Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (Cherry MX Speed)

Don't get me wrong it is a good keyboard. Keys feel great, has a really clean metal finish to it that looks stunning. Everything works well with this keyboard and it feels great to use. The one issue I have is the light strip on the top of the keyboard, the lights are not very well centered on the strip and two of the leds on each end are not positioned right so the light seems dull there. With the LEDS in that top strip not lining up properly if you want to have multiple colors on the one strip it looks very odd, two of the lights are dim and half the others aren't lined up to where corsairs ICUE suggests they are. Also, the volume scroll wheel isn't straight. Clearly wobbles when you scroll it. Like I said, good keyboard, just some poor finishing that let it down. ... MoreDon't get me wrong it is a good keyboard. Keys feel great, has a really clean metal finish to it that looks stunning. Everything works well with this keyboard and it feels great to use. The one issue I have is the light strip on the top of the keyboard, the lights are not very well centered on the strip and two of the leds on each end are not positioned right so the light seems dull there. With the LEDS in that top strip not lining up properly if you want to have multiple colors on the one strip it looks very odd, two of the lights are dim and half the others aren't lined up to where corsairs ICUE suggests they are. Also, the volume scroll wheel isn't straight. Clearly wobbles when you scroll it. Like I said, good keyboard, just some poor finishing that let it down. If it was a cheaper keyboard I'd overlook these issues but since it's corsairs top of the line keyboard they really should be paying attention to small details like that, especially when ICUE is half the reason people by ALL corsair products. Other than that, still a really good keyboard.

My fiancée bought the Crosair gaming keyboard and mouse for his gaming set up. I do like that the keys on the keyboard are quiet when he is playing his games online, especially if I'm asleep, since his setup is currently in our bedroom for the time being. The gaming keyboard comes with an extension for wrist support. The keyboard lights up under the keys and the light can match up with his Corsair mouse. This keyboard also comes with 6 G keys (Macro keys). Macros can be very useful to gamers, streamers, or photo/video editors who need shortcuts to a tool, or multiple buttons to be pressed it a short time. My fiancée is happy with his purchase of his Corsair gaming keyboard.

A real review by a real person.

Excellent feeling, great looking, high quality build, RGB is excellent. CORSIAR software (icue) is horrible. I get my RGB control through SignalRGB and Icue doesn't have the right compatability for me to be able to use the rest of my rgb system and be able to use the hot keys on this keyboard. So i could've gotten the k70 or whatever and had the same keyboard; functionally speaking. So other than not being able to use the hotkeys, which is my choice to not use icue since i wouldnt be able to run full RGB on my other components through icue, this keyboard is the bees knees, its awesome, feels amazingly smooth, the colors are vibrant and beautiful and there are TONS of leds in it, which makes a very vivid color scene, which is much more interesting than the case fans ... MoreExcellent feeling, great looking, high quality build, RGB is excellent. CORSIAR software (icue) is horrible. I get my RGB control through SignalRGB and Icue doesn't have the right compatability for me to be able to use the rest of my rgb system and be able to use the hot keys on this keyboard. So i could've gotten the k70 or whatever and had the same keyboard; functionally speaking. So other than not being able to use the hotkeys, which is my choice to not use icue since i wouldnt be able to run full RGB on my other components through icue, this keyboard is the bees knees, its awesome, feels amazingly smooth, the colors are vibrant and beautiful and there are TONS of leds in it, which makes a very vivid color scene, which is much more interesting than the case fans and other rgb alone. If you want a fuller rgb setup, this keyboard is for you. If you want a smooth even keystroke set, which the package also has a custom set of gaming keys to help make wasd area have better control and blind feeling for the keys easier....then this board is for you. Its also fast, make sure to set your settings to 1000, default is like 400 or something. Reviews said that 1000 is the standard...for now...for gaming...but the k100 has 5000 capabilities, but its ahead of its time and most games dont support more than 1000. So even when stuff catches up, and 5000 is a more prominent achievable setting in games, this 1000 speed will still be useful and relevant. Either way. If you aren't a pro gamer (i know I'm not) then 5000 doesnt really matter (if you are a pro gamer then why are you reading this? Im sure your sponsor gave you the hottest over the top keyboard they offer already lol), but it's very nice to not have input lag when trying to enjoy a night of gaming and not a night of getting beat up on every game you play. And 1000 is so fast i can't tell that there is any lag at all. Which is something i learned i was missing...because i bought this excellent keyboard and was taught how slow my old one was!So to wrap it up, buy it if the basic keyboard features fit your needs. You’ll have a long lasting, visually dazzling, smooth and fast, customizable keyboard that will show you what your old setup was missing by providing it. Now if they could just fix icue to be more inclusive to 3rd party software and retain the features i paid for, then i'd give 5 stars in a heart beat.Fyi, my old logitech keyb. didnt have rgb but the logitech software allowed me to run the hot keys easily, so if you want to use icue for everything (features and RGB) then this keyboard will function as advertised. If not, then you lose the hotkeys...for now. Hopefully an update will patch the issue of icue not allowing really cool software like signalrgb to work along side it. I my investment for hotkeys will pay off.

