When it comes to flagship mechanical keyboards, the first name most of us will think of is Corsair. They’re often leading the market when it comes to performance, features, design and dare I say it, big price tags. The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum is still regarded as the gold standard for premium keyboards, and it’s crammed full of amazing features. When I reviewed it three years ago, I absolutely loved this keyboard. However, Corsair saw room for improvement and now have the XT version. So, what’s the difference?
Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT
When it comes down to the fine details, the keyboard is the same. The same aesthetics, the same high-end RGB lighting setup, the same ergonomics. It’s all very much the same. You get 100% cherry MX switches, built-in profile storage, aluminium construction. I mean, it’s all the obvious stuff, but you’re still getting the K95 you know and love. However, the Corsair family continues to grow, and they have since bought up Elgato and began to dominate the streaming market with the Stream Deck, Keylight, Cam Link, 4K60 Pro and more. While not everyone has the Stream Deck, how about Corsair adds in Stream Deck keys right onto the keyboard? Because that’s exactly what they’ve done.
Features
- Anodized brushed aluminium frame
- Built-in profile and macro storage
- Full per-key RGB LED lighting
- 100% CHERRY MX switches
- 6 Macro/Streamdeck keys
- Streamdeck software integration
- Gaming macro and Streamdeck keycaps included
- USB Passthrough
- Built-in multimedia controls
- Detachable padded wrist rest included
Specifications
For in-depth specifications, please visit the official product page here.
What’s in the Box?
The box for the K95 XT is robust, offering plenty of protection for the keyboard. There are even a few hard foam blocks in sensitive areas to prevent it from being crushed or damaged.
Unboxed, you’ll find the keyboard, a huge detachable wrist rest, two packs of keycaps, and a keycap puller. There are six blue “S” caps for the macro keys to make them look more “Elgato” and some WASD caps for your inner gamer.
Tee keyboard its self comes hard-wired with a rather thick and robust braided cable. I’m not sure why Corsair still sticks to hard-wired cables, but they do. At least it’s a very high-quality cable and nicely made.
There are two USB headers, one for the keyboard operation, the other for the USB pass-through port on the rear of the keyboard (optional).
