Corsair Debuts Mechanical Keyboard Cherry MX RGB Switches at CES 2014

Looks great - I've been holding out on buying a new keyboard ever since I heard about this coming down the pipe. I can only hope the layout offers the same media and G-key style as the K95 - It really is a great setup with the volume roller, mute button, multiple play/FF/Rew etc.. keys on the right and the G-key and M-banks on the left. Full dynamic key-by-key color choice is awesome, and this will be a first for mechanical keyboards - I'd be happy if they kept with the same old cherry mx Reds underneath.

However, the one thing I'm a little worried about is exactly how you will control the lighting and whatnot. I do not want this to be something that requires Windows-only software to control/set - this is the plague of many gaming peripherals in that they are slaved to drivers or software that are exclusively Windows based!. At very least, I hope there is an open source API or something so that Linux (or OSX) users can write their own tools to interface with the macro/G keys, backlighting and more. If Corsair is awesome enough to make a Linux driver/utility, that would be great, but at very least let us write our own. Of course, a platform agnostic solution such as little wheels or sliders that control R G and B 0-255 and can be applied to any keys pressed while in "programming mode" would also be neat, but if that's too much trouble how about an ultra lightweight WebUI/server that allows configuration of the keyboard (and there would be a hardware switch to turn on and off the webUI/server for peace of mind). I know these are kind of strange ideas, but I'm just a little tired of great peripherals being castrated when used on Linux, or any OS that doesn't have a config tool written for it.

Logitech has languished for a long time, but I have to say that their including an open source AP for their G-series is what propelled their G-keys and GamePanel LCDs to such prominence, that they could be used on any platform, and coded for by game developers and the like. I hope that Corsair takes the concept a step further, as it will be very appreciated by the community.

Edit: I wonder if they have anything in their high-end mouse line in the works, to compliment this? Especially a M95 "MMO tons of buttons that for once all feel different and there's even a place to rest your thumb! No one else thought of this awesomeness" styled successor. Likewise, I'd be very interested in a competitor for the Logitech G13 gameboard with mechanical, key-by-key color tech and some other upgrades as well..
 
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I agree with others that I'll wait for reviews. But more than professional reviews, I'm more interested in user reviews after said reviewers have owned the keyboard for at least a year.

I'm really leery of illuminated keyboards losing their LED capabilities in one way or another after seeing various brands/types with LED's going out or dimming significantly. My Logitech G15 is going strong LED-wise, but the key actions are starting to go. Fingers crossed for this to be a beast!
 
I had one of those Luxeed keyboards from several years back and the colorgasmic factor was pretty cool but the keyboard itself was crap and the software was downright terrible. This hopefully will be the best of all those worlds.
 
I don't get it. Looks like a highly annoying keyboard to me. Heck, I don't even like the bright LED's used in my capslock & numlock indicators.
 
The keyboard looks uber nerdy, but I'm not ashamed. I've been looking at Razer, Corsair, and Maxkeyboard for a mechnical keyboard with blue (probably) switches. I'd like to get one without a 10-key, which had Maxkeyboard at the top for a while. (Razer's kb without the 10-key didn't fit what I was looking for.) Even though this RGB kb doesn't have a 10-keyless option, the lighting customization and Corsair's mechanical kb track record have me holding out until it's released.
 
Yeah, the non cherry switch version of the keyboard (K50) has 2 modes for the lights, True Colour and Max Brightness.
It does indeed have the ability to select 16.8 million variations.
There is a great colour cycle mode where it constantly changes colour, I leave mine in this mode permanently, it looks fab.

I really really like this keyboard.
 
My brother is very keen on grabbing a K70. Told him to hold off now till we get some solid info on when this one is coming out. Then again, I don't think he really cares too much about all the colours lol.
 
This is so yesterday, debut some TOPRE and steal the market from MX switches. Gaming kids will go nuts
 
Nice, I ws just thinking about grabbing a K70, guess I'll live with my G15 a little longer. I want red backlighting and mx brown switches which is not an option currently.
 
Something I forgot to mention about my New K50 keyboard that is a potential showstopper.
It cannot be used to get into the BIOS during POST.

You can CTRL ALT DEL and it will reboot, but pressing F12 to get drive boot options or DEL does nothing at all.
If you use another keyboard to get into the BIOS setup, it works fine in there too, you just cannot use the keyboard to do anything during the POST.

So I have to keep another keyboard plugged in to change boot drive or access the BIOS, highly annoying!!
I imagine that other Corsair keyboards are the same.
They need to fix this with a firmware update.
 
Something I forgot to mention about my New K50 keyboard that is a potential showstopper.
It cannot be used to get into the BIOS during POST.

You can CTRL ALT DEL and it will reboot, but pressing F12 to get drive boot options or DEL does nothing at all.
If you use another keyboard to get into the BIOS setup, it works fine in there too, you just cannot use the keyboard to do anything during the POST.

So I have to keep another keyboard plugged in to change boot drive or access the BIOS, highly annoying!!
I imagine that other Corsair keyboards are the same.
They need to fix this with a firmware update.

No problems here with the K90 or K95, and I haven't heard anyone else that has problems with them.
 
Bizarrely, I tried it shortly after I made the above post and for the first time, it worked.
I havent a clue why it didnt work before, but having read someone else make the same claim, I assumed it was generic.
So soz if its wrong, but I wasnt mistaken with how it behaved prior, I still have another keyboard plugged in.
I havent seen this behaviour with any other keyboard.
Shrug.
 
My K70 has a switch on the back that allows you to change the polling rate or put it into a BIOS compatibility mode, my motherboard doesn't need it in that mode but apparently some do. Putting it in that mode lowers the polling rate and disables NKRO so my guess is that some motherboards have a hard time dealing with one or both of those, if the K50 has those features but doesn't have the switch I could see how it might be a problem.
 
Wow, that thing is ugly. Can we PLEASE get a keyboard with a non-freakish body?

Edit: Also, the media keys aren't even illuminated... yikes, what a train wreck.
 
I don't care much about the price as long as it looks nice and performs well.
 
I just bought a mechanical keyboard not too long ago but I'm a huge fan of RGB lights and might have to pick this up too..
 
Having some logitech keyboards I have never been a fan of the tint of white produced my RGB LEDs. I wonder if this will have that issue too.
 
Having some logitech keyboards I have never been a fan of the tint of white produced my RGB LEDs. I wonder if this will have that issue too.

I know the razer doesn't have this issue and more than likely, this won't either. I know that light color you are talkin about because my Logitech g pad had the same issue.
 
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