Corsair has offered the K70 gaming keyboard in a variety of configurations since 2015. The latest iteration is the Corsair K70 RGB Pro ($159.99), which meets the expectations set by its predecessors by offering the latest Cherry MX mechanical switches, per-key RGB backlighting, and several features meant to appeal to professional gamers. The last is is how Corsair attempts to justify the “Pro” moniker—and the price. We think it succeeds, earning the K70 RGB Pro an Editors’ Choice award for best high-end gaming keyboard for esports hounds.
What Makes the K70 a ‘Pro’?
The Corsair K70 RGB Pro immediately distinguishes itself from its “amateur” predecessors like the K70 RGB. The keyboards have similar layouts, but the Pro model shifts the profile, lighting, and Game Mode keys to the left edge rather than nestling them in with the dedicated media keys and volume roller. Corsair has also replaced the standard plastic logo on the top edge of the faceplate with a glossy RGB version that glows in the same pattern as the rest of the keyboard.
This results in a familiar but distinct profile that makes it easy to tell the Corsair K70 RGB Pro apart from the K70 RGB at a glance. But the changes are more than just cosmetic. Corsair also offers the Pro version with Cherry MX RGB Red, Blue, Brown, Brown, Silent Red, and Speed Silver mechanical switches; the K70 RGB is limited to Cherry MX Red switches. (Corsair sent us two units for review—one with Blue switches, and one with Silver switches.)
Those switches are found beneath Doubleshot PBT keycaps that should be durable enough to withstand marathon gaming sessions. That ruggedness extends to the rest of the Corsair K70 RGB Pro, thanks to its brushed aluminum faceplate and solid plastic frame. It’s not an overly large keyboard—it measures in at 1.6 by 6.5 by 17.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.5 pounds without the detachable palm rest—but it’s satisfyingly dense. It certainly doesn’t feel cheap.
One final physical differentiator between the Corsair K70 RGB Pro and its predecessors: the cable. Where the K70 RGB relied on an attached, 7.3-foot-long cable, the K70 RGB Pro offers a detachable USB-C-to-USB-A cable that’s just 6 feet long. Losing that extra 1.3 feet might be a bummer for people who keep their PCs far from their keyboards, but having a detachable cable should make it easier to transport the K70 RGB Pro without stressing or breaking its connector.
Bring the Pro to the Tournament
Let’s talk about even more features that help the Corsair K70 RGB Pro earn its name. The most obvious is a so-called “tournament switch” next to the detachable cable. Corsair says it disables custom actions and macros to prevent accidental activation, changes the backlighting to a static single color to reduce distraction, and disables profiles or profile switching. All of those changes are supposed to result in “a competition compliant mode,” as Corsair puts it. Esports tournaments tend to ban the use some of those things; others are a competitive disadvantage.
Will most people ever have to use the tournament switch? Probably not. But for professional esports players who do have to worry about accidentally using a macro or switching between profiles mid-match, having a physical control might offer additional peace of mind.
The Corsair K70 RGB Pro also supports the Corsair Axon hyper-polling technology that allows it to offer polling rates and response times of 125Hz (8ms), 250Hz (4ms), 500Hz (2ms), 1,000Hz (1ms), 2,000Hz (0.5ms), 4,000Hz (0.25ms), and 8,000Hz (0.125ms). This is supposed to minimize the time between a key being pressed and the connected PC registering that action.
Does it work? I can’t tell. Corsair warns that using polling rates above 1,000Hz requires more processing power from the connected PC, but I haven’t noticed any difference at anything above that polling rate, so any performance improvements are probably limited at best.
Corsair iCue Software: Set It and Forget It
Corsair Axon controls are found within Corsair’s iCue software, which is also used to manage the K70 RGB’s lighting, create macros, change key assignments, and update the keyboard’s firmware. The software works like you would expect, and unlike Roccat’s Swarm software, iCue scales to 1440p and 4K displays just fine.
The Corsair K70 RGB Pro offers 8MB of onboard memory that can be used to store up to 50 onboard profiles (the exact number, according to Corsair, “depending on complexity”) and 20 layers of lighting effects. There’s onboard macro recording, too, which means iCue doesn’t have to be used particularly often. Just go in to update the keyboard’s firmware, set the polling rate to your desired level, and then use the Hardware Key Assignments and Hardware Lighting pages to save various settings right to the device.
Just be warned that navigating away from those pages after you’ve opened them—even if you didn’t view or modify a single setting—will display a warning that the settings haven’t been saved. Luckily a “Don’t show this again” option can prevent the dialog box from reappearing.
A Worthwhile Investment for the Esports Crowd
A few miscellaneous features before I wrap up: The Corsair K70 RGB Pro features two feet on the bottom of the case that can be used to adjust the keyboard’s angle. I found the keyboard comfortable to use either way, but it’s nice to have the option to adjust the ergonomics. The same goes for the detachable palm rest. It’s comfortable enough to use, and its magnetic connectors make it easy to attach or detach, though I was convinced at first that I was doing something wrong simply because the connection didn’t feel quite as snug as other palm rests.
The display used to show the multicolored Corsair logo is also used to show when Game Mode, Caps Lock, Number Lock, and the like are active. This seems like a good idea in theory, but I’d prefer an indicator on the keys (via the RGB lighting) or on dedicated LEDs (like with many other keyboards), simply because the symbols used on this display are easy to miss at a glance. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s something that does take a little while to get used to.
Those are all minor gripes, though. All told, the Corsair K70 RGB Pro is a solid option that justifies its $160 price with high-end build quality, a number of legitimately pro-minded features, and one of the better peripheral-customization software utilities we’ve used in a while.
