We also didn’t detect ghosting issues, so that’s a big plus over some membrane and ‘memchanical’ models on the market.Īs for the membrane keys themselves… they’re the same unspectacular feel that you will see on models from manufacturers the world over. That’s not quite industry-leading, but it’s good enough for the majority of gamers. We found it to be flawless around the critical WASD-zone (extending up to 1,2,3,4 and including Q,E,R,T,F,G) both with and without crucial modifiers (SHIFT etc). Key rollover is another aspect worth touching on. This isn’t as exotic as it sounds, just the definition of ‘nice to have’, but should improve longevity and reduce the risk posed by minor liquid spills. It is possible to twist this keyboard when gripping both edges, but the deformation is small for the force required.īacking up the build quality is IP42 Dust and Spill resistance. That doesn’t seem to be the case in the updated K55 model despite an outwardly similar frame, and indeed it feels very stable even when hammering the keys. Our review of the K57 Wireless in 2019 criticised build quality in particular due to a flex in the chassis when typing. Functionality to record macros on the fly and then edit them later is a nice bonus made sweeter by it being so straightforward on the K55 RGB PRO XT. Macro keys that can output complex sequential keystrokes and strings can also be helpful in some productivity applications, such as adding HTML markup to text. We don’t often see them on either membrane or mechanical keyboards, and for a subset of games they’re exceptionally useful (particularly if you don’t have a complex MMO/MOBA-style mouse). The second aspect we value highly is the dedicated macro keys. Bear in mind of course that per-key lighting is only available on the XT model though. It’s not a stretch for us to imagine someone greatly preferring the K55, and the fact that CORSAIR support a complex lighting effect engine through iCUE is a real feather in their cap. Comparing it directly with the K100 is a bit like comparing two painting styles - neither is inherently better or worse, just different. At first we weren’t sold by the diffuse rather than discrete illumination, but the seamless way one colour can flow into another quickly grew on us. Straight off the bat the most impressive part of the K55 RGB PRO XT is the lighting. But if you have a more neutral or positive outlook then there’s quite a lot here to recommend. So let's be realistic - if you actively dislike membrane switches then the new K55 models are not for you. Any assessment of the design is dominated by that point, to the extent that other benefits (or indeed weaknesses) are drowned out by that subjective preference. We spent about a week with the K55 RGB PRO XT as a primary keyboard for work and gaming, and after every session came back to one central question: “Do you like rubber dome switches?”.

Corsair k55 software