Corsair K55 RGB Pro review: Just good enough

Here at Tom’s Guide, we’ve reviewed some fantastic Corsair keyboards, with the Corsair K70 Max rightfully keeping its number one spot on our best gaming keyboards round-up. But Corsair makes sub-$100 keyboards too, so if you can’t overly stretch your budget, there are options out there. Is the K55 RGB Pro one of them?

This membrane keyboard comes with dedicated macro keys for gaming and productivity, and media controls too. It also has a detachable wrist rest, which is very comfortable. Better still is its $59 price tag. So what’s wrong? Well, its gaming performance (not great for a “Pro” gaming keyboard), plasticky build, and large desk footprint really let it down.

Read my full Corsair K55 RGB Pro review for all the deets.

Corsair K55 RGB Pro review: Specs

Corsair K55 RGB Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A full-size wired keyboard with rubber dome switches
• Who is it for? For casual gamers on a budget
• How much does it cost? The Corsair K55 RGB Pro is available for $59 at Amazon U.S. / £59 at Amazon U.K.
• What do we like? It’s cheap, comes with dedicated macro keys and a detachable wrist rest, is good for typing and the software is easy to use
• What don’t we like? The rubber dome switches make it difficult to play games with, the build is very plasticky and it takes up a lot of desk space

Corsair K55 RGB Pro review: The ups

The Corsair K55 RGB Pro comes with dedicated macro and media keys, a detachable wrist rest and easy-to-use companion software.

Dedicated macro keys

A stand-out feature of the Corsair K55 RGB Pro is its set of six macro keys. On the left-hand side, you’ll find keys G1 through G6, which can be programmed to do whatever you want via the iCUE software (more on that soon). Macros in games are really handy because you can basically execute a complex combination without having to repeat it every time. In Counter-Strike 2, for example, I often run, jump and throw grenades (or any other item), so I assigned that combination to the G3 key, making it easy for me to trigger it. I could quickly reach the key and hit it with my pinkie finger.

Macro keys are also mighty handy for productivity. Paste Special (Ctrl + Command + V) is one of my most used shortcuts, so I assigned it to G5. Similarly, I assigned Copy, Paste and even Strikethrough shortcuts to three other keys. I loved the dedicated macro keys on the Keychron Q11 ($184) and the Keychron Q14 Max ($209) too so it’s nice to see Corsair bringing this oh-so-important feature at an accessible price point.

You also get dedicated media keys, such as pause, play, next track, etc. so you can adjust media settings on the fly without having to pause your game or stop writing your article to dive into system settings. There’s an RGB lighting button which lets you cycle through various effects, too.

Detachable wrist rest

It’s also really lovely that the Corsair K55 RGB Pro comes with a detachable wrist rest. It isn’t of the highest quality, but a cheap wrist rest is better than none, right? This wrist rest is made of plastic and has a soft finish, and it elevates your wrists slightly to make typing for hours on end more comfortable. Two plastic clips on either end of it secure it in place. In my testing, the wrist rest never came loose.

Good for typing

I’ll be honest, typing on the Corsair K55 RGB Pro took me back to my school days because not only does the keyboard look like it belongs in a computer lab, it types similarly too — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I usually favor mechanical keyboards over membrane keyboards but I’ve enjoyed typing on the K55 RGB Pro — I’m even typing this review on it! The wrist rest plays a big part in this, of course, as my hands are angled comfortably. Although the rubber dome switches aren’t ideal for gaming, typists shouldn’t have a problem with this keyboard.

I took a typing test on 10fastfingers.com to see how the K55 RGB Pro fared. While both my speed and accuracy were slightly down compared to the keyboards listed above, they were still above average. I misspelled words with double letters — like “profess” — a few times, and that’s because rubber dome switches need to be pressed all the way down to activate and come all the way back up to reset, so just keep this in mind.

Easy-to-use software

If you already own Corsair peripherals, chances are you’re familiar with iCUE. If not, think of it as “The One Software to Rule Them All”. Alongside being able to customize the K55 RGB Pro, you can use it with your other Corsair devices. The software is very easy to use, and through it, you can program macros, remap keys, change the backlighting, and even alter the polling rate of the board.

