Corsair Platform:6 Gaming Desk Review

Corsair has made quite a name for themselves over the years, as the definitive PC gaming brand. They've got many of the best gaming mice, headsets, keyboards, PC cases, fans, coolers, power supplies, gaming chairs and so much more. If that's not enough, they've also proven to be the masters of RGB technology. Then they have SCUF, for high-end gaming controllers, Origin for high-end PC builds, and Elgato, who create the most popular streaming peripherals on the market today. So what's next? Well, it has to be the Corsair gaming desks, and we've got the £1000+ Platform 6 in the office for testing. However, if you go for all the optional features and the most top-end model, it can cost up to £1800 for the whole package. That's not a crazy price for a desk, there are a few extremely high-end gaming desks on the market already with similar prices, but none from a brand as big as Corsair, at least, none that I know of. It's feature-packed, and well, if you want, you can add even more features. There are monitor mounts, shelving systems, pegboards, desk extensions, Elgato multi-frame mounts, cable management, integrated and on-desk power sockets and the list goes on. I suspect we'll even see more add-ons created in the future too. Elevate Your Workspace Fixed or adjustable height with LED readout controller and memory pre-sets Modular T-Channel Rail System 72" x 30" (180cm x 76cm) desk surface In-desk storage cubby with USB charging USB Type-A and Type-C charging Ships from Europe What Corsair Had to Say "The modular design of the Platform:6 makes it uniquely customizable. Need even more length than six feet? Add side extensions. More mounting locations for streaming gear? The Elgato Multi Mount is just what you need. However you imagine your ideal desk, the Platform:6 can make it a reality." - Corsair A Closer Look - Exterior First up, we have the box, well... boxes, there's an awful lot here, three huge boxes, each forming part of the desk. Of course, there would be even more if we had the highest-spec model! This is a premium product, the price tells you that much, but you can see an attention to detail here with the quality of the packaging. Thick cardboard exterior, compressible foam interior, and then even more boxes to protect the smaller parts too. I like to see this, as it means all the components are easy to find, which makes the build process easier, but also they're all very well protected. The smaller box contains the power strips and desktop outlets, which again are boxes in boxes. It's going to be a fun day getting all of this in the recycle bin! A Closer Look - Components & Assembly The desk is going to be a big job to build. Three boxes of products, all very well packaged, just getting it out is going to take some time and quite a lot of space to work in. What I do love, however, are the steps. Each bag is clearly labelled with Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, etc. You open the first bag, and you don't open bag 2 until you've used all those parts, so you're spending less time looking for the right screw or clip. I would have liked a nicer manual though, the pictures are "OK" and are in black and white, but for the size and cost of the desk, a larger glossy colour book with clearer images would have been preferred. However, there are online resources on how to build it too. You start with the Step 1 bag of components and one of the largest items, in this case, the actual desktop. It comes with a steel sub-frame pre-assembled, so it's already going to be far stronger and more rigid than a lot of standard hard-wood desktops. It comes with all the tools you need too, Allen keys mostly. However, there's also this awesome ratchet Allen key, and that helps speed things along. There are a lot of bolts though, this desk is designed to support some extremely heavy components, monitor mounts and more, so seeing that it bolts together so rigidly is no bad thing, but it is time-consuming work, so be sure to clear your afternoon for assembly. Next up, you add some of the supplementary brackets, such as these which will hold the cable routing tray under the desk. It's fully adjustable, and there are holes cut all over it, allowing you to deploy cable ties throughout, and there's a quick-release lock on the back too. Then even more bolts to hold it firmly onto the brackets so nothing rattles around. It's, uhm, MASSIVE. There are some receiver bolts built into the top already, ready to accept the screws for the motor control panel. These are on both sides too, so you can choose left or right, and unlike cheaper desks, you don't have to screw into the wood, which is great. The control panel looks great, a totally custom design, unlike the bulk of electric desks that use the same off-the-shelve component. It also has an Elgato theme and font, so it matches other Corsair products. Once screwed in place, there's a built-in controller cable that will hook up to the motor controller. Again, that's another large box that fits onto the base of the desk between the support rails. The cables need routing, but there are adhesive clips to deal with that too. And there you have it, that's phase one done, and we have a desk! But that's not all folks! It is huge, it is a whopping 6 feet wide, electronically height adjustable, and the desktop is a chunky boy at 25mm thick, while most electric desks feature a standard 18mm top. A Closer Look - Components & Assembly Continued So, onto the next phase, and we have a foot rail, it's a "stability rail" but we all know what you'll do; it bolts onto the legs with a couple more screws on either side. It's a full-width bar, and looks great, and will add to the overall stability of the desk too. Next up, we have the monitor rails. These drop into the top of the desk and provide a full-width mounting system that can be used to position your monitor in the optimal position, or multiple monitors. They use a t-channel mounting system, which is a pain in the backside to set up, as it requires putting a spring-loaded bolt into the hole via the ends of the rails, so making any major changes means taking the whole rail off. However, there is a quick-release lever on the bottom of the desk, and thankfully not just more Allen key bolts. There is a power rail that goes under the desk, but who wants to crawl under their desk every time they need a plug? Not me! This smaller top side plug can