Built Corsair tough

Construction quality is top notch. I am pretty sure you could use this keyboard as a hammer and not phase it. I like having a real USB pass through on the keyboard and not a cheap attempt at a hub. The short key travel is tough to adjust to if you are coming from a membrane keyboard so be ready if you haven't used one of these before. Now that I'm used to it I really like it. I also like the additional keys they include for WASD, very tactile when playing FPS games.Now for a couple cons:The software leaves a lot to be desired when setting your colors.They also need to make some symbols bigger/brighter. All keys with small punctuation are veryuy difficult to see at all but the brightest settings using the brightest of colors.Last gripe is you cant read the ... MoreConstruction quality is top notch. I am pretty sure you could use this keyboard as a hammer and not phase it. I like having a real USB pass through on the keyboard and not a cheap attempt at a hub. The short key travel is tough to adjust to if you are coming from a membrane keyboard so be ready if you haven't used one of these before. Now that I'm used to it I really like it. I also like the additional keys they include for WASD, very tactile when playing FPS games.Now for a couple cons:The software leaves a lot to be desired when setting your colors.They also need to make some symbols bigger/brighter. All keys with small punctuation are veryuy difficult to see at all but the brightest settings using the brightest of colors.Last gripe is you cant read the keys if the light is off. They turn black instead of white. But the WASD replacement keys are white when the lights are off. Very strange that they wouldn't be consistent.Overall I would buy it again.

Clicky AND pretty, what more could you ask?

I would actually put this keyboard somewhere around a 4.5 stars. I type over 100 wpm, I game for hours on end sometimes (shhh, don't judge!). This keyboard has held up to my abuse and is taking it like a champ. It IS clicky, and I love that. I want to feel and hear my keystrokes, so this is perfect for me. Of all the weird complaints to have, I had a hard time adjusting to the G keys to the left side. Something about that extra row made me want to put my hands in the wrong place on the keyboard, and it drove me crazy for the first couple of weeks. I no longer notice it, and now I absolutely love the keyboard. Solid and reliable!

Great Keyboard, Now w/ Elegato StreamDeck Features

The K95 RGB Platinum XT is the newest in the line of Corsair gaming keyboards, and now fully integrates their recent acquisition, Elegato (maker of the increasingly-popular Stream Deck keypad for gamers and streamers) into the 6 programmable hot keys on the left side of the keyboard.Starting with the keyboard itself, it’s a full-sized keyboard which also comes with an incredibly comfortable padded wrist rest (optional if you have your own or just don’t like those), and is loaded with Cherry’s MX Speed Silver linear switches (specs from Cherry: Linear keys with 1.2mm pre-travel and 3.4mm total travel, 45cN force to activate and do not have an audible click). The buttons are indeed fast and smooth, but unlike so many other stock keyboards keys do have noticeable ... MoreThe K95 RGB Platinum XT is the newest in the line of Corsair gaming keyboards, and now fully integrates their recent acquisition, Elegato (maker of the increasingly-popular Stream Deck keypad for gamers and streamers) into the 6 programmable hot keys on the left side of the keyboard.Starting with the keyboard itself, it’s a full-sized keyboard which also comes with an incredibly comfortable padded wrist rest (optional if you have your own or just don’t like those), and is loaded with Cherry’s MX Speed Silver linear switches (specs from Cherry: Linear keys with 1.2mm pre-travel and 3.4mm total travel, 45cN force to activate and do not have an audible click). The buttons are indeed fast and smooth, but unlike so many other stock keyboards keys do have noticeable wobble on the edges, especially the larger keys like shift, CTRL, ALT, enter, etc. There is also a noticeable squeak and a metal spring sound on some of the keys, not sure if this will go away as the keys break in, but on a keyboard at this price I don’t really feel like I should hear squeaking. Each key is also individually RGB lit, so you can fully control the lighting on every key on the keyboard, including the hot keys and the 4 multimedia control buttons. Other keys/controls on the keyboard include profile switching, turn RGB off/on, a sound mute button, and a roller wheel for volume.The keyboard also has 2 separate USB cords, both are incredibly beefy in thickness and covered in a thick shield. One cord connects the keyboard like normally, the second is a cord to enable the passthrough USB port on the back of the keyboard. This will allow you to plug a mouse in to shorten the cable run or just to use to charge your phone.All keys are untextured and black in color, but does include interchangeable keys that are silver and textured if you prefer textured standout colors for your gaming keys (ASDFWFDERQ included). Likewise, the 6 hotkeys can be swapped from their default silver textured (G keys) to blue textured “streaming control” keys (S keys).The hot keys are now no longer controlled from the iCue software, but rather are controlled by installing the Elegato Stream Deck software. Once installed and the keyboard connected, a 6-button control panel will launch, allowing you to drag & drop features, macros, and pre-built commands from Stream Deck to give you instant features with a single button. If you stream, you’ll be able to do a variety of actions including start recording, control chat, create & replay clips, control Twitch, play an ad, or just basic macros like single keystrokes, type a preset block of text, etc. If you’re not familiar with Stream Deck, I strongly recommend looking at the Elegato site and looking at some YouTube videos to see what all the capabilities are – there are way too many to list here. Bottom line is that whatever you can normally do in Stream Deck you can now do seamlessly on your keyboard with the 6 hot keys.What I did find annoying about the Stream Deck integration is that once the 6-button control panel opens on your computer it stays up, sitting on top of all other windows. You can move it around to get it out of the way, but there is no way to close or minimize it. At least with the Stream Deck software for the actual Stream Deck peripheral you can minimize the software to keep it running but out of the way. For whatever reason you can’t do that with the panel used to control the Corsair keys. I assume it’s because if closed the buttons won’t work, but you should be able to minimize the window. I don’t need it taking up real estate on my FPS game. (You can kill it from Task Manager, but that obviously kills the buttons, as well.)Specifically for the RGB keys, they’re all controlled (as usual) from the Corsair iCue software. They do feature the “Lighting Link” option to allow any changes to your color schemes to seamlessly apply across all Corsair RGB peripherals if you want them all to look the same or for lighting patterns to cross from one peripheral to another. Multiple profiles are available to let you swap between your usual color scheme to one maybe for low-light sessions, or can configure colors based on what game you launch. Nothing new here.Summary:I found the keyboard to be a pleasure to use, whether to game on or just type documents. Keys are fast and smooth (with the caveats listed earlier, but those aren’t deal-breakers). The integration with the Stream Deck is nice, especially if you already have & use a Stream Deck peripheral; this just adds 6 more keys to your Stream Deck options. If you’re in the market for a new keyboard, and especially if you stream, this should be on your wish list.

