SOME WOULD HAVE YOU THINK that the
appropriate place to use a PC is not
hunched in front of a monitor at a
battered desk scarred with the corpses of
keyboards past. Increasingly, that notion
is true: Nvidia’s BFG displays, to name
one example, are bringing acceptable
response times and minimal lag to our
living rooms, meaning no-compromise
pixel-pushing is putting its feet up on the
couch and getting comfy. It follows that
our control methods should evolve along
with the games and media we’re moving
out of the office, right? Hence this.
Let’s make one thing clear, though:
Corsair’s mini board is by no means
alone in the space. Others are out there
cooking up their own solutions for couch
control, and Roccat’s Sova—a big plank
of a keyboard, with adequate flat space
on its right edge to run a real mouse on
a real surface—arguably has the better
idea when it comes to games. Corsair
points this at “entertainment” control,
and despite its clearly delineated WASD
cluster, that’s probably the fairest way to
rate it. To do that, we need to inspect the
real meat, and that’s all on the right edge.
You can’t miss the big circular
touchpad, which, although supporting
four-finger gestures, feels specifically
designed for one-thumbed pointing.
Gesture support obviously adds a
little media control flexibility, which is
important, because Corsair has put its
media keys on double duty with the F9–
F12 keys. In action, that touchpad is the
perfect size when holding the right edge,
even if you have thumbs like a ballpark
hotdog, but flip your hand palm down,Lean back, relax, and poke your desktop from afar
Corsair K83 Wireless
Entertainment Keyboard
6
VERDICT Corsair K83 Wireless
Entertainment Keyboard
CIRCLE Comfortable typing
feel; good looks; tough construction.
SQUARE Odd joystick; awkward joystick
buttons; too-small touchpad.
$100, http://www.corsair.comSPECIFICATIONSSwitch Type Corsair Gaming Scissor
Form Factor Tenkeyless
Media Keys Ye s
Macro Keys Software configurable
LEDs White
N-Key Rollover 20-key
Pass-Through No
Dimensions 15 x 5 x 1.1 inches
Weight 1.1lb
Warranty Two yearsand it’s just too small and awkward to
use consistently with a finger.
The touchpad is not the only quirky
control method included, as Corsair
has also dropped in a configurable
analog joystick above it. Sticks are hard
to get right at the best of times, and we
can’t exactly say this has succeeded.
Contrasting the too-small touchpad, the
stick is just too large, and it covers a vast
distance when moved. With it comes a
pair of buttons, one on the shoulder, one
much larger and sitting on the underside,
within one of the K83’s two grip channels.
Certainly clever placement, as they’re
both easy to reach, but the execution
is middling at best—their glossy finish
means the base button in particular is
indefinite and easy to miss or mispress.THE RIGHT STUFF
We’re following a common thread here.
In theory, we’re blown away by the K83’s
design. It hits the mark on its weight,
on its materials, on its strength, and
its battery. Its subtle white lighting and
blend-in mix of grays and blacks means
it works well in a dim room, but doesn’t
make a scene when you’re not actively
using it. It’s versatile, offering a pair
of Bluetooth connections as well as its
own (much more responsive) wireless
receiver. But there are so many things
that don’t quite work so well, and when
you add in the click-to-mute feature of
the volume control—too stiff compared
to the looseness of the knurled roller,
meaning you’re taking a gamble every
time as to whether you’ll mute it or turn it
way up—they’re basically all on the rightedge. That’s supposed to be what makes
this special.
Even with its niggles, the K83 is not
a disaster. It’s a great little low-profile
keyboard, with brilliantly tactile keycaps,
and enough travel and distance between
keys to make it more pleasant than the
typical laptop experience. It looks great,
and we could see ourselves using it long-
term with a media PC. But not a gaming
PC. Even if the mouse cluster had fulfilled
its potential, it wouldn’t have reinvented
the wheel. –ALEX COXmaximumpc.com JUN 2019 MAXIMUMPC 89