Big news, mechanical keyboard fans: Corsair has teamed up with Cherry to debut a totally new quiet switch, the Cherry MX RGB Silent. The Silent switch is in one of two new keyboard variants Corsair announced at Gamescom, the Strafe RGB (with Red and Brown Cherries) and the Straft RGB Silent. Also on Corsair’s plate for the show: a new Scimitar mouse aimed at MMO and MOBA players, and a line of new and refreshed headsets.
I got to check out the Strafe RGB Silent last week, and it mostly feels like a Cherry MX Red switch, with linear activation that requires 45 grams of force. Corsair says it’s 30% quieter than the Reds, without using an O-ring or other sound-reducing technique that affects the feel of the switch. From a cursory test, it felt noticeably different from a standard Red switch, but hardcore keyboard fans will no doubt have a lot more to say once they get fingers on the RGB Silent.
Corsair plans to launch the Strafe RGB Silent keyboard at $160 and the standard Strafe RGB at $150. For reference, the red LED-only Strafe goes for $110.
Corsair also showed me the Scimitar RGB gaming mouse, which has a 12 button layout under the thumb. The gimmick that sets the Scimitar apart from similar MOBA/MMO mice like the Razer Naga and Logitech G600 is that the thumb buttons are mounted on a sliding pad, which can move forward or backward 8 millimeters. It locks firmly into place without wiggling, and the buttons themselves have a great tactile click. Each column of three buttons is styled to distinguish it by feel. With that many buttons, it’s likely not a mouse for many FPS gamers, but the ADNS 3688 sensor (here cranked up to 12,000 DPI) was a popular choice a few years back. The Scimitar’s going to cost $80 when it launches in September.
The last of Corsair’s new gear for the fall is its Void headset lineup, which includes Void Wireless 7.1, USB 7.1 and analog stereo variants. Both the 7.1 models are decked out with RGB lights that are controlled via the same Corsair CUE software used for its keyboards and mice. Corsair told me that they used a more efficient 2.4GHz wireless chip in this year’s model, along with a bigger battery, to up battery life to 16 hours of continuous use—and that’s with the RGB lights firing off. Turn down the lights, they said, and you’ll get 20+ hours.
All three headset models have 50mm drivers, and the 7.1 models have “InfoMics,” aka mic booms outfitted with LEDs that convey settings, mute, etc. The Void headsets are launching in late August, priced at $130 (wireless 7.1), $100 (USB 7.1) and $80 (stereo analog).
Corsair’s going hard on RGB this year, but it’s also thankfully revamped its CUE software to be much more user-friendly. The utility handles all the settings adjustments for mice, button assignments and macros for mice and keyboards, sound settings for headsets, and lighting for everything. You can also sync up the lighting for all of the above if you want them to flash in unison. If you already own some of Corsair’s RGB gear, definitely update CUE for a friendlier UI.
