Closer Examination

I've covered so many colorful keyboards recently, both in terms of custom keycaps and novel designs, that the black and white full-size CORSAIR K60 RGB PRO keyboard somehow seems different to me. It will not be different to the average user, however, with CORSAIR targeting a back-to-basics approach in cutting down fluff and also using Cherry's more budget-friendly switches to provide for what it aims to be a mass-market mechanical keyboard that meets the growing needs of the gaming keyboard community—mechanical switches, RGB lighting, software control, and customization are all present. Now, you could argue that going with even a TKL keyboard would have been better, but the numbers clearly say that full-size keyboards sell more in the lower price range. So here we are with three separate K60 RGB PRO keyboards, all of which come with 104 keys in the US ANSI layout.

Ah, perhaps that is why this keyboard seemed different to me also! What I have here is the 105-key UK ISO layout instead. I was in two minds about turning this into a roasting session about different language layouts, but let me not get into hot waters with the locals I now share an island with. We move on to see a subtle CORSAIR "Sails" logo in the top-right corner above the numpad, with indicator LEDs to the left. Bezels are about average in size but larger on the bottom than on the other three sides, and the new CORSAIR design language continues here with "K60" on the bottom-left corner of the case, but not in a distracting manner. Secondary legends are underneath primary ones, and they are typically biased towards the top-center, hinting towards the use of north-facing LEDs. The font isn't necessarily my favorite, but I understand it has been optimized with clarity and backlighting in mind.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle. There are four large rubber pads on the corners, along with a set of rubber feet at the top corners which can be raised for additional elevation. These feet also have rubber pads on the bottom, which are thus finally also on CORSAIR's new budget mechanical keyboards. There is a tiny cutout under the left foot to access the reset button on the PCB itself, so be on the lookout for it should you ever need a hardware reset.


The cable is non-detachable and comes with standard insulation—no braiding to see here. It is black to match the keyboard and the usual 6' long, going to an available USB Type-A port on your PC (or macOS machine). You will need a USB 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1) port for the keyboard with its 900 mA current draw on the 5 VDC rail, which is not a big ask in 2021.


The CORSAIR K60 RGB PRO uses the tried and tested OEM keycap profile with the usual slanted rows and concave surfaces on top. What is different is that the keycap walls are cut off early, making them seem low-profile and far more floating in design. It might be a case of CORSAIR re-using these keycaps on the K60 RGB PRO Low Profile that also comes with the aptly called Cherry MX Low Profile switches, but it does make this keyboard look and feel somewhat cheap. Adding to this feeling is the use of your bog-standard ABS plastic keycaps with laser-etched legends, resulting in a combination that will show signs of wear and tear sooner rather than later. The K60 RGB PRO SE comes with doubleshot-injected PBT keycaps by default if that interests you, but we at least again see the use of a "standard" bottom row, which makes for compatibility with countless aftermarket keycap sets as long as you have the US ANSI layout variant.


The low-profile version uses Cherry MX Low Profile switches similar to what we saw before with the K70 RGB MK.2, but the reason I agreed to review the K60 RGB PRO is the Cherry VIOLA switch I was curious about. I saw them first-hand at CES 2020, before they were publicly announced, and the simplicity of the design is impressive. But more on that later, as we confirm that the K60 RGB PRO (and PRO SE) only comes with the new Cherry VIOLA switches seen above. The larger keycaps use Cherry stabilizers too, with no lube visible in use, making for quite a pingy and mushy experience on the space bar key in particular.


CORSAIR doesn't really advertise this, and the lack of a switch remover doesn't help alert users either, but the Cherry VIOLA switches are fairly easy to pull out for a quick look inside and out. I do not really recommend this since there are contact pads on the switch socket with what appears to be some form of grease to help prevent oxidation of the actual contacts. Regardless, this is why we do reviews so you don't have to! The Cherry VIOLA exterior looks quite different from the MX-switch lineup with a POM housing that also acts as the mounting support for the keycaps and in the switch socket. The Cherry name is engraved on the side, and the raised housing allows for some dust and spill resistance. These switches are not compatible with your typical MX-style hot-swap switch socket thus, so there is even less of a reason to take them off unless you have a bad switch and want to replace it separately somehow.