Summary
Like most PC gamers, my setup has always been a hodge-podge of random RGB-infused devices, collected here and there over many years, with no discernable style. Not that it’s hard to make your mouse and keyboard match. No matter what brand you buy, your options are usually black, white, or on very rare occasions, blackandwhite. Say what you will about Razer’s signature neon green, at least it was going for something different.
Now, I like a pulsating RGB glow beneath black injection-molded keycaps as much as the next gamer, but after 30-ish years of K+BMing with identical-looking setups, I’ve been itching to bring a little aesthetic flair into my life. My partner recently redesigned her desk with a keyboard, mouse, mat, and headset from Razer’s Hello Kitty and Friends, and while pink bows and sparkles aren’tquitemy vibe, I was looking for something like that to bring a little personality to my gaming setup.Corsair’snew Custom Labs program is exactly what I was looking for - albeit with a few sacrifices for the sake of style.
Custom Labs launched in June with a limited selection of customization options, but now that Corsair is rolling out its next phase, the company invited me to test out the service. It’s incredibly easy to use, and I had a lot of fun customizing the look and specifications of my new desk setup. I got a keyboard, mouse, and an extra large desk mat that all share the same “Sci-fi Dark” design patterns and color schemes.
The process can be as simple or detailed as you want it to be. When you go to the Custom Labs site, there’s a collection of ten mouse/keyboard/desk mat combos to choose from with a variety of colors and designs. I had a hard time choosing between the yellow and black Cyberpunk set called Velocity and the beachy, synthwave-style collection called Dreamscape, but ultimately went with the Sci-Fi Dark pattern because it’s mostly black with a little pop of purple, so it’s not too far outside my all-black comfort zone. Look, change is hard.
If you want a more tailor-made experience, you’re able to build out your bundle like I did, piece by piece. While there’s three sizes of mat to choose from, you’re limited to just one keyboard, the K65 Plus Wireless, and one mouse, the M75 Wireless. I’m not big into TKL keyboards or ambidextrous mice, so it would have been nice to have something like the M70 (my all-time favorite keyboard) and the Sabre Pro mouse as options.
Once you choose your device, you can customize it. For the keyboard, you can choose either a black or white frame, the pattern, the type of switches, and add an optional palm wrest. With the mouse, you can choose between six colors for the base, the pattern for the face plate, the color of the buttons, the scroll wheel, the wireless adapter, and whether the feet are plastic or glass. Custom Labs is a great way to design a cohesive PC setup, but if you’re just in the market for a great ambidextrous mouse, the customization options on the M75 alone are amazing.
I received the bundle less than a week after ordering, with each piece packed into its own separate box, and the first thing that struck me was how different they look in real life compared to the picture. In the virtual preview, the Sci-Fi Dark theme gives the keyboard all kinds of great details, with pops of vibrant purple and a nice contrast between light and dark. In person, it’s very dull. The patterns are there, but you don’t get all that nice color contrast or vibrancy. The first four F keys, 1-4, and the W are all a dull, flat purple, and the rest of the keyboard is mostly just black.
The mat shows the differences even more starkly. In the picture, the bottom right side of the mat has all kinds of detail, but in real life it’s totally faded and most of that line detail is completely missing. The pictures represent the actual patterns and color of the devices, but they’re just not the same in person. If I had known how different they would look in real life, I would have chosen a more vibrant color.
I’ve had a great time using the hardware, though. My colleague Joe Parlock wrote a glowing review of the K65 Plus earlier this year, and I couldn’t agree with him more. It’s a solid and versatile keyboard that feels great to use and has a lot of awesome integration with iCue, Corsair’s customization software that I consider to be the best in the industry. I’ve gotten used to the M75 as well and I can appreciate the ergonomics of its bulky design, even if I personally prefer a lighter, smaller mouse.
If you’re in the market for this specific wireless mouse and keyboard, I think Custom Labs is a no brainer, but I wouldn’t sacrifice your device preferences for the aesthetic, especially when the actual designs don’t live up to the promised ones on the website. I would love to see Corsair build out Custom Labs with more options for hardware and customization options, because the platform is very user friendly and the idea of building a custom gaming setup is really appealing. Right now the options are too limited, but once it has more hardware options and designs I’ll happily recommend Custom Labs.
