PC or Mac® with two USB 3.0 or 3.1 Type-A ports|Windows® 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7*|macOS® 10.13 or later|Internet connection for iCUE software do The macro row also let me do cool things like move my gadgets and secondary skills off the number row. In the middle of an intense match, it’s much easier to figure out which macro button you’re pressing than an untextured number button without looking at the board. If you’ve ever pulled out the wrong weapon because you hit 4 instead of 3, then you already know what I’m talking about. Design and FeaturesAt first glance, the K95 RGB Platinum XT looks nearly identical to the original. The biggest visual update comes with the new wrist rest and the new blue keycaps for the macro keys. Apart from that, Corsair has adopted the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” approach to product design. I was a big fan of the original version, but if you’re new to the K95 it’s worth noting just how big it is, measuring more than 18 inches wide and 6 inches wide. Even without the wrist rest, you’ll need extra space on your desk to accommodate it compared to more modestly sized boards. The other big upgrade comes with the new foam wrist rest. Frankly, it’s about time. Corsair has kept the rubber surface to its wrist rests since the early days of the original Vengeance K70. Look, I get it: rubber is grippy. It keeps you in place while gaming. It also makes your wrists sweat. The new foam padding is a huge improvement and much more comfortable. In short, while there’s room for improvement, the software that the K95 RGB Platinum XT is designed to work with is second to none. Though you may have to fiddle with things a bit to figure out how to accomplish some specific tasks (particularly with iCUE), there’s a ton of functionality here that lets you do a whole lot with your keyboard. My only real complaint is that it’s a bit clunky to have two separate pieces of software for your keyboard controls. Hopefully in the future Corsair will combine the features of both into one software suite for simplicity’s sake.

I also spent some time using these macro keys in World of Warcraft. Paired with the tools in the game, it’s possible to map pieces of your skill rotation into a single button. This isn’t something unique to the K95 (you can do it with any keyboard) but having skill chains and abilities in their own dedicated row definitely made it more useful. The K95 XT allowed me to have a whole set of standby functions without needing to sacrifice any of my other keys.