Corsair K95 RGB Platinum
Gold-plated frames and every key topped with rubies and emeralds.
Corsair’s K95 Platinum seems to have it all. For the price of a Radeon RX 480, you can get a mechanical keyboard with all the trimmings. Macro keys, Cherry MX Speed switches, RGB lighting, aircraft-grade brushed anodised aluminium, 8MB of storage for swappable profiles, a detachable, double-sided wrist rest, a proper (ie. not ‘chargeonly’) USB port, a USB cable and a metal rolling volume control.
Its edgeless design means the keys stand out proudly from the baseplate and you can inspect their undersides like an over-friendly drill sergeant. The drawback to this kind of design is that it mercilessly exposes grot and crumbs. The caps are easily removed for cleaning, though. The light touch needed on the MX Speeds, mixed with the weightiness of the keyboard base, mean it’s a board that lends itself to quick use and would make a fine first ‘board.
All the Platinum’s keys are programmable, but the dedicated macro keys, on the right, are distinguished by a different colour and texture. Not content with every key (except for the macro keys) having RGB LEDs underneath, Corsair has run a strip of lighting round the back and top edges of the keyboard, too. This requires programming, of course, and duties are held by Corsair’s Utility Engine software.
There’s not much to criticise here — except that mandible-slackening price. The original K95 with the same switches goes for around $50 less, the K70 Rapidfire knocks even more off, and the HyperX Alloy is literally half the price.