be mounted on the top rails, allowing you to move it to whatever position you prefer, and then fit it into place. It gives you three mains sockets, a USB Type-A and a USB Type-C port. Then we move onto the larger plug that goes under the desk. It can be placed in the huge cable tray, allowing you to connect all your computer hardware, and keep all the cables out of the way. Some of the desk components require power too, so you can plug the desk into this extension, that way you only have a single plug trailing off to the wall. There's a cover on the top, and under it, you'll find a large cable management chamber, which also has a hidden Type-A and Type-C port. Plus, there are cable routing grommets so you can pass cables from behind and under the desk more easily. There are two smaller trays higher up at the back of the desk too, which will deal with monitor cables and cables from other components like lighting, cameras, microphones, etc. This is especially handy for monitors that have an external power brick. A Closer Look - Monitor Arms One of the key features of these new desks is the implementation of monitor mounts. That bar is extremely robust, making it capable of sporting multiple large monitors and allowing them to be fully adjustable. As you can see, you can mount them so they're in line right in the middle, but you could just as easily separate them or offset them too. They are pushed back right now, but since they're just monitor arms, you can pull them forward, move them up and down, or push them further back to suit our current needs. They're really good quality arms too, with built-in cable management, and able to support larger and heavier monitors such as 32" and even 34" ultrawide. I love that everything is movable too, so the plugs, the monitors, it can all be slid around and locked down to suit your taste, but you will need your Allen Key to adjust the t-nuts. Final Setup To complete this setup, it only seemed right to bring out this fantastic Corsair PC from Andy's office. Corsair desk, a Corsair system... it couldn't be much easier than that! With a desk this wide, there's more than enough room for it, despite this being a rather large case. One thing we missed earlier, is a cable cover, it's a sleeve that pulls over your cables at the back to keep them looking neat, and it certainly works great. There are 3/8" screws on the corners too, like the ones you find on tripods and similar mounts, allowing us to screw the Elgato light pole right into the desk. As you can see, that puts the light in an absolutely perfect spot for streaming too, but you can put it behind the monitor too, or on the other side, as there's more than one fixed mount. However, you can also use the entire rail by using a T-nut for endless positioning capabilities. The cable management in the middle of the desk at the back allows all our USB cables to tuck into the desk and out of sight, which looks stunning, very clean and tidy. And there we have it, the final shot! A very massive, very clean, and rather expensive gaming setup, but I'll be damned if it isn't impressive. This isn't even its final form, we'll get the peg boards and extensions shortly, so stay tuned. How Much Does it Cost? The Corsair Platform:6 Desk is not cheap, with prices starting from £999.97 for the base model with none of the extras. The model we reviewed comes in at around £1400, but a full decked-out model will set you back up to £1700+. That's a lot, and while we are planning to upgrade ours with the peg boards and the extension (£199.99) and Elgato mounts (+£299.99) in the near future, I doubt everyone will want all the extras. The desk is 6ft wide but can be made wider, you can add peg boards to hang peripherals, mounts for microphones and other peripherals, and so much more, so it's really up to your budget, requirements and available space to dictate which setup is best for you. Create your own Corsair Platform:6 here. Overview This desk really is quite something, and I am sure many will want it, but far fewer than that will be able to either accommodate it in their home, due to its frankly enormous size, or in their budget, due to its frankly enormous price. The price is a big factor though, and while I fully agree that it's expensive, I don't think it's particularly overpriced. There's a lot of robust hardware here, and when you see just how big the boxes are, how many components there are, and the general quality, it does seem to add up quite quickly. Ikea sell their UPPSPEL electric desk, basically just electric legs and a flat top, and that's £599, and at £999 for the base model, the Corsair is bigger and more feature-rich. There are some concerns though, such as the overall quality of the top desk parts. On our sample at least, the edges at the back of the desk were pretty badly scuffed. Some of the packaging had ripped through, but largely the components were well protected. Plus, assembly is a huge job, not that this can be helped, but it's not a job to be taken lightly, as some components are extremely heavy. I'm also not a fan of the monitor mounts. Sure, they work, but if you wanted to remove or change a monitor mount, the T-bolts are great aesthetically, but are a pain in the, well, you get the idea. I'd like to see a better and easier solution for future models. The desk itself is epic though, there's no getting away from the fact that Corsair has taken the gaming desk concept and crammed in pretty much everything you could ask for. I love the enormous cable tray under the desk. I have a few gaming desks with pathetic plastic trays under them that are not much use, but the one on the Platform:6 most certainly is. My favourite features, strangely, are the top-mounted plugs and USB ports. I test hardware a lot (obviously), and I often have to scrabble under the desk to find a plug. Having some up top and forward facing is great and the USB ports are awesome for powering a camera or lighting gear, charging my phone, etc. It's hard to recommend this desk, mostly due to its size and price, and I think that's fair. Do I like it? Absolutely, it's not perfect, but it's going to live rent-free in our office and be a welcome part of our daily work and YouTube set, and I think largely, that's the market this is going to appeal to. Streamers and content creators can get a lot of use out of this. If you're just trying to cram one into your bedroom, however, it may be complete overkill.