Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Review
General Impressions
Over the last number of years, the K95 RGB Platinum has been my daily driver and keyboard of choice. As such I’m quite familiar with many of its strengths but also some short comings. I’ve harped on about this since the inception of the keyboard and unfortunately CORSAIR has taken an even more peculiar approach to this. That’s the USB pass-through feature. Not only do you now need two USB 3.0 ports for the keyboard, but with that the pass-through facility is limited to USB 2.0, exactly as it was with the previous model. So quite literally the change to USB 3.0 has a net zero effect on the keyboard’s usability. I’ve yet to be convinced that there’s a valid reason for this or rather a technically valid reason for this.
Either way, that is by far my biggest reservation about the keyboard. Which isn’t much when you consider just how much can go wrong with a gaming keyboard, let alone one you’re being asked to pay $200 USD for.
So, the real question is what is it like using the Platinum XT? Well, it takes time to truly appreciate a keyboards’ nuances and, in my case, it takes thousands upon thousands of words written for me to get the full picture. Sure, I always go to my favourite Unreal Tournament, but despite this being a gaming keyboard, a lot of the functionality extends well past this.
It is also outside of the gaming context where I truly appreciate the new cushioned palm rest. The difference this makes cannot be overstated. I recently reviewed a mid to high-end keyboard from Cougar and at the time their choice of materials on their flagship keyboard for all intents and purposes made it a better keyboard in the long term than the K95 Platinum.
With the inclusion of this soft leatherette option, it’s elevated the K95 RGB Platinum XT to the number one spot and the keyboard with which all others are measured against. Many of the changes by themselves aren’t going to convince you to upgrade or even consider the Platinum XT, but once again combined they make for one of, if not the most premium offering money can buy.
