Corsair Gaming K55 RGB PRO XT, USB, PT

Die K55 RGB PRO XT tritt im Test als sehr gut ausgestattet gut verarbeitete Einstiegstastatur mit Membrantasten auf. Stärken der Tastatur sind definitiv die vielen Funktionen, die entweder direkt via Tastatur oder in noch feinerer Abstimmung mit der ausgereiften iCUE-Software angepasst werden können.

Die K55 RGB Pro XT soll als neue Membrantastatur von Corsair vor allem mit ihrem Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis überzeugen. Denn obwohl sie als Einsteigermodell angeboten wird, bietet sie eine umfangreiche Ausstattung und kann auch individuell beleuchtete Tasten vorweisen. Besonders bemerkenswert ist auch der Staub- und Spritzwasserschutz nach IP42.

Like I stated, all my articles and content are typed on rubber membrane-based keyboards. I like that better than mechanical keyboards as they are a little more forgiving at my fingers. The much lower clickety-clack noises of a rubber membrane-based keyboard help as well (compared to mechanical switches). Gaming wise I could understand why one would prefer mechanical switches though. However if you are that person that types a lot and occasionally plays games and someone that wants something really cool looking, then at 49 and 69 USD you really cannot go wrong here. Heck, you can even rinse the thing clean if you wanted to. The one remark I have to make is that whenever I wanted to press the left side CTRL or SHIFT key, 90% of the time would hit the G6 key. This will simply take a little adjusting too. Also typing on it, in the beginning, will be a bit hit and miss. So accuracy on this keyboard will also take some time. A thin redlining of the product series is of course the symbiosis with Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) software (new v4), allowing you to reprogram keys, create elaborate lighting patterns and even sync the keyboard with the Elgato Stream Deck software. And we know it, iCUE can be a little startling to some, but the reality also is that it offers substantial additional functionality, especially for a value product series like this. I think the K55 RGB PRO (XT) series is a really fair offering for what you receive. If you disagree and purely need a gaming keyboard; then you can always opt for a cheapo mech keyboard and compromise a little. Gaming-wise, hey Corsair produces fine membrane switches here, but it is not a mech, that much is fair to say. In that regard, the product will not appeal to everybody, but to a certain target audience.

Corsair have been refreshing their keyboard range almost constantly since the very first Vengeance K70 keyboard appeared eight years ago. So long ago in fact that their brand colour was red at the time. We've recently been looking at a few of their updated models and with the K55 RGB Pro XT we're going from keyboards based around the glorious, but expensive, Cherry MX switch type to one that's more affordable whilst still bringing a lot of sizzle to the show. How desirable the K55 Pro XT is depends upon either how invested you are in having a keyboard with the features this misses out on, and of course your budget. Mechanical switch keyboards have a longevity that cannot be matched by other switch types, but unless you are a writer it's unlikely you'll ever get close to wearing out any keyboard before you buy a new one for its new features. I've gone through four keyboards in my time at OC3D, but then I've typed more than JK Rowling did. Not a billionaire though but hey. The other main boon of a mechanical keyboard such as the Corsair K70 is the NKEY rollover function. This means, because each switch is self-contained, that you can hold all the keys down and still have the last one recorded accurately. Non-mechanical keyboards tend to have smaller rollover numbers. The plain K55 had an 8 key rollover, whilst this new Pro XT version has 12 key rollover. You'll still find situations where a key press won't be recognised if you're a particularly fast typer, but it's be carefully routed so that the majority of keys people will use - WASD and other popular FPS keys - work perfectly all the time.

CORSAIR updates their flagship membrane keyboard with not one but two keyboards. Today, we take a look at the K55 RGB PRO XT that adds per-key RGB backlighting, new iCUE support, enhanced onboard functionality, and Elgato Stream Deck compatibility with six G-keys, making this a budget powerhouse!

The Corsair K55 RGB Pro XT is a great update to their best selling membrane based gaming keyboard, with the biggest update being the per-key RGB backlighting capability.

The plunger switches are awesome to work on and even better for gaming. It’s as good as any rivals high-end membrane keyboards, so no complaints there. It’s light, fast and responsive, which is what you want. The awesome RGB, the Stream Deck integration, detachable wrist rest, multimedia controls, IP42 dust and spill resistance, and much more all add up to a keyboard that offers way more than its price tag suggests!