Corsair Adds High-End Tenkeyless to Its Budget Keyboard Line

It’s a known fact at this point: Corsair makes a damn good keyboard. Thing is, most of their high-end offerings also cost a pretty penny. And if you’re a gamer on a budget, Corsair’s lower-end products tend to eschew some of the key features found in their more expensive counterparts. 

That’s changing with the introduction of the Corsair K63, an affordable tenkeyless keyboard that boasts Cherry MX Red keys, accentuated (and customizable) backlighting, and dedicated media controls, among other things. 

At $80, the K63 is hard not to love, even if it doesn’t have all the features of say, the K95 RGB Platinum. So if you’re not looking to drop $200 on a responsive and reliable Corsair keyboard, keep reading to find out why the K63 might just be the keyboard you’ve been waiting for. 

The Corsair K63 Keyboard Fills a Market Niche

There are a lot of budget keyboards out there on the market, but very few of them live up to the resiliency and reliability of the new Corsair K63. Each key responds with ease because of the board’s 100% anti-ghosting technology. What’s more, each Cherry MX Red switch uses Gold Crosspoint technology, providing a lightning-fast response on top of the K63’s already fast 2.0mm accentuation distance. 

That distance isn’t as rapid as the RGB Platinum’s absurdly low 1.2mm accentuation distance — but we found that for most instances, the difference was negligible. Only when we were playing more twitch-style games, like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, did we notice any discernible difference. 

Going tenkeyless also means that the K63 is highly portable, fitting right into your backpack on the fly. It takes up a lot less desk space than most of Corsair’s other keyboards, too, which really amplifies its portability and functionality for games that require sweeping mouse movements or a freer range of motion. Or even for gamers who have really tiny desks. 

For its price, sturdy construction, and reliability, the Corsair K63 is a budget keyboard that delivers great accuracy in a small package. 

The Corsair K63 Doesn’t Have Everything — But It Doesn’t Have To

RGB Lighting

The K63 tenkeyless doesn’t have RGB lighting like some of Corsair’s other offerings. But customizing the K63 with CUE is just as easy as ever before — plus, the red glow that comes stock with the K63 doesn’t hurt the eyes in a dim-lit room. The cherry hue is also gorgeous in any lighting, illuminating each key for easy recall. 

Gaming on a Macro Level 

The K63 also doesn’t have the programmable “G Keys” that can be found on other Corsair keyboards, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t highly customizable. Whether you’re remapping a single key, setting key timer cooldowns, or programming important macros, CUE allows for full keyboard customization. With both work and gaming, we found that on the majority, this functionality was on par with Corsair’s more expensive offerings. 

The K63 Isn’t Really Ergonomic & Sometimes Uncomfortable

With no pre-packaged wrist rest, the Corsair K63 stock is a sometimes uncomfortable keyboard, especially if you’ve been using a more ergonomic keyboard. However, you can purchase a wrist rest separately. And after about 12 hours of gaming with the K63, we recommend it. 

On top of that, the K63’s compact build means the keys are very close together. Players with larger hands may find scrunching their fingers together is the only way to reach some of the K63’s keys — and that fatigue can set in after a few hours of play. 

Verdict: The Corsair K63 Tenkeyless Keyboard Does Everything Its Advertised To Do

You won’t find anything revolutionary with the K63. Many of Corsair’s other products provide the same, if not greater, functionality. The key here is that the K63 is the cheapest of the Corsair line to offer the functionality it offers. 

If you’re a gamer on a budget (and on the go) looking for a high-end keyboard for a fraction of the price, the K63 is a product you’re going to definitely want to check out.

Despite its very few flaws, it fulfills all its promises. If what it’s offering sounds like what you need, the K63 is currently available on Amazon. 

[Note: A K63 review unit was provided by Corsair for the purpose of this review.]