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Introduction
With CES 2017 kicking off, we’ve already seen everything from a new Nvidia Shield to Dell’s surreal 8K monitor.
Things are just warming up, however, and although the average gamer can’t afford some of the more outrageous inclusions in our rundown of the most insane gaming laptops from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, there’s always room to update the accessories complementing your existing gaming PC.
In this article, we’ll peer into the future at a small selection of keyboards, monitors and other gaming-centric PC peripherals that you can expect in 2017.
Enveloped in this list are the light bar-equipped K95 RGB mechanical keyboard, a 4K HDR monitor with an eye-pleasing 144Hz refresh rate and even a 12K gaming laptop with three screens – because why the Hell not?
Corsair K95 RGB Platinum
The best mechanical keyboards are all about cool lights (we say, tongue planted firmly in cheek), and no one knows that better than Corsair.
With its flagship K95 RGB Platinum, the company is rethinking the way we type thanks to 8MB of memory dedicated entirely to key mapping, macros and lighting profiles for not only the keys themselves, but also a 19-zone light bar implemented across its frame.
This keyboard looks to be the best of the best for those who enjoy the sheen of customizable LEDs, but its appeal doesn’t stop there. The K95 RGB Platinum also flaunts a set of six side-positioned macro keys, a removable dual-sided wrist rest and even USB pass through for which other devices can be connected.
This one-of-a-kind keyboard is coming later this month for the luxury price tag of $199 (about £160, AU$275).
Razer Project Valerie
It’s not a peripheral in the conventional sense of the word, but Razer’s Project Valerie has the potential to be more than just a showy gimmick.
Instead of coming out of the woodwork as a product you can buy off the shelf, Project Valerie is a concept laptop, meaning it may not even come to market. That didn’t stop Razer from showing it off at CES, however – the perfect venue for an overtly ambitious idea like this.
Packing in a trio of 17.3-inch 4K screens, this is indeed the laptop your mother warned you about; if it ever did come out, the price tag would be maddening.
Thankfully, it’s equipped with a GTX 1080 – just the GPU for the job if we’re talking 4K. The only thing is, we’re talking three 4K IGZO panels complemented by an all-aluminum finish and an ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard.
The final product may never see the light of day, but what’s more likely is that Razer re-introduces Project Valerie as an optional appendage down the line.
Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ
If you thought the previous entry on our list was impressive, the ROG Swift PG27UQ is a 4K peripheral you can actually buy. Paving the way for more high-dynamic range (or HDR) displays down the line, Asus’ latest 27-inch monitor boasts an Ultra HD resolution complete with HDR and a buttery smooth 144Hz refresh rate. With its 1,000 cd/m² brightness, it promises to put out not only the brightest whites but the darkest blacks as well.
What’s more, the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ is powered by the same Quantum Dot technology used in many of Samsung’s high-end 4K TVs. Not only is it the obvious choice for gamers, but this monitor bolsters the DCI-P3 color gamut made standard by the film industry. So long as you’re planning on pairing it with one of the latest Kaby Lake processors from Intel, or even an Nvidia Pascal GPU, it might be the ideal candidate for kicking back with a 4K movie on Netflix.
HyperX Alloy RGB Gaming Keyboard
HyperX has stepped its game up since releasing the Alloy FPS found on our best gaming keyboards list. At long last, our two major complaint points about that device – its lack of RGB backlighting – have now been addressed.
The Alloy FPS, which lacked dedicated media buttons and more than single-color backlighting, has now been ousted by the Alloy RGB gaming keyboard that boasts lighting with 16 million colors.
Not only does it feature lighting of all hues, but the Alloy RGB packs dynamic lighting profiles and gives you full control over the keyboard’s LED color arrangement. As the name also suggests, it’s encased by an alloy metal frame making it just as durable as the original Alloy FPS, but with the added bonus of pretty shinies.
Cherry MX Board Silent
Though it’s not advertised as a gaming keyboard, the Cherry MX Board Silent takes the beloved G80-3000 and makes it quieter. For those who like to sneak a few rounds of Overwatch in the office, this keyboard introduces the Cherry MX Silent keyswitches to a classic form factor.
Unlike some competing keyboards in its same class, the Cherry MX Board Silent brings forth what is called the “N-Key Rollover” functionality, which allows for the simultaneous input of 14 different keys without the infamous hindrance of keyboard ghosting – which is crucial for gamers.
The Cherry MX Board Silent is calculated by the manufacturer to last over 50 million keystrokes. Available in both MX Silent Red and MX Silent Black configurations, the Cherry MX Silent sells at a suggested retail price of $149 (about £120, AU$203).
Keep in mind that while the MX Red Silent exhibits higher resistance, while the MX Black Silent edition puts up less of a fight. Both versions can be purchased in either grey or black. If you crave the precision of a Cherry MX keyswitch but the silence of a boring old office keyboard, this could make for the perfect compromise.
