![]() ![]() If gaming is your main priority, I would definitely steer away from the MX Blue switches, as much as I like them for typing tasks. But clicky Blue switches aren’t the best for gaming, and I found myself missing the linear feel of Red switches or the shorter-actuating MX Speed switches while shooting and looting my way through Borderlands 3. And with a classic design, the K95 felt familiar while gaming. I prefer Blue switches for typing, which made the K95 RGB Platinum XT excellent for my daily writing and editing tasks. The difference probably isn’t something you have to worry about unless you’re a young, prolific gamer who plans to hold onto their keyboard for decades. But Corsair sent us the keyboard with clicky MX Blue switches, which are “only” rated to 50 million presses. ![]() Two of the three options -MX Speed and MX Brown- have been upgraded for even greater reliability, with the promise to stand up to 100 million keystrokes. While other keyboard companies have partnered with switch makers to design their own mechanical switches or experiment with optical and / or analogue actuation tech, Corsair has stuck with tried-and-true Cherry MX switches. Switch Options and Gaming and Typing Experience This makes the K95 a better option for those who do all of their gaming and typing at a single battlestation. ![]() You do, though, get a USB 2.0 pass-through port on the back, near the center-mounted main cable, as well as cable routing wells on the underside. For those who do not see the need for Stream Deck support, this is a harder buy, but there is so much on offer here that I am happy to recommend it.As has been the case for years, Corsair uses a thick, permanently attached braided cable, which makes the K95 Platinum XT a little clunky and a lot less travel-friendly than models with removable USB-C cables, like the HyperX Alloy Origins. It also makes for the K95 RGB Platinum XT being an actual gaming keyboard in more ways than one, and is fairly innovative. Indeed, this is right in line with the company recognizing that gaming and streaming are more hand-in-hand now than ever before, with this combined market being extremely popular among content creators to whom a $200 keyboard that aids in a prosumer application is now a potential business expense too. While the latter move is contentious, and one I would rather not have seen, the biggest change in my opinion is CORSAIR leveraging their acquisition of Elgato Gaming to add Stream Deck support for the macro key column, with additional replacement keycaps to help out for a mix and match as need be. The other changes here include an increase to five hardware profiles saved on board the device instead of the previous three, and a different wrist rest that actually lets go of the reversible top surface for a fixed leatherette one. This is further expanded upon with Windows, MacOS, and even XBOX support, with iCUE now also supporting recent MacOS builds in addition to Windows for increased customization. This ensures that you will have a product that does not show signs of wear and tear, especially with finger oils on the keycaps, anytime soon and makes for a keyboard you can justify as a legitimate long-term I/O peripheral. But my biggest complaint with that keyboard has been resolved with the adoption of CORSAIR's excellent loop-less PBT doubleshot injected keycaps as a stock option out of the box. These features, as with the dedicated macro keys, a dedicated profile switching button, and the light bar up top, are retained from the older K95. Hardware profile playback, very good backlighting effects, dedicated media controls, and iCUE support all go a long way towards making the keyboard such an attractive package to a wide spectrum of users. A lot has been retained here, as usually is the case with any keyboard employing a standard form factor, and yet the new K95 RGB Platinum XT has more to offer than just a longer name. Indeed, looking back at the older CORSAIR K95 Platinum from 2017, it would be nearly DOA if it were to release today, even with the big fan base the company has. It is now 2020, and having one of the two simply will not do anymore when you have fantastic keyboards offering most of both at half the price. There have been moments in the past wherein keyboards in the ~$200 price range have typically been in one of two categories, with a focus either on high-end build quality and specialized stock keycaps/case or software-driven features that accompany RGB lighting. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |