Corsair Vengeance K60 FPS Gaming Keyboard Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. The Corsair Vengeance K604. Performance5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

We recently looked at Corsair's top of the range gaming keyboard, the Vengeance K90, which impressed us with a combination of exceptional build quality, sublime aesthetics and great performance. So we are quite interested to see what they can deliver at a more affordable price point which will appeal to a wider spectrum of gamers.

Today we are going to look at the Corsair Vengeance K60 gaming keyboard which is essentially a more basic version of the Vengeance K90. Rather than being tailored specifically for MMO gamers, it has been designed to enhance the FPS gaming experience. This means it looks rather different, ditching the 18 programmable macro buttons in favour of a replacement set of contoured WASD keys.

Specification

• Light, responsive Cherry MX Red mechanical switches for fast, efficient gaming action
  • 45g actuation Force
  • 2mm to actuation and 4mm to bottom
  • Rated for 50 million operations
  • Gold contacts
• Tuned silicon dome keyswitches: F1 through F12, Esc, PrtScn, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, Insert, Home, Page Up Page Down, Delete, and End
• Ten (10) additional sculpted FPS keys (W, A, S, D and 1 to 6) for superior reaction and control — interchangeable with the standard keyboard keys
• Gaming palm rest with soft-touch surface for superior gaming comfort
• Storage for ten (10) sculpted FPS keys
• Key extraction tool included and storable in palm rest
• Six multimedia keys — Stop,
• Previous, Play/Pause, Next, Mute, Volume Up/Down — with Solid metal, weighted volume “drum roller”Windows Lock key for uninterrupted game play
• Metal top plate for increased strength, durability and rigidity
• USB pass-through connector giving easy access to a USB port on the back of the keyboard (USB 2.0/1.1/1.0)
• USB Connector with gold plated contacts
• 2m non-tangle cable

The Vengeance K60 is supplied within a substantial cardboard box which features a black, red and silver livery with yellow writing. This gives it a very distinctive appearance that is sure to stand out well on the retail shelves. On the top of the box there is a small plastic window which gives us a sneak peak at the keyboard located within the box.

Turning the box over reveals a large image of the keyboard itself alongside a list of the key features. There is also a short blurb which gives us an overview of the key features of the Vengeance range of gaming peripherals. On the edges of the box we find details of the keyboards features in a little more detail as well as a more detailed list of specifications.

Inside the box we find the keyboard itself suspended within a rigid cardboard tray for protection. This tray also contains all of the accessories included with the Vengeance K60. These consist of a couple of product leaflets, a set of sculpted gaming keys and a FPS gaming wrist rest. There isn't a full-size wrist rest included, though, so frequent typists may be disappointed.

It would be fair to say that the Vengeance K60 is quite similar in design to the K90 which we recently reviewed. Both keyboards are finished in a combination of matte black plastic and brushed aluminum which gives them a high quality, professional visage. But there are a number of differences between the two models which we will examine in more detail below.

Rather than integrate a stiff metal plate within the keyboard like SteelSeries did with the 7G, Corsair have decided to make it an external feature. The keys themselves sit atop the folded aluminum plate which seems to make up the main structure of the keyboard. Like the K90, the keys appear to float above the surface as the different groups of keys aren't surround by a plastic bezel as we would usually expect. This gives the keyboard a unique appearance and also makes it much easier to clean dirt that falls down in between the keys. Unlike the K90, the K60 doesn't feature LED-backlighting for the keys which we think is a little disappointing.

The build quality of the Vengeance K60 cannot really be faulted on any level. The fit and finish are impeccable and the material quality is very good. The only area in which we feel the build quality of the K60 is slightly inferior to the K90 involves the plastic used to make the keys themselves. Rather than giving the keys a rubberised finish like they did on the K90, Corsair have chosen to use regular plastic which doesn't feel as pleasant during use.

In the top right hand corner of the keyboard we find a small selection of media control buttons. These are made up for play/pause, back, forward, stop and mute buttons alongside a roller button to control the volume level. Moving a little further along the top edge of the keyboard, we find another button which lets us lock the windows key so that it cannot accidentally be knocked when gaming.

