Corsair announces Vanguard 96, a line of 96% gaming keyboards with Hall effect switches and, for some reason, Stream Deck integration
Our Jacob really dug Corsair's MAKR 75 DIY keyboard, but wasn't entirely sold on either its price or lack of Hall effect switch compatibility. Well, the company's just announced another swish line of wired gaming keyboards featuring not only Hall effect switches, but also a tiny screen. Because why not, I guess?
The Vanguard 96 range is giving me some serious deja vu, in part because the foundations of its design are very similar to the K70 series of keebs (and I reviewed the Corsair K70 Pro TKL last March). For instance, these keebs enjoy the same MGX Hyperdrive Hall effect switches that also featured in that earlier K70 range. That offers not just rapid trigger tech, but also adjustable and dual actuation (leaving my other half to wonder why the keyboard I've lent them keeps 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 cost you $180, while the Vanguard Pro 96 Hall Effect Gaming Keyboard will set you back $230.
The, ahem, key differences are that the Pro weighs nearly 2 kg and features Corsair's MGX V2 switches, while the standard edition weighs a little under 1 kg and offers the MLX Fusion switches instead.
To be crystal clear, both versions of the Vanguard 96 feature the aforementioned, extremely snazzy Stream Deck integration. Chuck in the Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE MMO mouse—which also features Stream Deck integration—and that's a ludicrous amount of buttons to play with.