Corsair pronounces Vanguard 96, a line of 96% gaming keyboards with Hall impact switches and, for some cause, Stream Deck integration

Our Jacob actually dug Corsair’s MAKR 75 DIY keyboard, however wasn’t fully offered on both its worth or lack of Hall impact swap compatibility. Well, the corporate’s simply introduced one other swish line of wired gaming keyboards that includes not solely Hall impact switches, but in addition a tiny display screen. Because why not, I assume?

The Vanguard 96 range is giving me some severe deja vu, partly as a result of the foundations of its design are similar to the K70 collection of keebs (and I reviewed the Corsair K70 Pro TKL final March). For occasion, these keebs take pleasure in the identical MGX Hyperdrive Hall impact switches that additionally featured in that earlier K70 vary. That provides not simply fast set off tech, but in addition adjustable and twin actuation (leaving my different half to marvel why the keyboard I’ve lent them retains doubling up their key presses).

The 96 in the name refers to the 96% layout, being a wee bit smaller than a full-size keyboard but still finding room somewhere for its rotary dial and 320 x 170 full-colour LCD screen. It is, in a word, ‘compact,’ though here’s hoping that, once I get my mitts on these now available keyboards, I won’t feel ‘crowded’ is more fitting.

But hold up, this keeb is sequestering some interesting functionality under the hood. As you may already be aware, Corsair is the parent company of streamer kit brand Elgato. As such, Corsair has squeezed in native Elgato Stream Deck and Virtual Stream Deck integration. Stream actions can be mapped to the six programmable G-keys lining the left-hand side of the keyboard, and you can even whip up game-specific profiles for these key layouts, too. Talk about jam-packed.

As you may expect from a gaming keyboard really trying to do it all, pitched as a “multi-role powerhouses designed for gaming, streaming, and productivity,” you’re looking at a price tag closer to $200. Specifically, the Vanguard 96 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard will value you $180, whereas the Vanguard Pro 96 Hall Effect Gaming Keyboard will set you again $230.

The, ahem, key variations are that the Pro weighs practically 2 kg and options Corsair’s MGX V2 switches, whereas the usual version weighs somewhat beneath 1 kg and provides the MLX Fusion switches as an alternative.

To be crystal clear, each variations of the Vanguard 96 function the aforementioned, extraordinarily snazzy Stream Deck integration. Chuck within the Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE MMO mouse—which additionally options Stream Deck integration—and that is a daft quantity of buttons to play with.