If you’re willing to splash out upwards of $200 on a gaming keyboard, then the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard should be on your list of contenders. It looks and feels every bit as luxurious as the price point and name suggest, pairing the familiar flashy rainbow lighting effects from most gaming keyboards with some higher-end flourishes. With responsive, long-lasting Cherry MX Speed RGB Silver key switches, a large and cushy wrist rest, and a series of dedicated buttons that are ideal for streamers—complete with Elgato Stream Deck integration—this is an excellent option for serious gamers… whether you’re a pro player, aspiring competitor, or a Twitch streamer. I tested the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard for more than a week across several top games, including Fortnite, Overwatch, and League of Legends, as well as in everyday use while working and browsing the web.
Design: A dazzling light show
Most gaming keyboards these days follow the same core playbook, with bold RGB lighting animations that glow from beneath the keys, but the Corsair K95 has some higher-end touches that help it live up to the Platinum billing. The brushed metal across the entire top surface helps the K95 RGB Platinum XT feel a fair bit classier than Corsair’s similar, but cheaper gaming keyboard models—such as the Strafe RGB Mk.2 MX Silent Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. The more functional upgrade comes with the cushioned wrist rest, however, which is much more supportive and comfortable than the slightly creaky plastic one on some of Corsair’s cheaper boards. The K95 RGB Platinum XT also adds a lighted strip along the top of the board that flashes in concert with the key backlighting, amplifying the visual glow. The metal volume roller in the upper right corner feels weighty and precise, while the user profile, lighting brightness, and Windows key lock buttons near the left corner are also handy. Like Corsair’s other gaming keyboards, there’s a passthrough USB port near the keyboard’s hefty, fabric-wrapped cord, which is ideally used to plug in a mouse. That’s helpful because the keyboard itself requires two USB ports to plug in and function. Another added function to the K95 RGB Platinum XT are the six dedicated function buttons on the left side, which can be used for in-game macros or mapped to specific features in the Elgato Stream Deck software for online streamers. You can even swap out the keycaps with included blue caps designed to indicate Elgato functions.
Performance: Speedy keys
The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT uses Cherry MX Speed RGB Silver key switches, which sit in the middle of the pack in terms of loudness and have a nicely tactile feeling when you’re clicking and clacking away. There’s a clear difference compared to the Cherry MX Silent key switches of the aforementioned Strafe RGB Mk.2 MX Silent, which can feel a little mushy while typing. With the K95 RGB Platinum XT, typing feels fluid and smooth, with reliably quick actuation as your fingers fly across the keys. Using TypingTest.com, I registered 18 more words per minute on this keyboard than the Strafe RGB Mk.2 MX Silent, and really felt the difference in use. These key switches are also rated for more than 100 million keystrokes apiece, double that of the Cherry MX Silent switches, and you’d be hard-pressed to surpass that total even with a lifetime of gaming. This keyboard could be a very long-lasting investment. Corsair also helpfully bundles along sets of genre-specific textured keycaps that you can swap out: WASD for first-person shooters and QWERDF for MOBA games like League of Legends and Dota 2. With slight angles on the outer edges, they help keep your fingers right where they need to be on the keyboard, even when you’re not looking.
Comfort: Cushy wrists
Between the smoother-typing keys and the cushioned wrist rest, the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT provides a very comfortable typing and gaming experience that’s built for long sessions. Collectively, those two upgrades are strongly felt compared to the Strafe RGB Mk.2 MX Silent—enough to help justify the extra $50 investment.
Software: Extensive customization
The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard uses the Corsair iCUE software package, which can be used to choose between various preset lighting routines, as well as customizing your own. You can also set macro commands for the left-side keys there, and play with the lighting settings as you please. As mentioned, the keyboard is also compatible with Elgato’s Stream Deck software for online live streams.
Price: It’s an investment
At $200, the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT is on the higher end of wired computer keyboards. Luckily, it looks and feels like a premium option and packs in extra features that may warrant the spend for dedicated players, as well as steady streamers. Still, the competition is strong, so it’s worth investigating other keyboards in this price range to find the ideal fit and feature set.
Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT vs. Logitech G915 Lightspeed
These are two of the priciest gaming keyboards on the market today, but Logitech’s G915 Lightspeed (see on Best Buy) offers quite a different package. Along with its wireless nature, Logitech’s low-profile keyboard has shorter keys with less overall travel, along with Bluetooth connectivity for connecting to a wide array of other devices. It’s more expensive at $250, however. Corsair’s K95 Platinum XT lives up to the hype: it’s a pricey, premium board with stellar, sturdy design, smooth and comfortable typing, and some great perks. Not everyone needs something this robust and high-end, and there are definitely cheaper options on the market for the average gamer. But for those who demand the best of the best, the Corsair K95 Platinum XT is up there.
