Corsair’s latest board has an rather verbose name that pretty much says it all — K70 Pro RGB Optical-Mechanical Keyboard with Polycarbonate Keycaps. Told you so. Without too much effort, you can glean what this board is all about; it’s got Corsairs new OPX optical-mechanical switches with fancy polycarbonate keycaps, lots or RGB and is aimed at pro gamers.
All this will set you back a healthy $299.00 here in Australia which is a good chunk of change in this inflation battered times we live in. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you right off the bat, this is one heck of a board. For the most part, it shares the same DNA as the K70 TKL Champion Series I reviewed last year but this is a full size board with all the bells and whistles.
Lets start with the impressive build quality – this is one good looking, great feeling board. It’s made from air-craft grade metals that feel substantial and premium. The brushed, black finish makes it look rather classy too. The polycarbonate keycaps have a sort of sandy texture to them that repels oils and finger grease which greatly reduces slippage.
Then there’s things like the dedicated media bar at the top of the board with my beloved textured metal volume dial, playback keys and macro keys. In the middle of the bar is a status display with a large Corsair logo. On the back of that bar is USB Type-C connection port and yes, this is a wired only board something I find rather archaic in 2022.
Next to the USB port is the Tournament Mode switch we’ve seen before. This toggles off all macros and RGB which is something pro gamers might require in tournaments. It’s easier to think of it as an essentials-only profile for the board which proves to tournament monitors that you aren’t cheating with some macros.
Underneath the board are some height adjustable feet and a spider web of cable channels to help manage your cables. I was very pleased to find that Corsair include a really nice wrist rest in the box. It’s made from some sort of plastic that’s textured in a way that’s grippy and yet comfortable. It also has some latches that click into the board with ease and prevent the two from sliding apart.
Turning to the switches, the new OPX optical-mechanicals are fantastic. They are linear switches that use a beam of infrared light to register an actuation, registering at just 1.0mm actuation. And because they are optical, there’s no debounce delay meaning they are ready to go again the instant you release them.
Additionally, the K70 returns with Corsairs AXON 8000Hz Hyper polling which is 8 times faster than regular boards. Will you notice the difference? I doubt it but if you are a gaming prodigy, you might. I never did but I’m a middle aged man who spends far more time typing than doom slaying these days. Just know that the K70 is fast and responsive and the typing experience is very satisfying even with that short, tactile-less actuation. Corsair says that even with your intense bashing, err, typing, the OPX switches will live for 150 million clicks.
As usual, customisation is handled via Corsair iCUE software where you can do some insane things like set 20 layers of RGB effects for some reason. The RGB is bright and brilliant with five different levels of brightness. I was happy with the basic lighting presets but you are free to change things up to your hearts desire. You can also reassign any of the buttons with macros and the board can save up to 50 profiles on the boards 8MB storage.
Verdict
The K70 Pro RGB Optical-mechanical keyboard is a fantastic board that will please pros and casual gamers alike. I’ve used it for a few weeks and I really can’t find anything to fault apart from not being wireless. But $300 is a lot of money for a wired keyboard in 2022 where wireless boards like the Vissles V84 exist for half the price and with minor concessions. Furthermore, boards like the gorgeous Roccat Vulcan Pro Linear Optical costs almost $100 less and only lacks 8K polling. I like the K70 but at this price, Corsair really should be offering Slipstream wireless – that would make the price much more palatable.
