Usage & Final Thoughts
I’ve been using the K95 RGB Platinum XT for the past couple of weeks and at first I had to get used to using a full-size keyboard again. I’ve been hooked on tenkeyless keyboards so moving back to a full-size keyboard was a little weird, but if there was a full-size keyboard worth moving back to it is definitely the K95 RGB Platinum XT. There is no question as to why the K95 in general has been one of the best full-size keyboards out there. The aluminum construction not only looks good, but there is absolutely no flex at all in the keyboard. It feels solid and not a single part of this keyboard seems cheap.
One of the big upgrades for this keyboard is the PBT Double-Shot keycaps. The PBT material is resistant to wear, shine, and is 1.5mm thick for stability. Each keycap is molded with a two-shot process that prevents the legends from fading. You can immediately tell when a keyboard makes use of double-shot PBT keycaps, they just feel more solid and comfortable. Many high-end keyboards use PBT keycaps so it is nice to see them on this keyboard. The palm rest has been upgraded as well so you have foam cushioning and a soft textured leatherette surface which is very comfortable.
Corsair acquired Elgato back in the middle of 2018 and we were wondering when we would see Corsair incorporate Elgato features in any of their products. With the K95 RGB Platinum XT the six “G” keys can be configured in the Elgato Stream Deck software. So if you own a Stream Deck this is definitely a nice addition.
The final upgrades worth talking about is in the iCUE software. You can now set the switch debounce time. Setting a switch debounce time is used to prevent a double registration if a single key is pressed too quickly in rapid succession. Corsair has also increased the on-board storage to 8MB meaning that you can now save 5 profiles to the keyboard, not just three.
Corsair has made some nice upgrades to this keyboard, but do you really need it if you already have the K95 RGB Platinum? Not really, I mean if you want the double-shot PBT keycaps you can buy aftermarket sets. Maybe if you had a Stream Deck and you wanted the six extra keys right at your fingertips. But in my opinion there really is not a reason to get this keyboard if you’ve have the K95 RGB Platinum. The one thing that is nice is that Corsair has added all of these features, but is selling the keyboard at the same $199.99 price point. So if you are looking for a full-size gaming keyboard this one is definitely at the top of our list. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Gaming Keyboard a 9 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– PBT double-shot keycaps
– G-keys now work in Elgato Stream Deck software
– Comfortable wrist rest
– Aluminum construction
– Cherry MX mechanical key switches
– iCUE software works great
Cons:
– No real reason to upgrade to this keyboard if you already have the K95 RGB Platinum
