Corsair K83 Wireless Keyboard Review

The Corsair K83 Wireless keyboard is similar in size to most TKL keyboards, or other entertainment keyboards, like the AmazonBasics K4R. While the keyboard itself is about 0.8" thick, the joystick on the upper right-hand side sticks up to 1.1". Overall, it's small enough to use connected to a smart TV on your couch. If you want a more compact board with a TrackPoint instead of a trackpad, check out the Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard II.

The build quality of the Corsair K83 Wireless is great. It looks and feels similar to the Logitech MX Keys and is made from a mix of metal and dense plastic. The keys, joystick, trackpad, and volume roller all feel solid and don't wobble too much. The space bar of our unit had a strange, tight feel to it that created an almost vacuum feel and a small squeak when being pressed. On certain presses, it felt like air was being forced out of the space around the key itself. We aren't sure if this is by design or an issue with our specific unit. If you own this keyboard and have experienced this, let us know in the discussions.

The ergonomics of the Corsair K83 are decent. It's a straight board with no included wrist rest, though its flat, low-profile design means you likely won't need one. Unfortunately, it sits at a permanent slant and has no incline settings.

The backlighting of the K83 is outstanding. While it doesn't have RGB settings, each key is individually backlit with a white light. You can also adjust the brightness on the keyboard itself, or within the included software. There are also LED lights surrounding the trackpad, which is a nice touch.

This keyboard can be used wirelessly or with a micro USB cable, which also charges the keyboard while you use it.

The Corsair K83 Wireless has exceptional wireless versatility. It has a rechargeable battery and can connect to two Bluetooth devices, as well as one device via its proprietary USB receiver, all at once. This allows you to quickly switch between three machines, like a laptop, TV, and phone.

The Corsair K83 is a unique media keyboard with a ton of various inputs and controls. It has a trackpad on the right-hand side with left/right-click buttons below it, so you can easily move a cursor on a Home Theatre PC or Smart TV from your couch. There's also a unique joystick in the top right corner, with left/right-click buttons on the upper-right rear of the keyboard which can be used instead of the traditional trackpad. To the left of the joystick, there's a volume scroller, and the F keys double as media control hotkeys.

• Corsair K83 Wireless keyboard
• USB receiver
• Micro USB cable
• Manuals

The Corsair K83 uses tactile scissor switches that feel similar to other scissor-switch keyboards, like the Microsoft Surface Keyboard, but with a much lighter actuation force.

The typing quality of this keyboard is good. Overall, the keys feel a little bit mushier than other scissor-switch keyboards, and it doesn't feel as good as some other premium keyboards, like the Apple Magic Keyboard 2017, or the Logitech MX Keys. The spacebar of our unit squeaks and feels like air is being pushed out of it while being pressed. While it shouldn't be an issue while typing, it's still noticeable and creates a sort of vacuum effect. Let us know in the discussions if you own this keyboard and have noticed this, as we aren't sure if this is by design or an issue with our specific unit. If you want a mechanical keyboard to do some gaming on your home theater PC, check out the Corsair K63 Wireless. It has a companion lapboard that makes it much easier to game while on the couch, though it's sold separately.

This keyboard is very quiet, though the squeaking sound coming from the spacebar can be fairly loud at times.

The Corsair K83 is compatible with Corsair's iCUE software. This allows you to create multiple profiles and customize the lighting to be solid white, any shade of gray, or even to create a pulsing light pattern. You can also set macros to almost every key on the keyboard, and the software works on both Windows and macOS, which is great.

Corsair's software can be installed on both Windows and macOS, so this keyboard is fully compatible with both of those operating systems. However, on macOS, the Return Hotkey (F1) and Home Hotkey (F2) do nothing. There isn't any software on Linux, but all default functions work.

On Android, all default functions work. On iOS and iPadOS devices, the Return Hotkey (F1), Printscreen Hotkey, Player hotkey (F8), and the "R" button underneath the board do nothing. The trackpad also doesn't work.