Product on Review: CORSAIR K95 RGB Platinum XT
Manufacturer: CORSAIR
Street Price: GBP £209.99 / USD $199.99 (excl. tax) / AUS $329.00
CORSAIR, a no-holds-barred juggernaut in the computer gaming industry are going from strength to strength, with the K95 being their flagship gaming keyboard for several years now; but today we look at the latest evolution, with some welcome new features.
The K95, being the flagship offering, is a no-compromise approach to producing a gaming keyboard, there’s RGB backlighting, macro keys, multimedia buttons, bespoke function buttons, a selection of Cherry MX keyswitches and CORSAIR’s renowned build quality, to name but a few, but with the Platinum XT, we get an all-new plush leatherette palm rest and, thanks to Corsair's acquisition of Elgato back in the summer of 2018, we see full Elgato software support for the macro keys.
Adding a new element of reliability to your keyboard, CHERRY have worked hard to improve the lifespan of their MX range of keyswitches, with the CHERRY MX Speed, offering an ultra-fast 1.2mm actuation, and MX Brown, with a tactile bump and quiet operation, options on the K95 both sporting a guaranteed 100 million activations. However, the keyboard can also be spec’d with the CHERRY MX Blue keyswitches, but you’ll only find a 50 million activations guarantee on those.
Bolstering the performance is 100% anti-ghosting with full N-key rollover, a USB passthrough port, 8MB of onboard storage to take your profiles with you, an anodised brushed aluminium frame for stiffness, PBT double-shot keycaps that resist wear and fading over long periods and additional keycaps to customise the typical “gaming keys” (WASD etc.)
Almost 3 years ago we looked at the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM with a similar design and style, which achieved one of the highest ratings ever given, with both the Platinum and Elite awards handed over; the only negative point that Tony found was the price. The price has remained largely the same but there’s even more features packed in this time to warrant the massive pricetag. Let’s get testing.
CORSAIR on the CORSAIR K95 RGB Platinum XT:
The CORSAIR K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard immerses youir desktop in dynamic RGB lighting with per-key illumination. Precision-moulded PBT double-shot keycaps, 100 million keystroke-guaranteed CHERRY MX SPEED RGB Silver and MX RGB Brown keyswitches, and an anodized aluminium frame offer extraordinary build quality. Six dedicated macro keys establish an in-game advantage, with the added benefit of Elgato Stream Deck software integration. A detachable cushioned leatherette palm rest offers plush comfort, while dedicated multimedia keys, an aluminium volume roller, and a USB pass-through port put convenient control within reach. Powerful iCUE software gives you control over your lighting, macros, key remaps, and more. With 100% anti-ghosting with N-key rollover and onboard storage for five profiles, the K95 RGB Platinum XT leys you play with a full deck.
