Corsair K70 RGB Pro review: Pure gaming keyboard brilliance

Corsair K70 Rgb Pro Source: Windows Central

Corsair makes some of the nearly impressive gaming gear around and the company's latest flagship keyboard is the K70 RGB Pro. And yeah, as the name implies, it has RGB up the wazoo. Merely it's more than just another keyboard with flashy blinky lights and pretty colors. As the final part of the name implies, it'south a serious bit of kit for competitive gaming.

The K70 itself isn't a new keyboard, in that location are already regular-sized and TKL variants. The K70 RGB Pro is just, well, a scrap more.

What it is, though, is i of, if not the most impressive all-around gaming keyboards. Competitive gamers volition admire it. And those who just want the absolute all-time quality volition be every bit pleased.

K70 Rgb Pro

Corsair K70 RGB Pro

Lesser line: Incredible quality, Carmine MX switches and absolutely packed with features for coincidental and competitive gamers alike.

The Good

Incredible build quality
Range of Cherry MX switches
PBT keycaps with standard bottom row
8000Hz polling
Tin can be used almost entirely without companion software
Detachable USB-C cablevision

The Bad

Quite pricey
Wrist residue is a scrap firm

Corsair K70 RGB Pro: Price and availability

The Corsair K70 RGB Pro is available from Feb x, 2022, with a retail price of $170. Information technology'southward available to buy through the official Corsair store at outset with Best Buy post-obit on Feb 13.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro: What you'll similar

Corsair K70 Rgb Pro Source: Windows Fundamental

If you're already familiar with the Corsair K70 or the Corsair K70 TKL then you'll be immediately at home with the K70 RGB Pro. The classic Corsair design is retained, with an aluminum frame with a brushed black finish adorning the top with the traditional 'forehead' where you find some of the additional hardware controls. Brand no mistake, this keyboard is built similar a tank. It'southward not particularly heavy, but it feels stone solid.

The K70 RGB Pro has a choice of Cherry MX switches. My review unit has the Cherry MX Red linear switches with a 45g actuation force, for a calorie-free, but fast action. Also on offer are Cherry MX Blueish, Chocolate-brown, Silent Scarlet, and Speed Argent options, covering functioning, shallower travel, clickiness, and tactile feedback as you may encounter fit. Whatever your preference, the K70 RGB Pro has an option for you.

Corsair offers a option of v different Ruby MX switches on the K70 RGB Pro.

Those switches are covered by Doubleshot PBT keycaps with a standard bottom row, so if yous're a fan of customizing your keyboard, tertiary-political party keycaps will accept no compatibility bug. The font Corsair uses isn't too wild, either, like you may find on some gaming keyboards, and unless yous crank upward the RGB it really looks fairly subtle. You could easily exit this on your office desk without screaming that you're a gamer.

The additional hardware controls also get a most welcome render. The book rocker is huge, which is perfect, and the media buttons sit just beneath it simply are different enough from the regular keys that you won't accidentally hit the wrong ones. On the superlative left you lot go buttons for locking the Windows cardinal, changing the brightness of the LEDs, and cycling through saved profiles.

Corsair K70 Rgb Pro Source: Windows Central

All of this is impressive, but it's hardly surprising, either. Neither are the dedicated tournament switch to lock in specific features for competitive gaming or the detachable USB-C cable.

The headline feature on the latest iteration of the K70 family is Corsair's AXON 8000Hz hyper-processing technology. The long version is that AXON is an embedded arrangement that delivers scorching functioning and ultra-depression latency. It combines a 4,000Hz keyscan with 8,000Hz hyper-polling which results in blisteringly fast detection and transmission of your keystrokes from the keyboard to your PC. The short version is that it kicks a lot of ass.

Will you exist able to notice any of this, even if you compare it to your current gaming keyboard? Past eye, probably not, simply essentially what you lot're getting is instantaneous detection and transmission as soon as yous hit the key, which in a competitive scenario is crucial. Whatsoever class of latency at the highest level of competition is bad. By default, yet, the feature is disabled to ensure compatibility with older PCs. To enable it requires the companion iCUE software.

