CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review – A full size gaming keyboard in TKL form

The CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 mechanical gaming keyboard represents an ambitious attempt to pack full-sized keyboard functionality into a compact form factor without sacrificing performance. Coming from the CORSAIR K70 PRO TKL, I was curious how this 96% layout would handle the transition from a minimalist TKL to something that promises “full keyboard with TKL size”. After a couple of weeks of intensive gaming and daily use, I can say CORSAIR has delivered something impressive, though not without a few compromises.

Retailing at A$269, the VANGUARD 96 positions itself as a premium gaming keyboard that aims to be versatile enough for both competitive gaming and productivity work. It’s an interesting sweet spot in the market, especially for those who need a numpad but don’t want a massive full-sized keyboard dominating their desk space.

CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Review – Unboxing and Packaging Contents

CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Review – Design and Features

The VANGUARD 96 features a sleek, sculpted aluminium frame that immediately feels premium when you first handle it. The build quality is solid, with no flex or creaking when typing aggressively. It’s quite impressive how CORSAIR managed to fit everything into this compact footprint – a full numpad, arrow keys, six programmable G-Keys, a rotary dial, and a 1.9-inch LCD screen, all in a keyboard roughly the size of a TKL.

When I first read that marketing claim about “full-sized keyboard with TKL size”, I was sceptical. It sounded like they’d either make the switches uncomfortably small or create an awkward layout that would take months to adjust to. I was wrong. The keys feel natural and maintain proper spacing where it matters most. However, CORSAIR did trim down some key sizes to achieve this compact design – the “Numpad 0/Ins” key is narrower, as is the “Backslash or ” key. Some spacing between keys has been removed as well.

Are there compromises? Absolutely. I found myself missing the “Numpad 0/Ins” key occasionally when punching numbers quickly on a spreadsheet. It took a few days to adjust my muscle memory, but once I did, typing felt natural again. The important thing is that CORSAIR hasn’t sacrificed ergonomics for the sake of compactness. I love this 96% layout because it gives me the numpad I rely on for updating our family budget spreadsheets while searching for games, without the massive footprint of a traditional full-sized keyboard.

The low-profile G-Keys on the left side are positioned perfectly – easy to find when you need them, but difficult to accidentally press during intense gaming sessions.

The LCD Screen and Rotary Dial

The integrated 1.9-inch IPS colour LCD screen (320 x 170 resolution) is eye-catching. It displays useful information and definitely makes the keyboard look premium sitting on your desk. While the screen contains useful information, I barely interact with it. After the initial novelty wore off, I found myself questioning whether we really need it at all. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, and it does enhance the overall premium feel of the keyboard, but it feels more like a nice-to-have than an essential feature.

The rotary dial, on the other hand, is something I’ve always loved on gaming keyboards, and this implementation is no different. Being able to quickly adjust volume (I do this pretty often) with a simple twist feels intuitive and convenient. The dial’s integration with the LCD screen works well when you want visual feedback on your adjustments.

CORSAIR MLX Pulse Switches and Acoustics

The VANGUARD 96 comes equipped with CORSAIR’s MLX Pulse switches – linear switches with a 45g actuation force, 2.0mm actuation point, 3.6mm total travel, and an impressive 80 million keystroke lifespan. These switches feature pre-lubricated stems and Fresnel lensing for enhanced RGB lighting.

The switches are exceptionally responsive and feel somewhat hollow when you press them, offering effortless, excellent tactile feedback. The typing experience is smooth and consistent across the entire keyboard. Thanks to CORSAIR’s quad-layer sound dampening, the noise is quite subdued, and my wife, who sleeps behind my gaming chair during late-night gaming sessions, never complained once about the typing noise. That’s a significant achievement for a mechanical keyboard.

The marketed “thocky” sound profile is present but refined. It’s not the loud, resonant thock you’d get from some enthusiast keyboards, but rather a pleasant, muted thock that won’t disturb others around you.

Gaming Performance

I tested the VANGUARD 96 mostly with Borderlands 4 and Overwatch 2, and the performance has been awesome. I always set the polling rate to its maximum 8,000Hz for the ultra-responsive input. There’s virtually no input lag (this is wired, mind you), and every keypress registers instantaneously.

My test system consists of an Intel i7-14700K, 32GB overclocked DDR5 RAM running at 7200MT/s from Kingston, and an NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics card. The keyboard handled everything I threw at it without missing a beat.

The FlashTap SOCD (Simultaneous Opposite Cardinal Direction) handling technology is great for competitive play. In Overwatch 2, where strafing and quick directional changes are crucial, FlashTap improves your movement precision. The keyboard intelligently handles accidental opposing inputs, letting you execute complicated movement techniques more consistently.

However, I do miss one feature from my previous K70 PRO TKL: per-key actuation point customisation. The fixed 2.0mm actuation point is fast and responsive, but the ability to fine-tune individual keys was something I’d grown accustomed to. That said, unless you’re gaming at a professional esports level, the 2.0mm actuation point is more than fast enough for all types of games, including fast-paced competitive titles like Overwatch 2. You can also opt for the VANGUARD PRO 96 if you really need it.

Software and Customisation

CORSAIR has introduced the Web Hub as the configuration tool for the VANGUARD 96, and it feels like a temporary solution. The web-based interface works fine for basic customisation – programming macros, mapping buttons, personalising lighting, and adjusting settings. Everything you need is there, and the 8MB of onboard memory means your settings travel with the keyboard.

However, the Gaming Mode toggle on the keyboard feels unpolished. Each time I switch between gaming and non-gaming mode, I hear the USB reconnect sound, which breaks immersion and feels clunky. I also couldn’t find an auto-detection feature to automatically switch to gaming mode when launching games. This seems like an oversight that should be addressable through software updates.

One hopes CORSAIR will eventually integrate the VANGUARD 96 into their established iCUE ecosystem, which would provide more robust customisation options and better integration with other CORSAIR peripherals. Let’s hope things improve on that front.

Additional Features

The RGB lighting deserves a mention – it’s vibrant, bright, and the Fresnel lensing in the MLX switches creates beautiful, even illumination. No complaints here whatsoever.

The keyboard supports hot-swapping compatible 3-pin and 5-pin switches, though I didn’t test this functionality during my review period. For enthusiasts who like to experiment with different switch types, this flexibility is valuable.

CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Review Conclusion

The CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 succeeds in its ambitious goal of delivering full-sized functionality in a compact, TKL-sized footprint. The 96% layout works brilliantly, maintaining natural typing ergonomics while giving you the numpad and arrow keys that TKL keyboards sacrifice. The MLX Pulse switches offer responsive, smooth performance with impressive sound dampening, and the 8,000Hz polling rate delivers professional-grade responsiveness.

The software experience needs refinement, though, because the CORSAIR Web Hub feels like a stopgap solution at the moment.

At A$269, the VANGUARD 96 represents solid value for gamers who need a compact keyboard without sacrificing the numpad or advanced features.

Disclosure: CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 review sample was supplied for reviewing