STACK Issue 151 May 2017

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56 MAY 2017
visit GAMES REVIEW
It’s no secret that Corsair make
some of the best mechanical
keyboards in the gaming industry,
and any serious aspiring pro gamer
will want the best hardware they
can get their hands on. From the
K65 to the K70 Rapidfire, Corsair has
consistently produced the highest
quality keyboards, and the most
recent addition to their K-Series
mechanical keyboard line, the K95 Platinum, does
not disappoint.
Corsair mechanical keyboards are known to
have some serious eye candy built onto them, and
the K95 is no exception. Each button has its own
multicolor LED backlight and is fully programmable
inside the Corsair Utility Engine software to
flash in whichever pattern you see fit. Making its
colourful debut is the backlit Corsair logo and the
19-zone LightEdge LED that runs along the top of
the keyboard to really give the hardware an edge.
The K95 features Cherry MX Speed switches
to allow for faster response time – pair that with
the built-in anti-ghosting technology and you can
really feel how accurate and reactive
it is in game. The K95 comes with a
comfortable detachable wrist rest that
has two different surfaces; one a soft
mesh pattern, and the other a flat hard
surface, allowing you to choose which
you prefer or remove it altogether
depending on personal preference.
Build quality is a huge factor when
I’m looking for a keyboard, and the
K95 is superb. The cool brushed aluminium frame
is lightweight enough for me to move and carry
around comfortably, but also durable enough to
withstand some serious gaming. Additionally, the
K95 has six programmable macro buttons that are
grooved so you can easily locate them in the heat
of the moment.
I had the chance to try out the K95 with League
of Legends as well as Counter-Strike: Global
Offensive. In League of Legends I found the
keyboard to be very responsive, the macro keys
were nice to have as it allowed me to clear out my
mouse buttons with tasks like opening the shop,
menu and scoreboard as well as to use the laugh
emote at my enemies. I’m known as a pretty
notorious button masher when a big teamfight
starts and not once did I notice an unresponsive
spell cast due to me mashing two buttons at once.
Counter-Strike is where the macros really
shone; having six macro buttons allowed me to
bind six different buys to them, making it very
easy to have a wide array of quick purchases
available at the start of a round. The keyboard’s
responsiveness is extremely evident when you
move quickly and peek in and out of cover, which
is a huge part of winning a fight in CSGO.
Ultimately, I found the K95 to be an excellent
addition to Corsair’s K Series and a worthy
successor to the K70 Rapidfire. I’m a big fan
of the LightEdge and lit up logo, as
it really makes the keyboard stand
out. The macro buttons have a ton
of potential and the responsiveness is
unparalleled to anything I’ve used before.
If you’re looking for mechanical keyboard
that’s visually appealing yet durable and packed
with features, I strongly recommend the K95.
After testing the K95, it’s definitely becoming my
own personal keyboard of choice, and likely the
keyboard of choice for all pro players under AVANT
GARDE.
AVANT GARDE are one of Australia’s leading esports
organisations.Their Rohan Bruce took Corsair’s latest
gaming keyboard, the K95 Platinum, for a test drive.
Rohan Bruce