Finding the Best gaming keyboards can feel like descending down a rabbit gap crammed with different, vague switch names, and strange keycap jargon. But it is truly simple, so lengthy as you be aware of what you are after. The best gaming keyboards is the one that matches your non-public taste in typing, the space you have on your desktop, and what games you primarily play.
We’ve covered what style of keyboard is proper for you before, so it really is well worth checking out to see if you choose a full-size, TKL, or 60 % board, however as soon as it’s nailed down the world is your touch-typing oyster.
No, wait. They do not have fingers. you get my drift. Their myriad options, however, these are the best gaming keyboards you can purchase today.
Whether you are gaming, working, or simply chasing the ideal desktop aesthetic, it is usually been one of the key approaches (pun absolutely intended) you have interaction with your PC and need to be cautiously considered, for placement alongside the satisfactory gaming mouse on your battle station.
Whether you are after a fast keypress for fast-paced games, or you certainly prefer to make the humdrum task of typing a little greater enjoyable, this information will assist you to discover what you need.
There is a lot of crossover with the quality mechanical keyboards featured on this list because, for a lot of us, mechanical keyboards are the best gaming keyboards. But due to the fact some people (monsters) do not admire the feel or the noise, we have additionally included a couple of much less expensive, high-quality membrane switch variants too.
The switch type is arguably the most essential choice to make when selecting your new gaming keyboard. Cherry mechanical switches are the most frequent and most recognizable, however there are a host of choices on offer, as properly a bunch of upmarket, expert switches to pick from.
Other aspects you may choose to consider are some dedicated media controls, macro keys, and whether or not or now not your keyboard of choice has a USB and audio passthrough.
Size is a defining factor. Full-sized keyboards have a tendency to provide the most features and a Numpad, however if you do not have space, then all of these extras you paid for will be useless.
Tenkeyless boards (the ones with no variety pad), and compact keyboards can be a great option too if you do not care about all the greater bells and whistles, or you do not have any use for alt codes (how barbaric!).
We’ve listed our pinnacle alternatives to the Best gaming keyboards below. Alternatively, if you can not quite justify the cost of one of these bad boys, the best cheap gaming keyboards may additionally be greater to your wallet’s taste.
Best gaming keyboards 2021
Corsair K100 RGB Optical
best gaming keyboards.
When you choose to go the more mile and upgrade to the absolute greatness of the best, it is hard to discover an extra premium alternative than the Corsair K100 RGB. Be warned, though; this is a large keyboard: its enormous footprint nevertheless requires some desk clearing earlier than it can be nested comfortably.
But feature-wise, the K100 RGB’s got it all. Dedicated media controls and a USB pass-through, a metallic volume wheel, RGB lighting. Speaking of RGB, there is an aggressive quantity of RGB in this keyboard.
During our tests, we noted great key responses, a decent spread of keys for most hand sizes, a satisfying tactile click on to every press, and wonderfully dimpled keys to help you rest your fingers when you are now not honestly pressing down.
While this all looks quite obvious, it indicates that the K100 RGB nails the basics, as properly as including the fancy extras, and it’s why it is the pinnacle of the list.
Switch: Corsair OPX | Size: Full size | Backlights: RGB | Passthroughs: USB | Media Controls: Dedicated | Wristrest: Detachable | Keycaps: PBT double-shot
Mountain Everest Max
best modular gaming keyboards
All things to all people, that is nearly what the Mountain Everest Max gaming keyboard represents. And it is one of my preferred designs considering it first landed on my desk. I do not always want the Numpad on a full-size keyboard, however, it simply comes in handy sometimes during the workday.
When I’m gaming though, all I want is a compact TKL board, to get my mouse and keyboard hands closer together and supply me greater desktop actual estate to fling around my rodent.
That’s what the Everest Max offers; the flexibility to have your TKL cake and eat your Numpad. Use your Numpad. Whatever.
Basically, the magnetically attaching Numpad module is capable to be connected to both sides of the base mechanical TKL board and is absolutely hot-swappable.
The admittedly very highly-priced $270 (£230) whole Everest Max package additionally comes with a plush magnetic wrist-rest and a media module with discrete controls and an LCD screen.
It’s additionally aboard for the keyboard enthusiast too, with a base that lets you pull out switches at will and replace them without difficulty as simply pushing them in.
You can additionally go for the barebones board, choosing your own switches and keycaps from the beginning to create a truly customized option.
My solely reservations with the Everest Max are its excessive price and the preliminary immaturity I experienced with its config software. That’s been ironed out now for the most part, and I’m nonetheless the use of my pattern on an everyday basis as it definitely suits how I game and work on my PC.
Switch: Cherry MX Red, Blue, Brown, Silver | Size: Full size or TKL | Backlight: Per-key RGB | Passthrough: USB 3.2 Gen1 | Media controls: Dedicated unit | Wristrest: Magnetic, plush | Keycaps: ABS
HyperX Alloy Elite RGB
best gaming keyboards with extra flash and features.
For a board that can be illuminated in up to 16.9 million colors, the HyperX Alloy Elite sports a relatively easy aesthetic whilst nonetheless packing the features we anticipate out of a quality gaming keyboard.
It comes in your choice of Cherry MX Brown, Blue, and Red. What it lacks in a dedicated macro column, it makes up for with its realistic price and quality, durable design.
