MANUAL | QUICK START GUIDE
VANGUARD 96
RGB MECHANICAL GAMING KEYBOARD
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR KEYBOARD
- GAME MODE BUTTON
- G-KEYS
- COLOR LCD SCREEN
- ROTARY DIAL
- DETACHABLE BRAIDED TYPE-C CABLE
- 2 IN 1 KEYCAP & SWITCH PULLER
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
| FEATURE | DESCRIPTION |
| Form Factor | 96% |
| Top Cover | Aluminium plate |
| Bottom | Plastic |
| Sound Absorbing Foam | PORON |
| Case Foam | Silicone |
| Palm Rest | Magnetic cushioned palm rest |
| Colorway | Black / Dual Tone |
| Keycaps | PBT Double shot (BR, SP, ES layout is ABS Paint) |
| Backlighting | Individually LED lit and per-key programmable |
| LED Color | RGB |
| Keyswitches | CORSAIR MLX mechanical pre-lubricated key switches |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0 Type-A |
| Matrix | Full key rollover (NKRO) with 100% anti-ghosting |
| USB Report Rate | Up to 8,000Hz hyper-polling with CORSAIR AXON |
| Profiles | 5 (1 On-board, 4 on WEB HUB) |
| Media Control | FN shortcuts / Rotary dial |
| Game Mode | Hotkey*1 |
| Brightness Control | FN shortcuts / Rotary dial |
| Adjustable Height | Yes |
| Plug and Play Operation | Yes |
| Console Compatibility | Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, 5 |
| Cable | 1.8 m / 6 ft, Detachable braided Type-C cable |
| Dimensions | 388(L) x 141(W) x 43(H) mm |
| Weight | 0.994 kgs |
| Warranty | Two years – Local country regulations are applicable |
AXON HYPER-PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
CORSAIR AXON delivers a powerful and responsive keyboard experience with:
- Hyper-fast keystroke detection and processing
- Up to 8,000Hz hyper-polling (adjustable in CORSAIR WEB HUB device settings)
- Up to 5-layer onboard lighting effects (programmable in CORSAIR WEB HUB per profile)
SETTING UP YOUR KEYBOARD
Connecting the keyboard via USB cable to an available USB 3.0 Type-A port or better on a compatible device including:
| Windows® PC | Apple Mac® |
Microsoft Xbox One* Microsoft Xbox Series X | S* |
Sony PlayStation 4** Sony PlayStation 5** |
**See CONNECTING TO SONY PLAYSTATION section.
CONNECTING TO SONY PLAYSTATION
The keyboard also has a special mode to support Sony PlayStation 4 and 5 that can be activated via shortcut.
| SHORTCUT | FUNCTION | INDICATION |
FN+  (Hold for 5 seconds) |
Switch to PlayStation mode |  Blinks white 5 times over 5 seconds |
| FN+ (Hold for 5 seconds) |
Switch back to standard mode | Blinks white 2 times |
NOTE: Available functions may be limited depending on gaming console support and application.
OPERATING MODES
The keyboard features two operating modes:
- Hardware (HW) Mode – When CORSAIR WEB HUB is not running or the keyboard is connected to a device that does not support CORSAIR WEB HUB, the keyboard operates in hardware mode which uses profiles and settings saved to the onboard storage.
- Web-based Mode – Go to CORSAIR WEB HUB link https://corsair.com/web-hub, the keyboard operates in Web-based mode, using profiles and settings saved to onboard storage.
| FUNCTION | HARDWARE MODE | CORSAIR WEB HUB |
| Storage & Profiles | 8MB for up 5 profiles | 8MB for up 5 profiles |
| Create New Profiles | N/A | Yes |
| Create Lighting Effects | N/A | Yes |
| Create Key Assignments | N/A | Yes |
| Maximum Lighting Layers | N/A | 5 |
HARDWARE OVERVIEW
FN SHORTCUTS LIGHTING INDICATOR
When pressing FN key, all lighting will momentarily turn OFF except for keys that have secondary functions and macros assigned to them which will have backlighting turned ON.
- The default color will be WHITE.
- Users can customize the color indication in CORSAIR WEB HUB.
Color indication for profile currently in-use will take priority over FN Shortcuts lighting.
GAME MODE BUTTON (A) FUNCTION
Activate competition-optimized settings with the Game Mode button.
