Corsair's new firmware update tool works from the browser, doesn't require any additional software

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Editor's take: Modern PC peripherals are jam-packed with features and customization options, so they usually require bloated software tools to express their full potential. Corsair, one of the worst offenders in the bulky software business, is now offering an alternative – at least when it comes to updating a device's firmware.

Corsair recently introduced a web-based utility for installing newer firmware versions for PC peripherals. The Firmware Update Utility allows users to "effortlessly" update a device's microcode using a browser, eliminating the need to install complex companion software.

Corsair Vice President Tobias Brinkmann said they developed the new tool in response to customer feedback. The web-based installer is lightweight and flexible – though accessing a device's low-level hardware over the internet might sound counterintuitive to many.

Corsair already offers its iCUE software suite for customizing keyboards, mice, and other compatible gear, including RGB lighting effects. The last time I updated iCUE to tweak the lighting on my Corsair K70 Lux mechanical keyboard (Cherry MX Brown switches), the installer was a hefty 430MB – so it's safe to assume the software has only gotten more bloated since.

Those looking to keep their device's firmware up-to-date will likely never force themselves to suffer the iCUE ordeal. The new web-based tool lets customers access the latest firmware directly from Corsair servers. It even has an option to register via email and get notifications when a new firmware version is available.

Corsair describes the firmware update tool as convenient, accessible, and portable – so feel free to give it a shot if you're comfortable letting a web browser mess with your hardware. The company shared a list of currently supported devices and promised to add new and existing peripherals over time. Eventually, the web tool might get additional features, too, meaning the bloat will remain on your browser instead of your computer.

The Firmware Update Utility currently works with select Chromium-based browsers – Chrome, Edge, and Opera – but doesn't support Firefox or Safari yet. PC World notes that it can detect connected devices and check for available firmware updates. Still, installing firmware directly from a web app feels strange, no matter how convenient it sounds.

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Corsair's new firmware update tool works from the browser, doesn't require any additional software

 

[antiproduct]

As someone who has used iCue, it's damn awful. Seriously, I think it was made and maintained by interns probably and just so bloated and terrible.

 

[SRB]

As an owner of a 1000D I have 9 Corsair fans, and one distro plate w/pump. The case came with a Corsair controller for lights and fan built in. Right now, 2 of the fans don't light up, I'm not sure how I got the others working, and the fan control was so useless, I wound up buying and Aquaero 6 to run the cooling fans, pumps, and sensors. Icue is beyond useless.

 

[Tom Yum]

Is it just me that finds the idea of web-based firmware updates a security nightmare? I know this is just peripherals, but imagine a nefarious actor planting a key logger in your keyboards firmware through iCue? It is not like peripheral manufacturers have a great track record of building secure software.

 

[Phylop]

Consumer/gaming PC component manufacturers are all notorious for crappy software. Relatively speaking, I thought Corsair was one of the better ones? Who has a better software ecosystem in this segment?

 

[Axeia]

As odd as this may sound if you haven't done anything similar before yet. That's how you for example install circuit python on a board that doesn't come with it. Quite literally replaces the bootloader.
Compared to that updating your keyboard sounds relatively non intrusive. Any step away from PC parts manufacturer software is probably a good one they seem to be universally horrible at it.

 

[Squid Surprise]

If you think Corsair’s iCue is bad, try Asus’ Armoury Crate… you’ll think that Corsair is bloody awesome after that…

 

[daffy duck]

I uninstalled iCUE, absolute trash software. Use OpenRGB.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I uninstalled iCUE, absolute trash software. Use OpenRGB.

I use SignalRGB as OpenRGB can't see my motherboard for some reason...

 

[bclaymiles]

Corsair makes some great hardware products - I'm into year twelve on my Corsair AX860i PSU, through multiple generations of pc components (currently ryzen 9 5950x, RTX3080, 64gb ram) and it's still absolutely rock solid. And my Corsair water cooler lasted past its five year warranty without issues either (but rather than tempting fate with that, I replaced it shortly thereafter).

But iCUE? I purged that from my system years ago. Utterly cruddy software.

 

[KingKappa]

I had some rare issue with ICUE, one of the monitoring files that keeps track of everything to show inside the software caused BSOD's.

But not every day, not all the time.. Two random BSOD's 2 weeks in between at around the same time during the night.

Removed ICUE and the issue hasn't happened since.

 

[mountains]

Yeah, hardware vendor software mostly sucks. I use X-Mouse Button Control
for my mouse instead of Razer or Logitech's crap, with their multiple, always running/phoning home executables.
https://www.highrez.co.uk/downloads/XMouseButtonControl.htm

I am curious about the various opensource RGB apps...

But forget letting my KEYBOARD phone home with this web browser thing to the corporation that is now Corsair! Are you crazy? So many things potentially wrong with that.

 

[Inthenstus]

iCue is horrible, but so is the thought of a website updating my BIOS.. new attack sector incoming..

 

[AMD718]

Qmk / Via has been a thing for 5+ years with custom mechanical keyboards. Only software needed to configure my Q6 max is a web browser.

 

[mountains]

If you have an out-bound blocking firewall, non-web browser based software would alert you that the software is phoning home (or somewhere else). If you have web browser based software, you have probably given the browser permission to get online, so you would not have any warning when the software started doing stuff online.

 

[safari801]

If you think Corsair’s iCue is bad, try Asus’ Armoury Crate… you’ll think that Corsair is bloody awesome after that…

Oh man I gave up with Amory Crate. You're right ICUE is awesome in comparison.