In a small CES preview, Corsair have emailed us about one of their internal design projects they will be showcasing this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  Corsair is calling this the MX RGB Project: 100% mechanical key switches with per-key color backlighting, giving the user full control of 16.8 million color resolution.

This is a collaboration between Corsair and Cherry Corp., a technical showcase based on a Vengeance K70 keyboard and new Cherry MX RGB switches.  The aim is to get a similar product on the shelves in the second half of 2014 in the fast Cherry MX Red, the light tactile Cherry MX Brown, or tactile and audible Cherry MX Blue.

Corsair wants feedback on ideas like this: I for one could see it useful for lighting up different keys that have different functions in different games.  If it can detect when I am playing Battlefield 4 vs. Borderlands 2 or Grand Theft Auto, then I cannot wait to see it in the flesh.  Expect it to be available sometime after Computex, when I am sure we will see a near-final version.

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  • sjael - Monday, January 6, 2014 - link

    I have three words. Music. Spectrum. Analyzer.

    Please, Corsair, give me that. Don't care how awkward it is on a qwerty layout, I just need this in my life.
  • Dustin Sklavos - Monday, January 6, 2014 - link

    That sounds awesome. I'll pass it on. ;)
  • SeleniumGlow - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link

    I'll second that.
    And if I can have keys highlighted according to the DAW software shortcuts or maybe even 3D modelling and rendering software (like Maya/3dsMax) shortcuts, they'll be very handy.
  • Notmyusualid - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link

    I can't DISagree with you...

    But I have a coloured keyboard on my M18x R2. It was fun for 5 minutes.

    But then you end up just leaving it on one colour (blue for me).

    Keeps my God-son entertained, but he is 10.

    :)
  • extide - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link

    Yeah... but that isnt RGB *per key*..
  • GokieKS - Monday, January 6, 2014 - link

    Wish they would make a MX Clear keyboard instead. If they did I'd even be willing to pay the extra cost for the completely absurd and useless (to me) backlighting system.
  • Daisho11 - Monday, January 6, 2014 - link

    LGBT edition
  • garadante - Monday, January 6, 2014 - link

    ...I'm pissed, now. Spent an absurd amount of money on a K95 not that long ago because there was nothing on the market like this. Now they come out with this, and I would've bought whatever mechanical keyboard had this, whatever brand. Sure hope they might let me sidegrade/upgrade when I have to RMA my keyboard for failing backlights, which seems a problem with the K95. Anyone know how good Corsair's customer service is?
  • Dustin Sklavos - Monday, January 6, 2014 - link

    "OH NO I BOUGHT AN AMAZING KEYBOARD AND NOW THEY'RE COMING OUT WITH AN EVEN MORE AMAZING KEYBOARD THE BASTARDS"

    I'm still rocking my K90 after I spilled water on my K95. Jesus wept.
  • garadante - Monday, January 6, 2014 - link

    Keyboards have nowhere near the short product cycle life as most other computer components. I'm fully aware of product cycles. But this sudden turnaround is frustrating. Hoping they'd do a sidegrade considering I'll need to RMA it someday anyway.

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