Corsair K95 Platinum Speed Review

Conclusion

The Corsair K95 has long been at, or at least very very near, the top of our list of favourite keyboards. The combination of the all metal construction, industry standard Cherry MX switches and even careful choices made about the extra elements Corsair include of their own volition were all of a very high standard.

You can imagine our surprise when the K95 Platinum arrived on our desk. We struggled to think of anything that could be added to the original K95 to improve it. But sure enough Corsair have found enough that we think the K95 Platinum is better than its predecessor. The original might have had 18 macro keys rather than the six found on the Platinum, but even here we actually think that the K95 Platinum is the better option. With the original K95 RGB the macro key section always looked stuck onto the side of the main keyboard, whereas here they are harmoniously part of it.

Even little things like the change of the font used on the keys is better than it was before. These new larger letters allow for more of the lighting to shine through, and the ‘show off’ factor is always high on any RGB keyboard, but especially one with as many options available to you as the K95 Platinum. You could spend a lifetime in the excellent Corsair Utility Engine software tweaking your lighting and macros if you so wished. We’ve spent ages with it and still only feel like we’ve scratched the surface. That isn’t to say that it is difficult to use or confusing. In fact exactly the opposite. Everything is well laid our, works exactly as you expect, and the live-updating of the keyboard itself is snappy, allowing you to focus on the job of making it look as and do what you desire, rather than hanging round for five or six seconds every time you adjust a key colour.

It’s the sense of class and capability that is our overriding impression of the K95 Platinum. It’s built like an absolute tank. Zero flex in the spine of the keyboard, but even buttons like the profile switch and Winlock feel just as nice to press as the Cherry MX Speed switches themselves, a claim that can’t be laid at the feet of many mechanical keyboards. Usually the extra ‘manufacturer’ keys feel squidgy, but the Corsair ones are all lovely and tactile. The cable is a monster, thick but well braided with plenty of length. It might have two USB connectors, but the second one is purely for the pass through. We’ve reviewed a few that require the second cable for the lighting, but if you’re uninterested in the USB pass through on the back of the K95 Platinum then you can just ignore that cable and save a valuable USB port. The wrist rest goes above and beyond the hard plastic options you might be used to – assuming you get one included at all – and is a very good secondary option to a proper gel rest. Although admittedly for the average user it will be more than enough. It’s just those of us who write for a living that require the extra support. Lastly the Cherry MX Speed switches themselves combine the excellent tactile response that we’ve come to love from the Bayreuth brand with a much shorter actuation distance, allowing you to really type at new record speeds once you’ve adapted to this quicker key.

It takes a brave company to look at a product as universally lauded as the K95 RGB and decide that it needs improving, and some very good decisions have been made with the K95 Platinum, improving everywhere without ever diminishing the overall excellence of the main product. It is flawless, and easily wins our OC3D Enthusiast Award.

  

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