps should last a long time. The programmable macro keys to the side of the keyboard can come in handy in the office and when gaming.
Criteria
Usage
- Fantastic build quality, aluminium frame.
- Dedicated programmable macro keys.
- Choice of Cherry MX Speed (linear), Brown (tactile) or Blue (clicky) key switches.
- PBT double-shot keycaps.
- Highly customisable RGB lighting.
- Full key rollover (NKRO) with 100% anti-ghosting.
- Corsair iCUE software supports both Windows and macOS.
- Non standard bottom row, making it harder to replace keycaps with third party options.
- Expensive compared to the competition.
- There have been complaints that it does not always register the correct keys, but I did not notice this when testing.
Features : 86%
The Corsair is a great mechanical keyboard with a focus on the gaming user. The dedicated programmable macro keys are handy to setup shortcuts for common tasks and are a nice addition. The RGB lighting is highly customisable through the iCUE software and the keyboard has some of the brightest RGB lighting I have tested. As expected on a gaming keyboard, it supports full N-Key Rollover (NKRO) with 100% anti-ghosting. I was impresssed that Corsair makes their iCUE software available for both Windows and macOS. The Mac is often forgotten by many keyboard manufacturers, with only a select few others (such as DAS Keyboard and Keychron) treating the Mac equal to Windows. One thing I did not like though was the non standard bottom row. This makes it harder to replace keycaps with third party options as some support a standard keyboard layout. Whilst it is not common that you will need to replace key caps (especially the high quality PBT double-shot on the Corsair), it is a shame that you are limited in what you can replace them with.
Build Quality : 86%
The Corsair offers a fantastic build quality with a robust aluminium frame. The keycaps are PBT double-shot rather than cheaper ABS or PVC plastic. PBT is a high-grade thermoplastic that will not wear down to a shiny finish over time. Double-shot keycaps are comprised of 2 parts, with the characters actually being a separate plastic component (typically transparent to support RGB lighting shining through) inside of the outer shell. By not having the lettering printed onto the keycaps, they have a very long life without any of the characters rubbing off.
Typing Experience : 94%
The Corsair includes genuine Cherry MX key switches, the tactile Cherry MX Brown, the clicky Cherry MX Blue or the linear Cherry MX Speed Silver. The linear key switches are recommended for gamers.
Value : 70%
The Corsair currently retails for USD 200, which makes it one the most expensive keyboards I have tested. Whilst it is a great keyboard, better value can be had if you look at keyboards from Keychron, Glorious or DAS Keyboards.
Specifications
Physical Specifications | |
Length | 46.5 cm |
Width | 17.1 cm |
Height | 3.6 cm |
Weight | 1.31 kg |
Cable Type | Braided USB-A |
Cable Length | |
Removable Cable | No |
Keyboard Layout | 110 Key US |
Keyboard Features | |
N-Key Rollover | Full |
Keycaps | PBT Double Shot |
Removable Keycaps | Yes |
Backlit Keys | Yes |
RGB Lighting | Yes |
Media Hotkeys | Yes |
USB Passthrough | 1 x USB 2.0 |
Wireless Support | No |
Charging Port | N/A |
Battery Capacity | N/A |
Key Switches | |
Type | Mechanical |
Key Switch Model(s) | Cherry MX Brown, Blue or Speed |
Removable Key Switches | No |
Support Software | |
Windows | Yes |
Mac | Yes |
Linux | No |