This might not shock you, but I work from home. I’ve got back issues related to sitting down for so many hours every day, which is something I reckon many of our readers can empathize with. A standing-style desk has felt like a worthwhile pickup for a long time, and Corsair’s Platform:6 meets (and far exceeds) my needs.
The Platform:6 clocks in at 72 inches by 30 inches, so it’s hardly small, though I wouldn’t say it’s overwhelmingly large. The length is more than sufficient to support all my PC-related accessories without feeling cramped. I’ve also lined up various amiibo and Square Enix figurines, so if you’re half the nerd that I am, you’ll enjoy the extra space.
The height’s adjustability ranges from 29 inches to 48; I’m fairly tall, so I appreciate how high I can crank it. And doing so’s a cinch - the motorized system is seamless and silent, and you’ll tap into the desk’s rad LED control panel to change the height. There are even programmable preset buttons so you don’t need to fiddle with the up and down buttons on a routine basis.
The Corsair Platform:6 lets owners swap between inch and centimeter displays per your regional preferences.
The height adjustment motors operate softly and smoothly, so my fears of knocking over a coffee mug (or those aforementioned figurines) faded entirely upon first use. A greater fear was that the Platform:6’s dual-monitor mounting arm would be weak enough to cause my screens to shake and potentially loosen from their hold. Thankfully, even if that were the case, the arm - much like the rest of the desk - is so solidly constructed that I’m quite certain there’d be no cause for concern.
I’m not as allergic to visible power cords as some, but even I can appreciate the lengths Corsair has gone to ensure that they’re completely out-of-sight. The Platform:6 sports a sizable cable management tray as well as numerous hooks placed at strategic angles along the desk’s backside. Combined, your cords will have a hidden station plus pitch-perfect routing points.
This is all supplemented with a six-socket power strip stationed inside the cable management tray and an additional three-socket power strip with a clever clamp design. I use the six-socket spot for my PC, monitors, and Nintendo Switch (hey, why not?) and the smaller strip for a rotating stock of peripherals.
The power strips also contain multiple USB ports. Even if you lack any PC-related, USB-charged fare, you can do what I’ve done and keep your phone handy while it’s charging.
I’m pleased as punch with the Platform:6, but there’s a thousand-dollar elephant in the room. Or rather, a $1,399.97 elephant. Purchasing the Platform:6 Elevate requires a not-insignificant sum of money, though there’s a $997.97 version that nixes the adjustable height system. I’m not sure I’d recommend going that route unless you’re confident that a standing desk isn’t for you; not that another $400 isn’t worthy of serious consideration when planning your purchase, but this feels like one of those “if I’m going to splurge, I might as well go for the full package” type situations.
Or is it? There’s a third tier for the Platform:6 called the Creator Edition. On Corsair’s website, the Creator Edition - whose big draw includes the so-called Elgato Multi Frame, a massive vertical storage base which attaches to the Platform:6’s backside - is advertised with the following sentence: “Corsair and Elgato know exactly what content creators need to do what they do best.”
Evidently, content creators need to shell out anadditional$400 for the $1,799.97 Creator Edition so that they needn’t concern themselves with where to mount their favorite Elgato accessories. As much as I love my Platform:6 Elevate, I can’t imagine there’s a huge market for this luxury-class upper-echelon Creator Edition. There are plenty of cheaper ways to achieve similar results, so if you require further mounting spots, maybe just use your wall instead.
But let’s return to the most important part of the above paragraph: I love my Platform:6 Elevate. My back loves it, too. This is a standing desk with style. My more pragmatic brain is happier that it’s a desk with excellent build quality. It’s a hefty investment, to be sure, but it’s a welcome one.
Barring some unforeseen disaster like, I don’t know, a house fire, I will be using this beast of a piece of furniture for a good decade or more. Props to Corsair for knocking it out of the park with this thing.
A sample was provided by Corsair for the purposes of this review.