Great Keyboard. Fast

I absolutely love this keyboard. I have the MX speed. Some people don't like this switch because it's so responsive, and they have a tendency to double (triple) hit the keys. I had a K70 Vengeance previously for years, so I'm used to fast action keys, but the K95 with MX speed is even faster, and it still took some time to get used to it. Being a touch typist, that's taken me about a month. Part of the difficulty is in the placement of the six macro keys on the left side of the keyboard. When I went for the "escape" key, I kept hitting the "G1" macro key. I'm still working on that problem. It's a matter of getting used to positioning your hands on the "F" and "J" keys. Thanks to the bumps on these keys, I can do it without having to look at the keyboard. I installed ... MoreI absolutely love this keyboard. I have the MX speed. Some people don't like this switch because it's so responsive, and they have a tendency to double (triple) hit the keys. I had a K70 Vengeance previously for years, so I'm used to fast action keys, but the K95 with MX speed is even faster, and it still took some time to get used to it. Being a touch typist, that's taken me about a month. Part of the difficulty is in the placement of the six macro keys on the left side of the keyboard. When I went for the "escape" key, I kept hitting the "G1" macro key. I'm still working on that problem. It's a matter of getting used to positioning your hands on the "F" and "J" keys. Thanks to the bumps on these keys, I can do it without having to look at the keyboard. I installed dampers which of course, decreased switch travel. The dampers don't decrease the noise much, because the keyboard was already quiet. I'm a little of a pounder and the decreased travel has forced me to use finger action more. As a result, I'm getting used to typing on the K95, and my speed and accuracy is improving. I don't have the double hit problem others have complained about, probably because I was used to the K70 Vengeance, which had red switches installed. I've never liked wrist rests. They're the first thing that gets thrown out. That is until Cosair provided the wrist rest with the K95. It's a pleasure to use. It's soft, comfortable, anchors my hands, and improves my speed and accuracy. I haven't done much with the iCue program, but I'm looking forward to programming the macro keys. All in all, I rate this as a 5-star keyboard. If you're a touch typist and can get used to the fast action MX Speed switches, you'll absolutely love this keyboard.

