Corsair K63 WirelessKey

Key Features

• Review Price: £109.99
• 2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless
• Tenkeyless design
• Cherry MX Red switches
• Up to 75 hours’ battery life
• Weight: 1.09kg

What is the Corsair K63 Wireless?

The K63 wireless is the first keyboard from Corsair to ditch the wires for a cable-free desk. Its smaller tenkeyless design will slot nicely into any sized setup, and thanks to the optional Bluetooth connection, it will work with pretty much any device.

It isn’t found wanting for gaming pedigree, either: it comes equipped with Cherry Red MX switches, and a mere 1ms response time in 2.4GHz mode. If you’re a living room gamer then you can even slot the K63 Wireless into Corsair’s Lapboard for an entire wire-free couch-gaming experience.

All of this does come at a cost – the K63 is quite pricey for an board lacking any RGB lighting – but there’s no doubt this is currently the best wireless gaming keyboard on the market.

Corsair K63 Wireless – Design, build and features

If there’s one thing that Corsair consistently gets right with regards to its keyboards, it’s the layout. The K63 is exquisitely well designed. You’ll find a bank of media keys along the left and right side of the board, both of which are easy to activate in a pinch. You lose out on the volume roller that features on higher-tiered keyboards, but it isn’t really something I’ve missed in daily use.

As a tenkeyless keyboard, the K63 Wireless lacks a number pad – but everything else is exactly where you’d expect it. Plus, I rather like having the extra space on my desk.

Each key uses a Cherry MX Red switch for operation, and houses a single LED beneath each cap. It’s worth noting that Corsair now sells hardened double-shot keycaps (as pictured) as an optional extra for its keyboards – although, unless you value the cool white style, I wouldn’t say it’s a huge step up versus the standard setup.

Sadly, there’s no RGB lighting on the K63, with the only colour options being ‘Blue’ or ‘Ice Blue’. It’s perfectly logical, since RGB would greatly reduce the battery life. However, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see a full-sized wireless keyboard with RGB lighting from Corsair in the near future.

The body of the keyboard itself is very well constructed, without any traces of flex. The rear kickstands work in the manner you’d expect, and unlike the K95, it doesn’t fall over when knocked horizontally. Unfortunately, the wrist-rest is a bit of a let-down. It feels pretty cheap and flimsy, spoiling what is otherwise a flawless execution of design.

Connecting the keyboard is easy, and simply requires a single USB 3.0 port for the provided dongle. Battery life is rated at 15 hours out of the box, although this can be extended to 25 hours by lowering the brightness, or 75 hours when off entirely.

It’s a shame you’ll require two USB dongles if also using the wireless Dark Core mouse, although Corsair says that the technology isn’t there yet to allow for this without compromising latency.

Corsair K63 Wireless – Performance and software

As a mechanical gaming keyboard, the K63 Wireless has a lot to live up to – but it excels in all gaming scenarios without breaking a sweat.

Mechanical keyboards aren’t often wireless, and the reason for this is latency – the time it takes for the keyboard to communicate with the computer. The biggest praise I can pay the K63 Wireless – aside from it being cable-free – is that I’d never have known that this was any different to any other MX Red-switched keyboard. Keypresses register instantly, and I’ve never had any instances of lag, delay or cut-outs.

For gaming, the K63 works like a charm, with the linear Cherry Red switch handling movement and actions with ease. Having a mechanical keyboard is a real boon for gaming, and while the K63 Wireless won’t turn you into an eSports champion, it will certainly help your game.

I have mixed feelings when it comes to typing; I’ve used linear switches for years without an issue, and the extra key travel improves the typing experience. Having said that, tactile Brown and Blue switches are widely regarded as better for typing, and it seems odd that Corsair doesn’t currently offer the K63 Wireless in these flavours.

Corsair’s CUE software can be used to make adjustments to the keyboard functions, and you’re able to assign keys and launch applications or macros. It’s easy to use – although, while there are plenty of lighting effects to choose from, you’re sadly unable to pair the lighting with other Corsair peripherals when in wireless mode.

Why buy the Corsair K63 Wireless?

The K63 is my favourite keyboard on the market today. I love the tenkeyless form factor and Cherry MX switches, and while the lack of RGB lighting is a step backwards, being free of cables improves my desk’s appearance tenfold.

Sure, you’ll have to charge the keyboard every week or so – and, yes, you’ll have to pay a fair sum for the privilege – but pair the K63 with a wireless mouse such as Logitech’s G703, and you have the ultimate wireless battlestation.

Verdict

If you’re after a wireless gaming keyboard, it doesn’t get better than this.