Reminder: Turn on Game Mode BEFORE gameplay to avoid 1 sec of idle time.
| FUNCTION | REMARK | |
| Default mode (Game Mode off) |
Game mode off:
|
Factory default |
| Game Mode on |
Game mode on:
|
Can be customized in CORSAIR WEB HUB |
STREAM DECK LAUNCH KEY
STANDARD SHORTCUTS
All below functions assume FN key is being held and action is activated upon press unless otherwise noted.
Default function shortcut, with printed icons.
| SHORTCUT | FUNCTION |
| FN + F1 | Scroll lock |
| FN + F2 | Profile |
| FN + F3 | Decrease brightness |
| FN + F4 | Increase brightness |
| FN + F5 | Stop track |
| FN + F6 | Previous track |
| FN + F7 | Play / pause |
| FN + F8 | Next track |
| FN + F12 | Dial mode |
| FN + M | Enter macro recording mode |
| FN + Enter | Screen action |
| FN + Left | Screen left |
| FN + Right | Screen right |
| FN + Win | Win lock |
| FN + Win for 5 sec. | PS mode |
| FN + R-Shift | Flash Tap |
| FN + F9 | Volume mute |
| FN + F10 | Volume down |
| FN + F11 | Volume up |
| FN + P | Pause |
| FN + 7 (numpad) | Home |
| FN + 1 (numpad) | End |
| FN + 9 (numpad) | PgUp |
| FN + 3 (numpad) | PgDn |
| FN + 0 (numpad) | Insert |
| FN + Stream Deck Launch Key | Copilot key |
MACRO RECORDING / CLEARING NOTES
- Enters macro recording: Hold FN + M key -or- Press dial in MR mode (Indication: Indicator breathes red )
- Press any series of standard keys to begin recording
- Stops recording: Press FN + M key -or- Press dial (Indication: Indicator blinks red)
- Press any key, FN + key or modifier (CTRL/SHIFT/ALT/ALTGR) + key
- If keys were recorded: Pressing that key or combination saves the macro
- If no keys were recorded: Pressing that key or combination clears any macro or function saved
LIGHTING SHORTCUTS
| SHORTCUT | LIGHTING EFFECT |
| FN + ` | Current HW profile lighting |
| FN + 1 | Horizon |
| FN + 2 | Watercolor |
| FN + 3 | Spiral Rainbow |
| FN + 4 | Rainbow Wave |
| FN + 5 | Type Lighting Key (random color) |
| FN + 6 | Type Lighting Ripple (random color) |
| FN + 7 | Color Shift (random color order) |
| FN + 8 | Color Pulse (random color order) |
| FN + 9 | Color Wave (random color order) |
| FN + 0 | Static Color |
| FN + - | Reduce Effect Speed |
| FN + = | Increase Effect Speed |
| FN + [ | Rotate Effect Left |
| FN + ] | Rotate Effect Right |
FACTORY RESET
Hold ESC key for two seconds while device is plugged in to erase onboard memory profiles and restore factory default settings.
PLAYSTATION MODE
- By holding FN + Windows key for 5 seconds, FW will change to PlayStation mode from standard mode
- To go back to standard mode from PlayStation mode, hold FN + Windows key for 5 seconds
- When entering PlayStation mode, Windows key indicator blinks white 5 times over 5 seconds when switching mode
- When changing to standard mode from PlayStation mode, Windows key indicator breathes white 2 times over 2 seconds when switching mode
In compatibility mode, the output is limited to:
- 13-keys + 7 modifier keys (RCtrl, LAlt, LShift, Windows, AltGr)
- Still output media keys
The actual polling rate may differ from the setting, due to PS USB interface limitations.
BIOS MODE
- By holding B and S keys while plugging in power via USB, FW will change to BIOS mode
- To get back from BIOS mode to standard mode, hold ESC key while plugging in power via USB (this will clear EEPROM, but does not perform factory reset)
- All indicators blink white 5 times over 5 seconds when switching modes
In BIOS mode, the output is limited to:
- 6-keys + 5 modifier keys (RCtrl, LAlt, LShift, Windows, AltGr)
- Fixed at 125Hz polling rate
- No media keys output
COPYRIGHT / LEGAL INFORMATION
© 2025 CORSAIR MEMORY, Inc. All rights reserved. CORSAIR and the sails logo are registered trademarks of CORSAIR in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Product may vary slightly from those pictured.