Great features and build quality

This keyboard has great features, including lots of customization in the Corsair iCue software that allows the user to configure the lighting for each key. The additional macro keys may be assigned oft-used functions in the same iCue software.The keys feel good when pressed, but probably won't please the most demanding mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. The keys have a metallic sound (not very noticeable) and could be stabilized a tad bit better. The padded wrist rest feels nice. I highly recommend anyone test drive speed switches prior to use...they feel quite a bit different from tactile mechanical switches and cheaper rubber dome keys. Several online outlets sell individual switches for this purpose.The cable is very substantial, which is nice, but it's also ... MoreThis keyboard has great features, including lots of customization in the Corsair iCue software that allows the user to configure the lighting for each key. The additional macro keys may be assigned oft-used functions in the same iCue software.The keys feel good when pressed, but probably won't please the most demanding mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. The keys have a metallic sound (not very noticeable) and could be stabilized a tad bit better. The padded wrist rest feels nice. I highly recommend anyone test drive speed switches prior to use...they feel quite a bit different from tactile mechanical switches and cheaper rubber dome keys. Several online outlets sell individual switches for this purpose.The cable is very substantial, which is nice, but it's also stiff and can be difficult to move out of the way. It's also permanently attached to the keyboard (wired only).This keyboard is for the user who wants a lot of features in a keyboard, not additional desk space.

Premium Quality RGB Gaming Keyboard

Packing is very premium looking and in the box is keyboard in black adonized brushed aluminum color, keycaps, detachable wristpad .Detachable wrist rest is changed in this version compared to earlier models and the wrist pad is now a leatherette soft cushion which feels better.RGB lighting on this keyboard is very good and looks premium. There are 19 zones that can be individually customized with 16.8 million colors that can be selected on users choice. This keyboard is equipped with a double-shot PBT keycap set and six dedicated macro keys with Elgato Stream Deck software integration.You need to download the Elgato stream deck software from corsair website. But it works better once corsair ICUE software is downloaded for better integration. You can program ... MorePacking is very premium looking and in the box is keyboard in black adonized brushed aluminum color, keycaps, detachable wristpad .Detachable wrist rest is changed in this version compared to earlier models and the wrist pad is now a leatherette soft cushion which feels better.RGB lighting on this keyboard is very good and looks premium. There are 19 zones that can be individually customized with 16.8 million colors that can be selected on users choice. This keyboard is equipped with a double-shot PBT keycap set and six dedicated macro keys with Elgato Stream Deck software integration.You need to download the Elgato stream deck software from corsair website. But it works better once corsair ICUE software is downloaded for better integration. You can program special streaming commands and swap the included S-key keycaps for convenient command over your stream.You need to download the corsair iCUE software and once downloaded you can set different custom profiles to the keyboard itself that includes lighting effects, macros, settings. There are dedicated buttons on the top of keyboard where these custom profiles are saved can be stored to the keyboard. This is a great feature to store profiles to keyboard that way you don’t need to download the software for any machines you want this keyboard to install. This is achieved by its 8MB of internal onboard storage for storing profiles and macros to the keyboard itself that allows to take your profiles on the go.Lighting setting can be adjusted in advanced mode from static, gradient, ripple, solid, wave. Each individual key can be assigned to different color or effect.The volume dial on top looks very premium with dial and the dedicated media keys with play, pause, skip forward and skip backward and stop button is very handy for playing videos.There are 6 dedicated keys for storing micros with the textured keycaps on the left side of the keyboard.On the back of the keyboard there is a USB 2.0 passthrough that comes handy to attach mouse or usb headphone devices. On the back of the keyboard, there are grooves for cable management that can be used to route the headphone wires.Overall, great gaming RGB keyboard but this new version does not substantiate the price point of $199 when you can purchase the same functional keyboard K95 older model for much cheaper on sale.

Top Tier Keyboard

This keyboard has everything I need and more. The mechanical keys are super fast and have the typical clicking you would expect. The double shot keycaps allow the RGB to show through nicely and the extra keycaps for game playing make this keyboard perfect for gaming. The roller volume control is something that you dont realize how nice it is until you have one. Because the keyboard has a pass through USB connector on it you need to connect two USB-A connectors to your pc so you really dont save any ports. The iCue software has a lot of options but its not the most intuitive app. After spending some time with it I was able to get the RGB patterns I liked. The palm rest is very soft and comfortable compared to the hard rubberized one that is included on other Corsair ... MoreThis keyboard has everything I need and more. The mechanical keys are super fast and have the typical clicking you would expect. The double shot keycaps allow the RGB to show through nicely and the extra keycaps for game playing make this keyboard perfect for gaming. The roller volume control is something that you dont realize how nice it is until you have one. Because the keyboard has a pass through USB connector on it you need to connect two USB-A connectors to your pc so you really dont save any ports. The iCue software has a lot of options but its not the most intuitive app. After spending some time with it I was able to get the RGB patterns I liked. The palm rest is very soft and comfortable compared to the hard rubberized one that is included on other Corsair keyboards. Between the six macro keys and the five profiles I was able to customize the keyboard to meet all my requirements.