Corsair Vanguard 96 Pro Keyboard Review - Premium. Unstoppable. Game-Changing.
It is comprehensively documented within the lore of Player2 that Paul James does NOT play PC games, and let us never speak of the DOOM Eternal PAX AUS demo debacle either. It is fair to say that mouse and keyboard gameplay hasn’t been something I’ve overly enjoyed, nor is it something that logistically I’ve ever really wanted to engage with. Given that my desktop is situated in my studio (AKA, my dolled-up shed) for all things Player 2 and AFL video, and inclement weather, either of the excessively cold or hot varieties, makes my PC gameplay quite unpleasant more often than not. So when a piece of gaming hardware enters my orbit that prompts me to question every rationale I had not to play PC games, I have to get in my own head and work out why that is.
Enter the Corsair Vanguard 96 Pro keyboard, Corsair’s latest weapon to combat players in the PC online gaming arena, and give you the edge. So let’s examine what comes in the box.
The Vanguard 96 Pro is the ultimate tool for PC gamers who are looking to optimise absolutely every element of their gameplay experience. The thing that stuck out right away were the subtle but ultra important macros buttons down the left side of the device. Not a row of keys, but a series of buttons on the left edge of the keyboard that aren’t giving you anything extra to content with in terms of real estate, but are immediately accessible should you need to pivot your play quickly. The Game Mode button, also down the left side along with the programmable G1-G5 buttons, will allow you to lock into whatever experience you’re in, disabling the Windows key, and changing the RGB lights to a single colour, allowing you to be completely invested in the moment. For those looking to stream their gameplay, the Vanguard 96 Pro also includes an Elgato Key, connecting to the Virtual Stream Deck tool, and for each of the G Keys to be mapped to important functions that you may wish to utilise at the snap of a finger. The keyboard also boasts a 1.9” LCD screen for a little bit of extra style and functionality linked to the rotary dial situated right next to it, which can allow you to adjust volume, camera zoom, brightness, and more.
The act of using the keyboard is incredibly slick. All expected functionality is here, and the levels of actuation can be tweaked to suit the needs of the player and/or the game. It felt like, even as I sat here writing out the review, that the input lag, from the moment I pressed a key, to the moment that I got an on-screen response, was non-existent, such was the responsiveness and appropriate level of sensitivity. From punching hundreds of words into a website, to the gaming experience, the Corsair Vanguard 96 Pro delivers. In my time with the kayboard, I dabbled with Age of Empires IV, Avowed, and re-wrote history, not just surviving, but thriving in DOOM Eternal, and the keyboard kept up with everything I wanted to do. No input lag, nor are there any other obstacles to the best possible gaming experience either. Finally, the padded wrist rest, and even the shape and size of the keys, make for an ergonomic, as well as an enjoyable experience.
The Corsair Vanguard 96 Pro makes the user experience so simple and is so responsive that I can’t help but feel the need to question why I’m not in the studio engaging with the PC gaming landscape more often. While the financial investment won’t be an insignificant one, the Corsair Vanguard 96 Pro clocks in at $230, you won’t be regretting this investment.
