Final Words and conclusion

Final words and conclusion

I think that each year I write something like ' I don't know what else can be improved with Corsair Keyboards', and each year they do manage to amaze and expand their lineup. The K100 tested a while ago is just fantastic uber-premium, but with prices topping 200 USD they sit in a very small niche that most people cannot or are not willing to afford. The K55 RGB PRO XT and non-XT however are more affordable. 69 USD for the most expensive model and 49 USD for the non-XT model.

Compared to premium, yes, you do need to realize that some features are stripped away. There's no luxury aluminum front plate, no PTB shot caps, and most of all, no mechanical switches. That last part for me is not an issue, personally, I type all day and prefer rubber membrane keyboards because of that feel and silence. So if you occasionally play a game then this might be the sweet spot keyboard to get really. On the other hand, if you are a hardcore gamer and seek faster keys with precise actuation, surely you'll go mechanical. The good news is that Corsair covers everything thing you want and desire in their K range of products. The specs overall really aren't bad, actually very feature-rich and the keyboard felt fast enough and responsive while playing a session of Battlefield V. The most important factor however is that Corsair managed to deliver an RGB lit keyboard with media keys and added programmable G keys that have the look and feel of a premium board. 

Final words

Like I stated, all my articles and content are typed on rubber membrane-based keyboards. I like that better than mechanical keyboards as they are a little more forgiving at my fingers. The much lower clickety-clack noises of a rubber membrane-based keyboard help as well (compared to mechanical switches). Gaming wise I could understand why one would prefer mechanical switches though. However if you are that person that types a lot and occasionally plays games and someone that wants something really cool looking, then at 49 and 69 USD you really cannot go wrong here. Heck, you can even rinse the thing clean if you wanted to. The one remark I have to make is that whenever I wanted to press the left side CTRL or SHIFT key, 90% of the time would hit the G6 key. This will simply take a little adjusting too. Also typing on it, in the beginning, will be a bit hit and miss. So accuracy on this keyboard will also take some time. A thin redlining of the product series is of course the symbiosis with Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) software (new v4), allowing you to reprogram keys, create elaborate lighting patterns and even sync the keyboard with the Elgato Stream Deck software. And we know it, iCUE can be a little startling to some, but the reality also is that it offers substantial additional functionality, especially for a value product series like this. I think the K55 RGB PRO (XT) series is a really fair offering for what you receive. If you disagree and purely need a gaming keyboard; then you can always opt for a cheapo mech keyboard and compromise a little. Gaming-wise, hey Corsair produces fine membrane switches here, but it is not a mech, that much is fair to say. In that regard, the product will not appeal to everybody, but to a certain target audience.

Don't forget, for 49 bucks you can pick up the K55 RGB Pro. While the XT is admirable, the main difference is per-key RGB lighting. The 5-zone RGB on the cheaper non-XT we feel by far is terrific value for an otherwise similar product. It's not a modern age mechy, but it is a nice alternative.

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