Corsair have chosen to use a braided shielding for the cable which terminates in two USB connectors. Only one of these cables needs to be plugged in for the keyboard to function but both need to be plugged in if you want to activate the USB port along the back edge of the keyboard.

The Vengeance K60 doesn't feature programmable macro keys so it doesn't require a software configuration utility like the K90.

The Vengeance K60 has been designed specifically with FPS gamers in mind rather than MMO gamers which is why there are a number of subtle differences to the K90. Both keyboards feature the same Cherry MX Red mechanical switches which really define the overall user experience.

Many gamers prefer mechanical keyboards to the much cheaper membrane variety because they offer a number of preferable properties. The Cherry MX Red switches that Corsair have integrated into the Vengeance K60 register a keystroke when the key has only been depressed half way. This means that the keystrokes are registered slightly sooner which gives the gamer a slight performance advantage. Mechanical switches also give the keyboard a completely different feel which is much more responsive than a membrane keyboard.

There are a number of different mechanical gaming keyboards on the market which feature different variants of the Cherry MX switches. For example, Razer use Cherry MX Blue switches in their keyboards and SteelSeries use Cherry MX Black switches in theirs. Some manufacturers may claim that a certain type of switch has the best properties for gaming but, at the end of the day, this will depend largely on personal preference.

The Corsair Vengeance K60 features Cherry MX Red switches which have a linear action similar to the Black switches that feature in SteelSeries keyboards. But, the Red switches have a lower actuation force, meaning they take less force to depress which we found preferable both when typing but we didn't find that it improved our gaming experience by a noticeable margin. We are a little disappointed that Corsair haven't used mechanical switches for all the keys, using membrane switches for certain areas like the F1-F12 keys and the area above the directional arrows.

As the Vengeance K60 is designed for FPS gaming, Corsair have included a set of contoured gaming keys which are designed to help you hit the keys with more precision. These can be stored in the wrist rest when not in use and can easily be interchanged using the key removal tool supplied. These helped us locate the WASD keys more easily when gaming and experienced the best results when using them in conjunction with the included wrist rest.

Unlike many other gaming keyboards, the Vengeance K60 is capable of registering 20 simultaneous keystrokes which eliminates the possibility of ghosting without having to use a PS2 connector like the SteelSeries 7G keyboard.

Overall we are very impressed with what the Corsair Vengeance K60 has to offer. We think that it is one of the most attractive looking gaming keyboards on the market thanks in part to the well matched combination of matte black plastic and brushed aluminum in the design. We also like the way that they keys appear to float over the keybed as it gives the keyboard a rather unique appearance.

It doesn't seem that any other manufacturer can compete with Corsair at the moment when it comes to build quality. The build quality of the Vengeance K60 is a cut above what other manufacturers have to offer at this price point and cannot really be faulted on any level. The only small niggle we have is the lack of a rubberised coating on the keys which makes the larger K90 preferable to use.

We admire Corsair's decision to use Cherry MX Red switches in the Vengeance K60 as we feel they are better suited to both gaming and typing than the heavier Black switches which feature in SteelSeries' keyboards … but, at the end of the day this is just our personal preference. Gamers who prefer the heavier action of the Black switches or the tactile feedback of the Blue switches would be better off considering other keyboards like the SteelSeries 7G or Razer BlackWidow Ultimate.

At a price of around £85 at Amazon, we feel that the Vengeance K60 offers reasonable value for money. It may be £10-20 more expensive than the Razer BlackWidow and SteelSeries 6G V2 but we feel that it more than makes up for this with the superior build quality and distinctive aesthetics.

Pros

• Attractive appearance
• Solid build quality
• Mechanical switches
• Optional contoured gaming keys

Cons

• No full length wrist rest included
• Some keys don't have mechanical switches

KitGuru says: Another impressive keyboard from Corsair that puts up a strong fight against the competition.

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