You can wash your hands all you want, if your mechanical keyboard is equipped with cheap keycaps, they’re eventually going to fade, leaving behind a greasy looking shine. To combat against this, Corsair is now offering a set of durable PBT double-shot keycaps.
These are meant as replacements for your existing keys and are compatible with a “wide range” of Corsair mechanical keyboards (K95, K70, K65, K66, K63, and Strafe). They also should work with many keyboards from other vendors that use Cherry MX key switches, though it’s a bit of a gamble—these replacement keycaps cost $50.
So what makes keycaps different? Many mechanical keyboards ship with ABS keycaps. They cost less than the PBT variety and are typically thinner and smooth. PBT keycaps are usually thicker and matte with a textured finish, allowing them to resist fading and shining.
“Corsair double-shot keycaps are formed in a special two-shot mold process to ensure long-lasting durability and performance. Unlike traditional keycaps which are painted and then etched, the lettering on double-shot keycaps is physically molded into the body of each keycap, with two interlocking pieces combining to ensure that they will never fade or become illegible overtime,” Corsair explains.
The new keycaps will not interfere with RGB backlighting, or regular backlighting.
Corsair is offering the new keycaps in sets of black and white, both backed by a two-year warranty. They’re supposed to be available now, though Corsair’s website currently shows them as being out of stock. We suspect that will change by the end of the day.