Corsair Platform:6 Elevate Review: The Ultimate Streaming Desk

For anyone deeply invested in streaming or content creation, the Corsair Platform:6 Elevate gaming desk presents a compelling, albeit premium, solution packed with integrated features designed for a professional setup. Its robust construction and thoughtful design cater specifically to users who need to manage a significant amount of gear, offering a level of organization and flexibility that standard desks simply cannot match. However, its specialized nature and high cost mean it won’t be the right fit for everyone.

After two years of daily use for both work and gaming, my experience with the Platform:6 Elevate has been a mix of immense satisfaction and occasional frustration. The desk’s standout feature is its incredible potential for mounting numerous accessories. The integrated rail system provides tremendous flexibility for positioning monitors, cameras, lighting, and microphones exactly where you need them. It’s worth noting that unlike some competitors, it does not include a built-in PC mount. Despite a few design choices I’ve grown to question, the desk’s overall capability has kept it as my primary workstation.

Corsair offers the Platform:6 in three main configurations. The base model is a fixed-height desk priced at $999. The model I tested, the Elevate, costs $1399 and introduces electric sit/stand functionality. At the top end, the $1899 Creator Edition adds a floating pegboard above the monitor area. All variants feel exceptionally sturdy, supported by substantial t-shaped steel legs that resist wobbling. The desktop surface options include a standard 1-inch thick black laminate or an upgraded 1.25-inch thick dark walnut stained rubberwood for an additional $100.

The heart of the Platform:6 experience is its rail network. A large primary crossbar runs across the top and back of the desk, complemented by smaller rails integrated into the left and right sides. The included dual monitor arm, which attaches to the top rail, supports screens up to 8kg each, sufficient for most 32-inch displays. For users with ultra-wide monitors or those who prefer to space out two large screens, the single central mounting point of the included arm can feel limiting, leading many to opt for separate, third-party monitor arms for greater positioning freedom.

A wide array of accessories can be attached using the provided t-nuts and either multi-mount or ball-mount adapters. These can be locked in place or allowed to slide smoothly along the aluminium tracks. The corners of the top rail feature dedicated screw mounts intended for the Creator Edition’s pegboard, but they also work with the standard adapters. The central post of the monitor arm itself serves as a perfect spot for a webcam. While this system offers immense scope for expanding your setup with Elgato ecosystem products, the cost of individual mounts can make a full configuration a significant investment.

A major consideration with this rail-based system is compatibility. Many third-party, clamp-style desk mounts simply do not fit, particularly for larger items like monitors where the mount needs to overhang a wider surface. The design also makes it challenging to mount anything directly to the desk surface, as the top bar blocks the rear edge and the side rails create thickened edges. This can feel restrictive, essentially locking you into a smaller selection of mounting options compared to a standard desk. I personally removed the top bar to use my preferred monitor arms and microphone stands, a decision also influenced by the bar developing a forward tilt, a known issue among some users that requires adjustment to correct.

Cable management is a strong focus, which is essential given the desk’s purpose. A small, central cable tidy box features a removable wooden cover and provides USB-A and USB-C ports for peripherals like keyboards and mice. While this helps maintain a cleaner look, its location directly under my monitor mount made it awkward to access for quick changes, so I eventually used it only for my keyboard cable.

The under-desk cable organiser is far more generous and easier to reach. Unlike some competing desks, it does not include a built-in power outlet, so you will need to route a power cable down one of the legs yourself. There is, however, ample room in all directions to house large power strips and a tangle of associated cables. The high back of the organiser can sometimes make it tricky to push cables in from the top without them snagging, but this is a relatively minor inconvenience.

Corsair sells matching matte black power outlets in three-way and six-way configurations. These include USB ports, though the port types vary between models. I purchased one to test and found it functional, though the friction-fit mounting had a tendency to loosen over time, especially when plugging in cables. While third-party power strips are a more cost-effective choice, the Corsair units do complement the desk’s aesthetic nicely.

Beyond its streaming-centric features, the Platform:6 is simply a massive piece of furniture. It is the largest gaming desk I have ever used, with a substantial 72-inch width and 30-inch depth. This provides more than enough space for two desktop PCs, multiple monitors, speakers, and other peripherals. For those needing even more room, Corsair sells extensions for around $200 that add approximately 24 inches of width, allowing for two or three distinct setups on a single desk. It’s important to note that you cannot use these extensions on the same side as the pegboard attachment. For a smaller footprint, Corsair also offers the Platform:4, a 47-inch wide version that retains most of the core features.

The electric sit/stand motors in the Elevate and Creator Edition models perform reliably. The control panel, which can be mounted on either the left or right side, includes a height display, up/down buttons, a save function, and two programmable presets. The safety feature that stops and reverses the desk upon detecting an obstruction worked flawlessly in my tests. The controls lack a physical lockout switch, and I did accidentally activate the motors a few times by leaning on the buttons. I later discovered you can lock the controls by pressing and holding the save button and then pressing the down arrow, a feature that works as intended.

(Source: IGN)