Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
I ’ve had a contentious relationship with Corsair keyboards over the last pair of years . The landscape formechanical keyboardshas been changing , and Corsair ( along with brands like SteelSeries and Razer ) feel behind the curve ball , selling the same standard mechanical keyboard for the same high prices that were available class ago .
That ’s changing with the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless .
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
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A mo of board foam , wider feature support , and a reasonable Mary Leontyne Price show that Corsair is getting serious about competing with the enthusiast class of keyboards we ’ve see from Asus , Glorious , and more recently , HyperX. There ’s still room to grow here , but the K65 Plus is a step in the right direction , and it ’s a keyboard that ’s easygoing to recommend among other mainstream options .
A little foam goes a long way
The main thing that sets the K65 Plus aside is instrument panel foam . That may palpate dizzy to say , but a fleck of moistening can transform the strait and feel of a keyboard , which is something that was on full presentation with theAsus ROG Strix Scope II . There are two bed of foam here , one between the top denture and PCB and another between the PCB and bottom anatomy .
It automatically — almost as if by magic — pretend the K65 Plus voice and feel like a much more premium keyboard . The harsh plastic clack of most gaming keyboards is absorbed , and the response of typewriting feels much more smooth .
It ’s a monumental leaping forward for Corsair , take theCorsair K70 RGB Profeel like a plaything by compare . That comparison convey up a circle of interesting context , too . The K70 RGB Pro launched at $ 160 , which is the same price that Corsair is asking for the K65 Plus . This one not only supports wireless , but it also comes with a much sound typecast experience .
I appreciate the terms , but one agio feature the K65 Plus Wireless overlook out on is a gasket mount , which you ’ll find on keyboards like theAsus ROG Azoth . It uses a top mount , direct the switch straight on the top scale . A gasket setting allows the dental plate to move , offer a fleck of give when typing .
A gasket climb would easily make this the good mainstream keyboard on the market , though it makes sense that Corsair would stick with a top mount yield the $ 160 price rag .
Out of the box
Outside of the mount , the K65 Plus Wireless let in Corsair ’s MLX Red switches , which fall lubricated from the factory , as well as a set of dyestuff - wedge keycaps . The keyboard itself is made out of credit card and is shockingly light at just over 2 pounds , but Corsair still let in a steel switch plate .
It ’s a substantial experience out of the box . The switches provide a standard linear feel that pairs well with the sound dampening , and the keycaps are thick with well-defined legends . Double - shot keycaps have better longevity , though I suspect it will be many year before the legends start tire out off on these caps .
You do n’t have to adjudicate for Corsair ’s included switches and keycaps , though . This keyboard supports red-hot - swappable switches with either a three- or five - pin layout . I put in some Drop Holy Panda X transposition , along with a hardening of keycaps I ’ve had around for a while , and it altogether transformed the keyboard . The keycaps convert the sound of typing , and the heavy switches felt perfect for the way I slam on my keyboard while typing .
Using this same frame-up in a more rich figure like the GMMK Pro would bring home the bacon a superscript typing experience , but it ’s also a lot more expensive . The sorcerous magic trick of the K65 Plus Wireless is its power to equilibrate a mainstream price with just enough enthusiast lineament to give you a tasting of the wider world of mechanical keyboard .
Mainstream features
The K65 Plus Wireless has some cardinal advantages over more expensive enthusiast option , too , and it ’s right there in the name — wireless . You get three connectedness mood here . There ’s 2.4GHz radio receiver through an included adapter , a USB - C wired link , and Bluetooth . The Bluetooth mode is especially utilitarian , allowing you to connect three devices simultaneously and interchange between them with consecrated buttons .
The keyboard could stop there , and it would already have an edge , but Corsair goes further . Along with a consecrated electrical switch for the three association modality , there ’s a switching for Windows and Mac on the back of the keyboard . The keyboard supports Mac , and Corsair even admit Windows and Mac legend on some of the keycaps so you could interchange back and onward .
If that was n’t enough , you could even connect the keyboard to your phone through Bluetooth , and to a PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , or Xbox Series X with the 2.4GHz adapter or a overseas telegram . you’re able to apply this keyboard with just about any twist , which is huge .
The iCue difference
As with any Corsair peripheral , you ’re getting iCue integrating here , too . While iCue itself is very dense , it unlocks a lot of functionality on the K65 Plus . You get per - primal RGB inflammation , macro instruction , and the ability to reassign any of the keys to different input or command , such as launching an software .
None of that is Modern , but what I take account so much about the K65 Plus is how much you may dowithoutiCue . There are 10 lighting assignment built into the keyboard , and you’re able to even memorialize and store macros in the keyboard ’s retentivity without ever installing iCue .
The intensity telephone dial is by far the most useful feature film , though . As you might ask , there ’s a telephone dial to ascendency bulk , which you may press to mute or unmute your system . With theFunctionand arrow keys , though , you could transform it into a multipurpose dial . It can scroll web page , manipulate your firing brightness , and even zoom in and out .
Corsair get a lot of mileage out of this dial , allowing you to interact more with the keyboard and less with the software . The only downside here is that the parameters the dial can contain are localize . You ca n’t reassign them or bind the dial to other commands in iCue , though you may deactivate the purpose if there are only a few that matter to you .
A big jump
Although it ’s been a rocky duet of years for Corsair ’s keyboards , the K65 Plus Wireless is proof that the make still has life in it yet . The K65 Plus Wireless is a vast step forwards in terms of the audio and feel of a Corsair gaming keyboard , and it delivers a horde of premium feature at a price that more enthusiast selection battle to strike .
A chunk of the Mary Leontyne Price goes toward Corsair ’s robust software support , however . If all you ’re implicated about is the typing experience , there are cheap alternative like the Rainy 75 and Keychron Q1 that provide a superior typing experience . Among its contemporaries like Razer , Steelseries , and Asus , however , Corsair is last doing something to stand out .
