Michael Crider
We’ve been waiting for a perfect way to control a PC from the couch: controllers are tricky on a desktop UI, and a mouse and keyboard are clunky without a desk. Corsair’s K83 wants to combine them both.
This interesting wireless keyboard includes a few things we’ve seen before in “media” boards, like a touchpad mouse on the right side with left and right buttons and media controls. But it’s hiding a few secrets, too: on the top corner of either side there are large “L and “R” buttons, very much like a Super Nintendo controller, and the right side has a full thumbstick. Wireless, as is becoming standard for these designs, is offered via a 2.4GHz USB dongle or Bluetooth. It’s available on Amazon today for $110.
But don’t rush out to spend your hard-earned dollars on this thing right away. Initial hands-on reactions from sites like Tom’s Guide and Engadget are mixed, pointing out that the K83 doesn’t have gaming-style programmable layouts, and its backlighting is a simple two-layer white LED. It’s also using membrane keys, instead of low-profile mechanical keys that have been available for quite some time. The gaming-style shoulder buttons and joystick aren’t particularly helpful while using the keyboard and mouse as, well, a keyboard and mouse, and can’t replicate the feel of even a basic controller, either.
The K83 might be a pretty decent media keyboard, but there are cheaper options available that stick to typing and mouse duties well enough. For extremely simple games it may be desirable, but $100 for a convergence input device is a lot to ask when dedicated controllers are now available for every platform.
Source: The Verge
