Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Keyboard Review

Conclusion

There is much to like with the Corsair K57 Wireless and a few things that are less enjoyable, albeit largely because the majority of keyboards we review are fully mechanical.

Firstly the lighting is unquestionably a strong point of all Corsair products and the K57 Wireless is no exception. As you saw on the previous page and have seen at the top of every page of this review the lighting is richly saturated and very bright. Nearly every colour is well represented too, even the more difficult shades like yellow (without going green) and white (without tending towards blue). The iCUE software is as strong as it has always been, with a massive amount of powerful features available if you’re willing to invest the time to learn its intricacies. In fact the only problem we’ve always had is that there isn’t an obvious way to apply your profile to the hardware itself so that it can be taken with you without installing the software.

The extra features on the K57 Wireless are well represented too. On the left we have six dedicated macro keys which are perfect for use in combination with the iCUE software for running skills that cool down or whatever you can imagine to do. With the ability to play a sound and use a lighting profile when the macro is activated, it’s one of the best implementations of this setup around. At the top right hand side of the keyboard are the media and volume keys so common to Corsair’s range, although on the K57 Wireless we haven’t got the famous volume wheel, but instead it’s up and down buttons. Additionally there is the ability to hot-record macros with the MR button, and adjust the lighting brightness with the middle of the three round buttons or the actual style of lighting with key combinations that utilise the Fn key.

Connectivity is simple too. You can run with a USB cable if you prefer, but with the implementation of the Corsair Slipstream wireless technology there is no latency issues if you would prefer to have your keyboard free from the restrictions of a cable. Additionally the K57 Wireless can be connected via Bluetooth which opens up a whole world of compatible products, and this can be done from the keyboard utilising the Fn+F6 keys.

As for the typing experience that is somewhat more of a thorny issue. Naturally the pricing of the K57, just shy of £90, is such that we wouldn’t expect full Cherry MX mechanical switches, but equally there have been a few hybrid designs that have given most of the same typing feel without the inherent cost. The K57 Wireless goes with rubber dome keys which are about the best of this type that we’ve used, although naturally not in the same league as genuine mechanical offerings. This has a side-effect of the K57 not having N-KEY rollover, or even six key rollover, but rather a hybrid system more in keeping with keyboards of old. If you press both G and H keys together then most of the right-hand side of the keyboard because unresponsive, and the famous “hold both shift keys and type the alphabet” test leads to the following result : ABDEFGHIJKLNOPQRSUW. So that’s C, M, T, V, X, Y and Z that are missing. Thankfully the design is such that the left hand WASD setup is much closer to the N-KEY ideal and doesn’t lose keypresses in any realistic combination unless you often type the word “mice”, when leaving your fingers on I and C stops the E key from appearing at all. Lastly the keyboard itself is perhaps a little large to be fully portable despite its Wireless leanings, and the build quality is good, but the keyboard flexes a little more than we’d like in the middle. Certainly when compared to Corsairs usual robust build standards.

All in all the K57 Wireless has a decent typing feel, useful media and macro keys, great lighting and excellent wireless abilities somewhat negated by a few lost keypresses and slightly flexible build quality in the chassis but is still worthy of your time if you want the glories of modern RGB without the expense of a premium mechanical option.

  

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