Corsair K60 Final Thoughts

Mechanical keyboards tend to have better durability than traditional keyboards, but the type of switch used produces extremely different feelings. Whether or not you will like the Vengeance K60 largely depends on whether or not you like the cherry MX red switches. All the additional features are customizable and can be removed if preferred.

The most common switches are black, brown, and blue. Red is a spin off of black.

Cherry black switches offer a linear (non-tactile) feel, the force needed to press the key is the same throughout the keypress. Blues have a solid tactile "bump" feel which can be great for typing. However rapid keypresses on the same key can be much slower due to the extra resistance and force required to overcome the "bump". Browns are half way between black and blue. Cherry red's are a special type of black switch that offers even less resistance than cherry blacks. I have found it to be great for "spamming", so it works well for almost all keyboard-based games.

Of course the K60 is an FPS oriented design, and an alternative can be the Corsair Vengeance K90 keyboard for MMO keyboard-based games. If you don't need macro capability, then you can choose to save $20 by purchasing the K60 and use the default configuration.

Corsair Vengeance K60 Conclusion

The Vengeance K60's Cherry Red switches offer a unique experience for gaming. It does not have a tactile "bump/click" feeling, which has extra resistance. The light resistance coupled with no "bump" allows quick successive key presses on the same key far easier than competing switches. The K60 is optimized for any keyboard mashing game or game with keyboard + mouse control configuration. Typing has slightly mixed results due to the nature of cherry reds, such as registering multiple keystrokes for 1 click, but this happens infrequently. Taking off the wrist rest usually eliminates the problem since it happens mostly when trying for a key that's not most comfortable to reach, such as the lower-left keys (if you have the wrist rest attached).

Visually the Vengeance K60 looks fantastic, definitely one of the better looking keyboards. While not as extreme as Razer's design, the K60 is slick and good for home or office settings. If you wanted something a little more extravagant, there's always the Vengeance K90 which has backlighting.

Corsair has always been known for quality products, and the Vengeance series is no different. The K60 has solid construction, and the metal top not only gives it a great look and feel, but also protection from damage and easy cleaning. Because the keys are removable, there's a fine line between too loose and too hard to take off. The Corsair K60 finds that fine line.

The feature set of the Vengeance K60 is a little limiting. Popular features like backlighting and macro buttons are not present in the K60 but available in the K90, so in a sense we can consider this as the "base model". One thing to keep in mind is the features of this keyboard really focus around FPS gaming, but that's not all that this keyboard is good for. If the base model is all you want, this FPS version can save you $20.

Value-wise, for $87.99 Amazon / $109.99 Newegg, the K60 isn't particularly expensive for a mechanical gaming keyboard. Cherry Red keyboards tend to be expensive to construct. Between the K60 and K90, you can choose which configuration you would prefer. You will end up deriving the most value from the Vengeance series because of the Cherry Red switches.

The Corsair Vengeance K60 is an innovative keyboard that definitely distinguishes itself from its competitors. It's also a cheaper alternative than the Vengeance K90. For FPS gaming the K60 stands out as a clear winner since no other keyboards brand themselves this way, but it also functions great as a general gaming and everyday keyboard. There definitely are some better choices if typing is your main usage, as the K60 suffers from occasional hiccups. If you like the style and simplicity of the K60 and want a cherry red mechanical keyboard, the K60 is a great choice.

Pros:

+ Cherry MX Red switches for light resistance and high spam-ability
+ 20 key rollover
+ Contoured and textured FPS keys which can be swapped with traditional keys
+ Key extraction tool included
+ USB port available
+ Slick design

Cons:

- Wrist rest may feel slightly odd
- Cherry MX Red switches not for everyone, typing experience mixed.
- Very narrow feature set

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.00
• Appearance: 9.00
• Construction:9.00
• Functionality: 8.75
• Value: 9.00

Final Score: 8.95 out of 10.

Benchmark Reviews invites you to leave constructive feedback below, or ask questions in our Discussion Forum.

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