- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared to others
- Discussions
The Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard is a basic gaming keyboard. It uses rubber dome switches, which don't offer the same tactile feedback as mechanical switches found on most gaming keyboards. It's full-size with six extra macro keys, and since each key is macro programmable, it can still be customized how you like. The keys are stable, but they feel heavy to type on and it could get tiring using this keyboard. It has zone-lit RGB lighting if you want to use it in the dark, but you can't change the lighting on a per-key basis. It's a good keyboard for casual gamers, but it might disappoint some more serious gamers.
Our Verdict
The K55 is decent for mixed usage. It uses rubber dome switches that feel heavy to type on and don't give the same tactile feedback as mechanical switches. However, you can customize it how you like for gaming or programming since each key is macro programmable on this full-size keyboard. It has zone-lit RGB backlighting so, unfortunately, you can't change the lighting on a per-key basis. However, it comes with a comfortable wrist rest, and it's quiet for use in an office environment.
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Every key is macro programmable.
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Good ergonomics.
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Zone-lit RGB lighting.
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Keys feel heavy to type on.
The Corsair K55 is decent for gaming. The rubber dome switches have a good amount of actuation force and pre-travel distance that might be too high for some serious gamers. It has zone-lit RGB lighting, each key is macro programmable, and there are also six extra macro keys.
The K55 RGB keyboard can't be used wirelessly.
Alright for office use. The keys feel heavy to type on and it could get tiring, but they feel stable and there's decent space between each one which helps reduce typos. The K55 has good ergonomics and it comes with a comfortable wrist rest, and it's quiet to type on, which is great for an office environment.
The K55 is okay for programming. Each key is macro programmable and it has zone-lit backlighting. The typing quality is mediocre and it could get tiring typing on it, but it has good ergonomics and comes with a comfortable wrist rest.
- 6.7 Mixed usage
- 6.8 Gaming
- 2.2 Mobile/Tablet
- 7.0 Office
- 6.9 Programming
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Test Results
Since it's a full-size keyboard, the K55 takes up a good amount of space, but you can make it smaller by removing the wrist rest.
Okay build quality. It's entirely made out of plastic, and although there's a decent amount of flex to it, it feels solid, similar to the Corsair K68 RGB. The keycaps are ABS and feel stable, but the keys feel soft and mushy when you press them.
Good ergonomics. There's one incline setting and it comes with a detachable wrist rest.
Ordinary backlighting. Unlike the K68 RGB, it has a zone-lit backlight and you can't customize the RGB lighting on each key. You can change the brightness settings between 'Off', 'Low', 'Medium', and 'High' directly on the keyboard itself.
It comes with a long cable, so you shouldn't have any issues reaching your computer.
This keyboard can't be used wirelessly, but the Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard is a very similar wireless keyboard.
This keyboard has quite a few extra features. All keys are macro programmable, including the media keys, except the Windows Key Lock, which can be programmed to do one of four functions. Also, there are six dedicated macro keys on the left side.
Unlike the mechanical switches on the K68 RGB, this keyboard has rubber dome switches. They have a noticeable bump before the actuation point, which offers some tactile feedback, although they are a bit mushy. They require a good amount of force and the pre-travel distance is fairly high, especially for a gaming keyboard.
Mediocre typing quality. The keys feel soft and mushy and with such a high actuation force and a fairly high pre-travel distance, it could get tiring typing on this keyboard. Fortunately, the keys are fairly stable and there's a decent distance between them to help reduce typos. If you want a gaming keyboard with a much better typing quality, then check out the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL.
As is the case with most rubber dome switches, this is a quiet keyboard that shouldn't bother people around you.
The Corsair iCue software offers a good amount of customization options for this keyboard. Each key is macro programmable and you can change the RGB zone lighting through the software. Corsair claims this keyboard has on-board memory, but it didn't work for us.
The K55 has decent compatibility. It's only fully compatible with a Windows computer, and on macOS, the Scroll Lock and Pause Break buttons didn't work. On Linux, all keys worked except the Stop, Skip Forward/Back, and the Play/Pause buttons. If you need a similar keyboard that's fully compatible with Linux, check out the HyperX Alloy Core RGB.
Differences Between Sizes and Variants
The Corsair K55 is only available in black with rubber dome switches. The Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard is a wireless version of the K55 with individually lit keys. If you come across a different variant of the K55 or if yours doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review.
Compared to other keyboards
The Corsair K55 is a budget keyboard that doesn't match up to some higher-end mechanical gaming keyboards. However, it performs similarly to some of its competitors, such as the SteelSeries Apex 3 and the Razer Cynosa Chroma. Also check out our recommendations for best keyboards, the best gaming keyboards, and the best RGB keyboards.
The Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard is much better than the HyperX Alloy Core RGB. Each key is macro programmable, it has a dedicated software, zone-lit RGB backlighting, and the ergonomics are much better. Although the HyperX also uses rubber dome switches, they require much less actuation force, so it's less tiring typing on this keyboard.
The Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard is a bit better than the Razer Cynosa Chroma. They both use rubber dome switches that have very similar pre-travel distance and actuation force, so the typing quality between them is the same. However, the K55 comes with a wrist rest for better ergonomics, while the Cynosa has individually lit keys.
The SteelSeries Apex 3 is much better than the Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard. They both have rubber dome switches, but the typing quality is much better on the Apex 3 because it requires much less actuation force. The Apex 3 also has a significantly better build quality than the K55.
The Corsair K68 RGB is much better than the Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard. It uses mechanical switches, providing better tactile feedback for an improved gaming experience and better typing quality. Each key on the K68 is individually lit, while the K55 is zone lit. Since the K55 uses rubber dome switches, it's quieter to use in an office environment.
The Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard and the Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard are two very similar keyboards. The only differences between them are that the K57 is wireless and has individually-lit keys, while the K55 has zone lighting.
The Logitech G910 Orion Spark is better than the Corsair K55 RGB for most uses. The G910's Romer-G switches provide a much better typing experience than the rubber domes on the K55. The keys on the G910 are individually-lit rather than zone-lit and its customization software offers a cloud sync option, which the K55 doesn't. On the other hand, the K55 comes with a wrist rest.
Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard Price
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