Speaking of the software, y'all mostly don't need information technology. You lot get the absolute almost from the K70 RGB Pro if you have it, merely it's not required, which once more, is bonny to the professional crowd. Too enabling the super-powered boss way performance, you have a raft of features to customize, including macros, lighting profiles, cardinal remapping, and more. But once you create a profile you tin salve it to the hardware and utilise information technology on a PC that doesn't have iCUE installed. And you can save up to 50 profiles to utilise this way, which is a lot.

The short version is it kicks a lot of ass.

This also comes in handy on the Xbox, which is advertised as supported on the box. You lot don't see that every 24-hour interval. Simply you lot really don't need to use the software if you lot don't want. Fifty-fifty recording macros can be done from just the hardware, as can cycling through pre-adamant lighting effects.

Every bit far as companion software goes, iCUE is actually pretty good. Besides having total access to unlocking the full potential of the K70 Pro RGB, information technology has a bunch of additional possibilities, including integrating Voicemod into your gaming setup and monitoring your system vitals. It'south a hefty download but information technology'southward actually worth having.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro: What yous won't similar

Corsair K70 Rgb Pro Source: Windows Central

This is a seriously expert gaming keyboard, and honestly, there's very little to dislike. But cipher is perfect.

Perhaps the biggest downer is the price. This is a premium gaming keyboard and as such, information technology commands a premium price. Is it worth it? I recollect then, but as with any gaming hardware, budget is i of the biggest contributing factors to deciding on making a purchase. It's non the near expensive keyboard in this class, but it's certainly a pregnant investment.

The just other thing that's not quite upward to scratch is the wrist residual. Information technology'due south non bad, but information technology could be better. On the one hand, it snaps to the base of the keyboard magnetically, which is great. But while it's a "soft touch on" finish, it'due south not soft. Maybe I'thou just spoiled by Razer'south super soft wrist rests, but I merely don't find the one on the K70 RGB very comfy.

Not a bargain-breaker, but it could certainly be better.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro: Competition

Razer Huntsman V2 Hero Lead Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

There's no shortage of competition when information technology comes to high-cease gaming keyboards, just in that location are some that stand out as existence worth consideration alongside the K70 Pro RGB. The start is the Razer Huntsman V2, a keyboard that like the K70 family can be had in both full-size and TKL layouts.

Razer uses its own optical switches in the Huntsman V2, with a similarly subtle pattern and excellent construction. In a compression you'd give the border to Corsair, but it'due south close enough. One of Razer's highlights on the Huntsman V2 is the addition of sound wearisome foam, so gamers tin can experience the aforementioned feeling from the switches they beloved but the audio output is automatically reduced.

The Roccat Vulkan TKL Pro is also a nice alternative, especially for folks who would similar like hardware features but in a smaller body and at a slightly lower price signal. Again, pattern and structure quality is on par with Corsair, and while ultimate operation might be a little less, and so is the price.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro: Should you buy it?

Corsair K70 Rgb Pro Source: Windows Central

You should buy this if ...

You want the best quality and operation
You're a competitive gamer
You want a keyboard that isn't reliant on software for its features

You shouldn't purchase this if...

You're on a budget

This is a serious gaming keyboard, and honestly, it's hard to call up of any compelling reasons it shouldn't be your adjacent. Budget is probably the biggest barrier, but if that isn't an event so this is extremely compelling. Non just is it incredibly well fabricated and packed with features, merely the operation is also outstanding and the fact y'all don't have to use Corsair's software is a welcome touch on.

Granted, in that location'due south a lot here yous can likewise get from the existing K70 keyboards, but if you want the all-time and so you want this one. The K70 RGB Pro also applies killer performance and all these useful features without feeling overwhelming. How you lot use it and exactly what you want to get from information technology is entirely up to you lot, and it doesn't matter if yous also want to use it on Mac or with an Xbox.

Information technology's been a while since I used a Corsair gaming keyboard, simply the K70 RGB Pro is and so good, I can't see myself using annihilation else for quite some time.

K70 Rgb Pro

Corsair K70 RGB Pro

Bottom line: A seriously impressive gaming keyboard congenital for pro players but approachable to all. Information technology's hard to see why y'all wouldn't want one.

Updated February 2022

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