We’ve seen customizable systems for mice, keyboards, and other gadgets before, but usually from the likes of WASDKeyboards and ColorWare. Microsoft was the first big supplier to take up the mantle with its Xbox controllers and now Corsair is following along with the Corsair Custom Lab. The company’s first offerings are keyboards, mice, and desk mats.
They’re pretty good picks, too. The first and only keyboard on offer so far is the K65 Plus Wireless, which is PCWorld’s selection for the best gaming keyboard on the market at the moment. The singular mouse available in the shop is the M75 Wireless, a well-regarded ambidextrous design, and the mm30 mouse pad comes in small, big, and Big Chungus size options.
Corsair
Corsair
Corsair
Going through the editor leaves me a bit disappointed. This tool doesn’t make the gear “custom” so much as aligned along ten different trendy themes. You can also pick your base color and the types of switches that go into the keyboard (which is hot-swappable anyway)… but that’s it. The mouse gets a few more choices for buttons and feet, but the only thing you’re getting here that you couldn’t find elsewhere is a mouse with a paint job that matches your keycaps.
To get that oh-so-trendy look, you’re spending $340 at the very least, with a selection of exactly one keyboard and one mouse. It’ll be $390 if you want the biggest desk mat to round out the set. (You can save about $65 by choosing one of the pre-made bundles). That’s a lot of scratch in anyone’s money, and two or three times more than you’d pay for even a great set of custom keycaps and a matching desk mat.
Corsair
Corsair
Corsair
And though you wouldn’t get the cool-looking mouse, you could use said keycaps and mat with mouse and mechanical keyboard from any brand. So, at the moment, the Custom Lab only seems like a good call if you’re a big fan of both the M65 and the M75, or you’re prepared to go all-in on Corsair’s PC accessory system. Methinks that might just be the point here.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.