Gaming with the right equipment can give you a competitive edge. But which keyboard is right for you? That depends on your gaming style and preferences. Corsair knows that, which is why they offer a wide selection of gaming keyboards. In this article, I’m reviewing the Corsair K55 Core, K60 Pro TKL, K65 Plus, and K70 Core gaming keyboards that come with RGB LEDs, media controls, and customizable keys. I’ll discuss their designs, connection type, performance, their similarities, and differences so you can decide which one might be best for your needs.
An introduction to Corsair’s full-sized gaming keyboards
Corsair K55 Core
The Corsair K55 Core is a wired keyboard and stands out as the most distinct from its gaming keyboard siblings. The first thing you’ll notice about the K55 Core is its membrane switches. This membrane is a silicone sheet layer that rests beneath the ABS plastic keycaps and offers spill resistance up to 300ml. Another benefit of the membrane layer is the keyboard acoustics. The silicone membrane acts as a sound dampening layer making the K55 Core one of the quietest gaming keyboards that I’ve tested.
Corsair K70 Core
The Corsair K70 Core is a wired keyboard that comes with Corsair’s MLX Red mechanical switches. These switches are pre-lubed and are incredibly smooth to type on. When it comes to acoustics and typing the K70 Core sounds fantastic. This is because of its two layers of sound dampening foam that are built into the keyboard’s body. These layers of foam keep out unwanted noises while isolating the satisfying sounds of the mechanical switches.
The keycaps of the K70 Core have a double shot PBT coating making them more durable and more resistant to wear. If you like to customize your keycaps, you’ll be happy to know that the K70 Core’s keycaps are hot swappable.
Corsair’s compact gaming keyboards
Corsair K60 Pro TKL
The Corsair K60 Pro is 80% tenkeyless (TKL) wired gaming keyboard. This means that the keyboard does not have a number pad making it smaller and more compact. The top plate of the keyboard is brushed aluminum giving the keyboard a premium look and a durable feel.
The Corsair K60 Pro comes with Corsair’s OPX Optical switches which have a short 1.0 mm actuation point. When compared to the MLX Red and Membrane switches, the OPX Optical switches have the most “clicky” sound. While gaming my teammates could clearly hear the clicks of the switches during gameplay.
Like the K65 Plus and the K70 Core, the keycaps of the K60 Pro TKL are PBT making them resistant to wear. Like its peers, the keycaps of the K60 Pro TKL are also hot swappable giving users the ability to customize the look and feel of their keyboards.Â
Corsair K65 Plus
The Corsair K65 Plus is a 75% wireless gaming keyboard. It comes with Corsair’s MLX red linear switches which are pre-lubricated out of the box. The keycaps have a dye-sub single shot PBT coating giving them improved durability. The key caps of the K65 Plus are also hot swappable allowing you to customize the look of the keyboard.
The K65 Plus stands out from its peers with its tri-mode connectivity. In addition to the hardwire USB-A connection, the K65 Plus has Bluetooth and 2.4 Ghz wireless connectivity options. When it comes to Bluetooth, the K65 Plus can connect with up to 3 different Bluetooth devices. The battery life of the K65 Plus is rated at 266 hours with the RGB lighting off. You can power up the keyboard by using the USB-C port on the top left hand side of the keyboard. It takes 5-6 hours of charging to go from 0% – 100%.
Typing on the K65 Plus has the same feel and sound as the Corsair K70 Core. This is because of their shared MLX Red switches and the two layers of sound dampening foam built into the K65 Plus’s body.
What do these Corsair gaming keyboards have in common?
Media controls
All keyboards come with quick access keyboard shortcuts. Both the K65 Plus and K70 Core have a control dial which can control multiple functions including RGB LED, media, and page scrolling. Instead of a control dial, the K55 Core has dedicated media buttons for volume and media playback. Finally, the K60 Pro TKL has multifunction keys that are used to control the keyboard lighting, media, and other functions. In my testing, I found that the control dial of the K65 Plus and K70 Core to be the most convenient for making quick changes to settings like volume during gameplay.
Corsair’s iCue software
Being Corsair products, all keyboards are compatible with Corsair’s iCue software. Using this software you can unlock the full capabilities of your gaming keyboards. With the iCue software you can customize your keyboard’s key assignments, lighting effects, and keyboard profiles. During my testing, I found myself using the iCue software’s ability to customize the key assignments and keyboard profiles for different applications and games. Corsair’s iCue software can be downloaded for both Windows and MacOS.
Gorgeous RGB lighting
All keyboards come with customizable RGB LED lighting. With the exception of the K55 Core, all keyboards have individual RGB LEDs behind each key. The K55 Core has a slightly different approach when it comes to RGB lighting. Instead of each key having RGB LEDs, the keyboard has 10 zones of RGB LEDs. In real world terms you likely wouldn’t notice the difference unless you had the K55 Core and K70 Core side-by-side. That being said, all keyboards look fantastic with their RGB LEDs on. They come with a good number of pre-programmed patterns, which can easily be customized using Corsair’s iCue software.
System compatibility
All gaming keyboards officially support PC, Mac, and Xbox. I liked that Corsair even added Mac and Windows text to the keycaps of the K65 Plus adding another level of user friendliness to their keyboard. When it comes to support for Playstation, the K55 Core and K70 Core are compatible with Playstation out of the box. Finally, the K65 Plus’ Bluetooth capabilities make it able to support iOS and Android devices.
Corsair Gaming keyboards performance
When it comes to the performance of the Corsair gaming keyboards, all keyboards excel based on their unique designs. This is exactly why Corsair has released this line of gaming keyboards; it allows users to choose a keyboard based on their gaming styles and preferences.
Keyboards design and size
In my testing, I used all of these keyboards while playing my favourite games like Call of Duty: Warzone and StarCraft II. I personally enjoyed playing on the K70 Core and K65 Plus the most. Both of these keyboards use Corsair’s in house MLX Red linear switches. I found these switches to be incredibly smooth and comfortable to type on. What enhanced the experience was also Corsair’s design and inclusion of two layers of sound dampening. The result was one of the most satisfying keyboard sounds as I was playing games. Â
The size of the keyboard does also play a hand in your gaming enjoyment. Most of the time I’m playing first person shooter (FPS) games like Call of Duty that don’t require a number pad. Compact sized keyboards like the K60 Pro TKL or the K65 Plus are ideal for FPS games since they take up less space on my desk and allow for more mouse movement. However, for games like StarCraft II that can utilize the number pad, the K70 Core and K55 Core are great options.
Work and play
The Corsair K55 Core is a good middle point for gaming and day-to-day work. Its membrane switches feel most like your laptop or common keyboards and its quiet typing is perfect for note taking during meetings. The spill resistance is a nice feature since I always have food and drink at my desk while working and playing games. This extra layer of durability means that users don’t need to be concerned about accidental spills damaging their keyboard.
Final thoughts on Corsair’s gaming keyboards
I enjoyed my time testing Corsair’s K55 Core, K60 Pro TKL, K65 Plus, and K70 Core gaming keyboards. All keyboards have their own unique features and strengths suited towards different styles of gamers. I loved that all keyboards had customizable options for their RGB lighting, key assignments, and profiles. During my testing I especially enjoyed using the control dials of the Corsair K65 Plus and K70 Core. I found it to be incredibly convenient for making quick adjustments while gaming. Corsair has done a great job providing variety in their gaming keyboards making it easy for gamers to choose the perfect keyboard for their play styles.
Interested in more gaming products? Check out other Corsair gaming peripherals at Best Buy.
