Corsair K70 RGB Pro review

There’s nothing surprising about the Corsair K70 RGB Pro — and that’s a good thing. This wired mechanical gaming keyboard picks up where the Corsair K70 Mk.2 left off, delivering a wide variety of high-quality switches in a comfortable chassis. You get colorful lighting and robust software, as well as an innovative Tournament Mode, which is sure to appeal to the competitive crowd.

Truthfully, it’s difficult to think of an area in which the K70 RGB Pro doesn’t excel. The wrist rest doesn’t stay put as firmly as it used to, and there’s no longer a USB passthrough. But generally speaking, the $160 K70 RGB Pro is just as good as its predecessor, and features a few welcome upgrades as well. Read on for our full Corsair K70 RGB Pro review.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro review: Design

If you’ve seen a full-size Corsair keyboard recently, then the K70 RGB Pro doesn’t pack too many surprises. You’ll find an elegant, black, brushed-metal chassis that’s raised slightly on top.

Each elevated keycap sports full RGB lighting, so you can program any variety of gorgeous rainbow effects. There are discrete media controls in the upper-right, complete with a textured volume wheel. 

On the upper-left, you’ll find controls for profiles, keyboard brightness and Windows-key lock. On the back of the device, there’s a switch to enable Tournament Mode, which we’ll discuss presently.

With comfortable, slightly indented keycaps and a straightforward layout, there’s nothing to criticize about the K70 RGB Pro’s design. The wrist rest, however, is a point of slight contention for me. Previous K70 models featured a wrist rest with a hinge that locked into the main keyboard. This was admittedly prone to breaking if you forced it, but at least it stayed in place, no matter how you moved the keyboard. The new wrist rest connects magnetically, and it will fall off the second you lift the keyboard up. Plan accordingly.

Corsair has also removed the USB passthrough from the previous model. This was a useful feature, but it also made cable management more complicated, so let’s call it a wash.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro review: Keys

When it comes to key switch selection, it’s hard to beat the Corsair K70 RGB Pro. This peripheral features authentic Cherry MX switches, which are still the gold standard for mechanical keyboards, even after years of improvement from the competition. You can choose whether you want linear Reds, quiet Browns, clackety Blues, low-travel Speeds or self-explanatory Silents.

Our review unit came with Speed switches, and they lived up to their name. In a Typing.com test, I scored 115 words per minute at 97% accuracy with the K70 RGB Pro, as opposed to 121 wpm with 98% accuracy on my usual Logitech G915. This isn’t a significant difference, particularly since I’m much more used to the G915.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro review: Features

For the most part, the Corsair K70 RGB Pro is just a standard full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard. But it has two features worth discussing: its iCUE connectivity and its Tournament Mode. 

The Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) is Corsair’s proprietary gaming peripheral software, and it’s one of the most complex and nuanced tools out there. You can reprogram keys, create macros, adjust the RGB lighting, link profiles with individual games and apps, and more. While I usually find iCUE’s endless customization a little perplexing, Corsair has actually added a handful of helpful tutorials the first time you hook up a new peripheral. These demystify some of the program’s operations, and let you hit the ground running with only a few quick commands.

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, there’s Tournament Mode. By flipping a switch on the back of the keyboard, you can activate this bare-bones protocol, which is ideal for competitive play. Tournament Mode disables RGB lighting, profiles and custom macros, which makes the K70 RGB Pro a good choice for gamers on the tournament scene. This is especially true, as the keyboard’s USB-C power cord is detachable, making the device easier to store and transport.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro review: Performance

Like most Corsair gear, the K70 RGB Pro works beautifully in-game. I tested the device with Age of Empires IV, Doom Eternal, Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy XIV, and found that the performance was excellent across the board. Whether I was winding my way through futuristic apartments or commanding medieval Chinese armies, the peripheral parsed my commands accurately and effortlessly.

The K70 RGB Pro didn’t seem to favor any one genre in particular, although it may have marginal benefits for competitive gamers. Tournament Mode is a clever feature, and works as advertised.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro review: Bottom line

The Corsair K70 RGB Pro is a smart update to one of the best gaming keyboards ever made. Tournament Mode is a welcome addition. Beyond that, it’s not a terribly different peripheral, although aficionados can (and might!) argue about whether the hinged wrist rest and USB passthrough in the Mk.2 were worth sacrificing.

Otherwise, the K70 RGB Pro is about as good as gaming keyboards get. If you can stomach the asking price, this is the device to buy — unless, of course, you’re holding out for Corsair to produce a wireless variant. Here’s hoping.