What is the Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard?
If you’ve glanced at the Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard hoping for a slice of portable gaming nirvana, you’re well and truly out of luck. This small, stylish device is attractively designed for propping on your lap to manage a media centre, but it doesn’t stand on its own as a gaming athlete beyond a few noteworthy exceptions.
That being said, it’s a robustly built, multi-faceted keyboard with plenty going for it. The mixture of responsive keys, a multi-touch trackpad and even an unorthodox analogue stock combine to form a keyboard that does everything you’d want it to, given the context of portability.
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Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard – Design and build
For the £99 asking price, the Corsair K83 is an attractive bit of kit. The front design sports a brushed aluminium plate that gives way to an array of LED backlit keys with customisable lighting. Since the K83 is designed to sit comfortably on your lap it trims any unnecessary fat.
The number pad has been stripped out to ensure the overall design is as portable as possible. Certain omissions will be missed, but I’d be lying if I didn’t find the overall design to be striking. The understated aluminium design gels wonderfully with the snowy LED lighting that really brings a dimly lit room alive.
The right side of the K83 is dominated by a circular touchpad that offers four-finger gesture support, with the Corsair logo planted squarely at its centre. After laying a finger on it you’ll be met with an inviting glow. Above this you’ll find a volume scroll wheel and unsuspecting analogue stick.
All of these features are given enough space to feel like a natural part of the keyboard’s design. I found myself using all of its facets, although lefties might find the touchpad and thumbstick positioning awkward.
Lastly, you’ll find “L” and “R” buttons on the keyboard’s back, which can be used for scrolling through menus on laptops and similar displays. Although, if the keyboard’s placed face down and not on your lap then they’re not conveniently accessible. A small, but hardly consequential shame amidst an otherwise impressive design.
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Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard – Performance
If you’re planning on picking up the Corsair K83 for gaming purposes, it would be wise to take a step back and reconsider your priorities. Placed on your lap it’s ideal for accessible titles such as Hearthstone and Civilization 6, both of which require minimal input and relaxed response times. For that, it’s a light and convenient peripheral. Expand beyond that, and you’ll have some trouble.
I tried my luck with Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and was predictably put in my place. The distance between the WASD keys and touchpad make it a logistical nightmare to aim accurately and avoid a thrashing. Plus there are no mechanical keys. But that’s fine, since it isn’t really gamers that the Corsair’s K83 is built for.
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As for the keys themselves, low activation and a lack of resistance makes travel feel responsive, especially for a peripheral that needs to settle on your lap without becoming unsteady. I often found myself using the K83 from a distance to watch videos and engage with applications from my PC while across the room, all of which work flawlessly.
The Corsair K83 is incredibly light. It can be precariously balanced on a single finger, so you’ll have no problem slipping this into a backpack or leaving it on your lap for long periods of time. This is complemented even further by impressive battery life that can reach a maximum of 40 hours.
Of course, this will differ depending on LED keys’ level of brightness. But from our testing, the 2.4GHz wireless or a low-latency Bluetooth connection are both great and more or less flawless. Twenty-key roll-over alongside anti-ghosting ensures that inputs are supremely accurate, seldom falling victim to a clumsily applied touch.
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Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard – Software and lighting
The fluorescent aesthetic of the K83 doesn’t stand up against the more extravagant keyboards on the market, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s aiming for a sleek, almost coy design with a shimmering white light against oodles of grey keys. It’s also lacking in customisability, which might disappoint players hoping to really flaunt their gaming credentials.
Why buy the Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard?
For the price, the Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard presents excellent value for money, and doesn’t cement itself in a particular niche. Despite being described as having “gaming at its heart”, it doesn’t excel as a peripheral for playing alone or with friends.
However, it’s a solid foundation for an entertainment centre with a strikingly lightweight design, responsive features and ease of usability making it an excellent choice for those who spend most of their spare time on the sofa.
Verdict
With a strikingly lightweight design, responsive features and ease of usability, the Corsair K83 Wireless is a great multimedia choice for those who love the sofa.
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