Cheap

For a full-size keyboard, the Corsair K55 RGB Pro is very affordable. It's available for just $59 at Amazon U.S. / £59 at Amazon U.K. It’s priced similarly to the Cherry KW7100 Mini BT ($49).

Mechanical keyboards aren’t the only ones that can be super pricey; the Logitech MX Keys S is a membrane board and costs $109. And even the Logitech MX Keys Mini will leave you $99 short.

Corsair K55 RGB Pro review: The downs

The Corsair K55 RGB Pro has a few noteworthy problems, such as its plasticky build quality and ABS keycaps, middling gaming performance, and large desk footprint.

Build quality

The Corsair K55 RGB Pro is an inexpensive keyboard so it’s obvious that some corners have been cut. Its body is made entirely of plastic which looks and feels cheap, and there’s a bit of flex. The black glossy finish makes the board prone to showing fingerprints and scratches. The keyboard also uses ABS keycaps which aren’t as durable as PBT keycaps and will become shiny over time — they also aren’t grease resistant. I ate a cookie, started typing, and immediately noticed my fingerprints staring back at me. The black keycaps don’t help, as they make grease and shine even more visible. Even my coworkers remarked that it looked grim.

It’s also important to note that the K55 RGB Pro doesn’t feature per-key RGB lighting. Instead, you get five-zone lighting which doesn’t look nearly as good. This isn’t a major flaw though, as a lot of membrane keyboards we’ve tested don’t come with any kind of RGB lighting, so at least you get something with the K55 RGB Pro The (slightly) pricier K55 RGB Pro XT ($70) comes with per-key RGB lighting, if that’s more up your street.

Middling gaming performance

Membrane keyboards often aren’t as responsive as the best mechanical keyboards, so when presented with a choice between the two, I’d always say go for the latter. Mechanical switches last longer and don’t need to be pressed down all the way to activate, which means your movements can be snappier. You can also avoid the unpleasant feeling of “bottoming out” (pressing against the board’s base) at full force.

To give the Corsair K55 Pro RGB a fair chance, though, I played Hitman (2016), Counter-Strike 2 and FIFA 22. In all three games, the keyboard didn’t perform nearly as well as some of the others I’ve tested — its macro keys were its only saving grace — and that’s down to the rubber dome switches. They need to be pressed all the way down so it’s difficult to make snappy movements, like accessing your weapon wheel, strafing or dodging. The keys on the K55 Pro RGB are quite wobbly too.

In FIFA 22, I missed a lot of crucial chances to score because I couldn’t press the key fully to pass or shoot in time. This proved to be really frustrating. If you want superb performance, it’s worth investing in one of the best gaming keyboards instead as the K55 Pro RGB will leave you wanting more.

Large desk footprint

There’s no sugarcoating it: the Corsair K55 RGB Pro is a large keyboard, even for a full-size, so if desk space is at a premium, consider other options. The first thing I noticed when I took this keyboard out of its box was just how much space it took up on my desk. It measures 18.9 x 6.54 x 1.36 inches, and that’s without the wrist rest. Pop it in and the width goes up to 8.6 inches. Corsair could have cut down on the size by removing the bar on the top which houses the media controls. All in all, this is a big keyboard — albeit not heavy, as it weighs just 1.8lbs.

If you want a smaller but full-size keyboard, the Redragon Blue Siren K654 measures 17.6 x 5.9 inches. If you want it even smaller and don’t mind mechanical switches — which I highly recommend — check out the 80% Keychron C3 Pro ($37) or the 75% Lemokey X1 ($35).

Corsair K55 RGB Pro review: Verdict

So, what to make of the Corsair K55 RGB Pro? I love the six macro keys on the left-hand side of the keyboard. These are fully programmable and easy to reach, making you more productive. You also get on-the-fly media controls and a detachable wrist rest — all for $59. It comes with intuitive companion software too, and I’ve enjoyed typing on it.

However, it’s important to note that its ABS keycaps are fingerprint magnets and they won’t last as long as PBT keycaps. Gaming performance is also underwhelming, as the rubber dome switches need to be pressed down fully to register a key press. The K55 RGB Pro will also take up a lot of space on your desk.

This keyboard is good enough and it should satisfy most people, and for $59, it isn’t a bad deal.