Corsair K70 RGB Pro Review

The Corsair K70 RGB Pro is familiar territory for those familiar with the brand’s long-standing lineup, but it does its best to earn the “pro” in its name. Clever design decisions usher in a “tournament mode” that gives the gaming keyboard a competitive edge, and it’s one of the most responsive models out there, but not all of the changes are an upgrade over the previous models.

For one, it has more of everything you want in the best gaming keyboard, from profiling to processing, and less of the bad stuff you want to get rid of, like latency. On the other hand, it also packs a wobbly (albeit comfortable) wrist rest, noticeably noisy keys, and eliminates the USB passthrough.

Its MSRP of $169.99 USD is a little hard to swallow, but in an age when you find it on sale for around $129.99, the hot spots hurt a lot less. A permanent price drop could even see the Corsair K70 RGB Pro take the gaming keyboard crown, but it’ll be a competition of pros and cons if you don’t want to wait for a discount.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro Design

As usual, Corsair pairs a black set of PBT keys with a brushed gunmetal gray chassis and lifts the top to draw attention to its media keys. On the left are three buttons for switching profiles, adjusting keyboard brightness, and locking the Windows key. On the right is a textured volume wheel with a dedicated mute button and media controls directly below.

One thing that makes the Corsair keyboard so nice are the genuine Cherry MX switches, and there are plenty of options this time around. Our sample includes Cherry MX Reds, but Blue, Brown, Silent Red and Speed Silver variants are available if you fancy something a little different. Each key is raised to showcase the beautiful RGB lighting, letting it shine across the full length of the keyboard. Overall, it retains a similar premium feel to its predecessors.

The detachable USB-C cable is a welcome addition, making it easier to move around with the keyboard. You’ll need to make sure you specifically package the Corsair cable though, as the dented case won’t fit any older cables. Those with a pussy connector just won’t be able to get through the case, which is a pain when you need a quick replacement. Rivals like Razer shy away from approaching corners as it helps with repair ability. Hopefully Corsair does the same.

Another point of contention for me is the lack of USB pass-through compared to its K70 MK.2 predecessor. USB-C’s increased bandwidth lends itself well to connecting multiple devices, so it’s a shame the feature is being dropped. Some might say it makes cables a nightmare, but I’ve always found it helps me manage cables better.

However, closing a door opens a window, as it makes room for a Tournament Switch in the back. Enabling it immediately disables custom actions and macros, removes RGB backlighting, and disables profiles or profile switching, preparing you for the competition. Anything that could be considered against tournament rules is paused until you press the switch again.

While previous K70 palm rests suffered from stiff clips that often broke, the K70 RGB Pro solves this problem by getting rid of the clips altogether. For better or worse, it’s now magnetic, which prevents anything from breaking, but it can be quite easy to dislodge if you’re used to moving your keyboard around.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro performance

The Corsair K70 RGB Pro is one of the most responsive keyboards on the market, thanks to its Axion hyper-polling technology which reaches 8000 Hz. This speeds up the response time between the press of a key and the action registered by the connected PC eight times faster than the standard 1000Hz. It won’t automatically make you a pro, and you might not even notice the boost, but it’s there to give you every possible advantage.

It’s a perfect partner for competitive FPS games like Rainbow Six Siege and Valorant, never missing a beat. Its full size also lends itself to MMOs like World of Warcraft, with a number pad on which you can install all your macros. From Cyberpunk 2077 to Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the K70 RGB Pro handled everything like a champ in testing.

It’s strange to praise a feature that strips out all the frills that make a gaming keyboard stand out from the crowd, but I wish Tournament mode was standard. Some games benefit from syncing frankly beautiful rainbow lights with SignalRGB so they react to what you’re playing. In others, I could do without the distraction when I focused on winning the round. It does exactly what it says on the box, and you don’t even have to wait for your next competition to enjoy it.

Your typing experience will depend on the switches you choose. The linear Cherry MX Reds don’t give the satisfying click that touchscreens do, but every press feels smooth and the stabilizers do a good job of minimizing key wobble. It’s a little light on soundproofing, with the spacebar packing a particularly heavy punch, but it has that signature mechanical feel you just can’t get from a membrane model.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro Software

One word to describe the K70 RGB Pro is “versatile”. The 8MB of onboard storage can hold up to 50 profiles and features on-the-fly macro recording to quickly create the shortcuts you want. To delete your recorded macros or take things a step further, you need to dive into the Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) software.

In general, iCUE can be a little intimidating at first, as it’s one of the most powerful programs, but it’s grown over the years and now includes tutorials to help you learn how to use it. After all, you can use it to change lighting and create themed animations, reprogram keys, create macros, link profiles to specific games and apps, and much more.

Corsair iCUE is required if you want to use the 8000Hz polling rate, as the K70 RGB Pro defaults to 1K out of the box. Signing up instead of opting out might seem like a baffling decision to some, but it’s a precaution in case your PC or laptop doesn’t have the best gaming CPU. Higher polling rates put more strain on your CPU and may cause the game to lag if your computer cannot handle it. Enabling 8K polling rate is easy enough, but not obvious enough to need it.

The verdict on the Corsair K70 RGB Pro

The Corsair K70 RGB Pro debuted in early 2022 and didn’t drop much from its MSRP of $169.99 USD. It offers a lot at this price point for competitive enthusiasts, from quick response times to a dedicated Tournament mode, but the premium might be a little too high if you’re outside of the realm of professional gaming.

The K70 RGB MK.2 is still available at around two-thirds the price, and the HyperX Alloy Origins and the Razer Blackwidow V3 are great alternatives that are friendly to your bank account. When it comes to 8K polling rates, however, the K70 RGB Pro comes out on top, turning into an absolute steal every time it drops to around $129.99 USD / £144.98 GBP.

Advantage:

Fantastic build quality
8K fast polling rate
Change of tournament

Against :

Strong mechanical keys and reverberation.
Meticulous Magnetic Wrist Rest
No USB transfer

Check out our guide to the best gaming keyboard for alternatives to the Corsair K70 Pro, including cheap champions and luxury flagships.