Corsair K65 Plus review: Elegant & precise

If you are shelling out for a mechanical keyboard, you already know that it won’t come cheap, but the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless offers quality that is worth the price.

Those who engage daily with PC gaming will eventually want to get hold of a keyboard that can offer the level of quality and performance that can up your game.

Likewise, if you are typing daily for work or for a hobby, then a good mechanical keyboard becomes an absolute must-have. Corsair is a highly trusted brand for PC parts and accessories for a good reason, and they prove it yet again with the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless.

There are several 75% gaming keyboards on the market at the moment, but Corsair excels in delivering the premium gaming experience. But, how does it stack up against similar devices?

Key Specs

• Switch type: Corsair MLX Red linear
• Keycaps: Dye-sub PBT single shot
• Connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB 3.0 Type-A
• Form Factor: 75%
• Lighting: Individually LED lit and per-key programmable
• Features: Up to 266-hour battery life, double-layer sound dampening
• Price: $159.99

Design

At first glance, the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless has a fairly plain color palette of subdued black and grey, though a closer look will reveal touches of luxury, such as on the Escape key which is colored gold. The different shades of black and grey also serve a purpose, grouping relevant keys such as the Alt, Tab, and Function keys. The result has an air of sophistication about it.

It is when the RGB is engaged that the party starts, defaulting to a pulsing wave that flows color from the center to the edges. However, the RGB doesn’t penetrate the keycaps themselves, which could potentially make them hard to read in dim lighting environments. There are ten different RGB modes to choose from, ranging from discrete to eye-catching.

This is a 75% keyboard, so is suitable for working on smaller desks. You might think this would make it a good option for those who need to travel regularly, but unfortunately, you would be wrong, as it is a deceptively hefty beast, weighing in at almost a kilogram (2lbs), making it a poor choice for lugging about with you. The weight does give it a solid feel and prevent it from moving around on your desk, though.

One particularly delightful feature is the media controls, especially the prominent media dial on the top left.

Software & features

By default, the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless comes with Corsair MLX Red linear switches, these are pre-lubricated and designed for smooth actuation. These are very sensitive, to the point that even resting your fingers on the keys can cause you to accidentally type something.

The MLX Red switches are not that loud, and the layers of sound dampening have further reduced the noise, so fans of clicky-clacky mechanical keyboards might be disappointed. Helpfully though, the switches are hot-swappable and compatible with both 3 and 5-pin switches.

We were sent a set of DROP Holy Panada switches to test, and the process of installing them was delightfully user-friendly, at least partially thanks to the keycap puller and switch removal tool included in the box. Once I got used to the sensitivity, though, I found I largely preferred the default Red switches.

While many of the keyboard features such as Macro recording can be handled using key combinations, there is still a great deal of customization to be found by using Corsair’s iCue software. This controls the various RGB features, allowing you to customize it however you want. It has been a mainstay of Corsair products for a while and is generally fairly straightforward and user-friendly.

Performance

If you turn off the RGB, then this keyboard can last for a staggering 266 hours and comes with a handy ‘traffic light’ indicator light on the left-hand side to show you when it is time to plug it in, in a location unlikely to be hidden by your hands. This means that you are unlikely to run out of power even during the longest and most intense gaming session.

The first game I tried was Lethal Company, where I discovered how sensitive the keys were. It is also how I found out how effective the sound dampening was. Some enemies in that game can pick up on the sound from your microphone, so a loud clacky mechanical keyboard is not ideal in that situation. Thankfully, the dampening did its job, making sure I was quiet as a mouse as I crept silently back to the ship.

It was a similar story in Dead by Daylight, with the keyboard delivering smooth and accurate action every time, with not a hint of lag or sticking. Once I adapted to the sensitivity, it was a wonderful experience for both gaming and general productivity, since it doesn’t need you to hammer the keys, I found it great for my carpal tunnel-afflicted hands. My only real complaint was that I wish it had a matching wristrest.

Should you buy it?

The Corsair K65 Plus Wireless is still a premium product, but it does everything right to be worth the price. It is a very versatile keyboard that can suit a range of applications and has enough options for customization to make it an attractive option.
The solid build quality and sleek, understated design are excellent, and it manages to match up against more expensive keyboards extremely well.

Verdict: 4/5

The Corsair K65 Plus Wireless doesn’t do anything completely revolutionary, but it is the result of many small changes and updates that create a beautiful and effective package. It is versatile enough to be turned to a variety of uses and can offer great performance and levels of personalization.

If you are after a solid 75% keyboard for work or play, then the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless is an excellent option for the price, and is yet another solid 75% option coming from major brands.

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