The HyperX Alloy Elite RGB leaves no feature box unchecked. It’s geared up with devoted media controls, a USB passthrough, a detachable wrist-rest, and full RGB backlighting. It additionally includes a greater set of silver keycaps for WASD and the first four number keys to up its aesthetics.
The board helps full N-key rollover, which means you never have to fear about keypresses now not registering.
The new HyperX Alloy Elite 2 has now been launched, proposing some gorgeous ABS pudding keycaps, however solely looks to be reachable on the HyperX website proper now. It is damned pretty, however, you do not get the wrist rest you win some, you lose some.
Switch: Cherry MX Blue, Brown, Red | Size: Full size | Backlights: Red | Passthroughs: USB | Media Controls: Dedicated | Wristrest: Detachable
Razer Cynosa
best gaming keyboards for membrane enthusiasts.
If even mecha-membrane keys do not suit you, and you demand a full membrane typing/gaming experience, the Razer Cynosa is the deck for you. I recognize there are people out there who choose the soft embrace of a pure membrane switch, and it’s great every to their own.
The Cynosa has some of the great feeling, low profile membrane keys I’ve ever tasted, and at a retail price of $60, is one of the most affordable gaming keyboards out there (well, previous a sure threshold of quality).
While it may additionally lack some of the aspects several gaming boards pack in these days, stuff as a dedicated wrist rest or media controls, it does boast Razer’s significant RGB lighting, which can be programmed on a per-key basis or applied by means of zones.
It’s a solid, no-frills, best-looking keyboard it is the best membrane alternative of a big range that I’ve tested. There is a step-up version of the Cynosa available. Still, for $20 extra, the solely actual addition is under-glow RGB, so except that form of ‘ground effects’ package is vastly attractive to you, I propose you keep your cash and invest in the base model.
Interface: Wired USB | Keyboard backlighting: Per-key RGB | Programmable keys: All | Features: Per key RGB lighting, supports Windows 7+ and OSX 10.8+
Logitech K840
best gaming keyboards for gamers on a budget.
Logitech’s proprietary Romer-G swap is where the magic lies. Designed in collaboration with the Japanese switch large Omron, it used to be traditionally reserved for Logitech’s high-end boards. Now, they’re served in the budget-friendly K840 for the first time.
Because you are scoring the Romer-G switch at such a low price point, you’re now not going to locate any greater luxuries on the K840. Never idea devoted macros and USB pass-through, there isn’t even any backlighting.
However, it is nevertheless rocking Logitech’s restrained aesthetic made even greater so through eschewing more lighting frills. However, the keycaps are an issue, with cheap, fragile pad printed lettering it is likely to put on off over time.
Switch: Logitech Romer-G | Size: Full size | Backlights: No | Passthroughs: No | Media Controls: Function key integrated | Wristrest: No
Asus ROG Strix Scope
best gaming keyboards for FPS lovers.
Asus’ ROG Strix Scope is a keyboard made for feature over form. While it is festooned with the usual array of RGB lighting, the solid aluminum pinnacle plate sports an understated, industrial graph it is welcome in an era the place flash and spectacle too frequently take precedence.
The Scope is a solid, durable, dependable keyboard that works exactly as advertised except for the bloat of unnecessary gimmicks. And with a wide range of Cherry’s RGB switches, you can discover the Scope in virtually any taste you’ll like.
It additionally has a few great of life aspects that have to appeal to first-person shooters fans, as the name would possibly imply.
Full macro customization is available, and the left Ctrl key has been broadened to make it easy to hit at some point of a tense firefight barring by accident actuating different keys.
The Scope’s greater compact form factor additionally ability that it (and all the different bottom row keys so frequently critical in an FPS) is really easy to reach down and smack when you want it.
Switch: Cherry MX RGB Blue, Brown, Red, Black, Silent Red, Speed Silver | Size: Full size | Backlights: RGB | Passthroughs: No | Media Controls: No | Wristrest: No
Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB
best gaming keyboards for customization and ergonomics.
The original Freestyle Edge from Kinesis used to be one of the best split ergonomic keyboards on the market. This upgraded RGB model improves on the original in various ways. It retains the break up of the design, permitting you to set the deck’s two halves at shoulder width and minimize again neck, and shoulder strain.
The hole additionally lets you drop a flight stick or HOTAS in between them for area sims or go away your controller inside easy attain when you are typing in text chat or messengers between sessions.
The Freestyle Edge RGB is additionally customizable, with onboard storage for up to 9 person profiles, ten devoted macro keys on the left half, and the ability to personalize each and every key individually (including on the complete layer that you get entry to through pushing the Fn key).
It’s totally programmable except for the use of any extra software, although it can additionally be customized thru Kinesis’ Smartest software for an even extra granular experience.
Switch: Cherry MX Blue, Brown, Red | Size: Split tenkeyless | Backlights: RGB | Passthroughs: USB | Media Controls: No | Wristrest: Yes
Razer Huntsman Elite
best gaming keyboards to actuate at the speed of light.
The Huntsman family of Razer keyboards is the solely place in the world to locate their optomechanical switch, and it is one of the best (and most technologically interesting) switches on the market.
The optomechanical build eschews normal steel contacts and as an alternative actuates by means of a beam of light that fires thru the switch when the key is depressed, which means actuation is nearly instantaneous.
The different important gain of getting rid of all the especially frail, slender metal contacts from the switch is that they’re rated as twice as long-lasting as general mechanical switches, up to 100 million keystrokes.
They’re tactile switches that actuate at 1.5 mm and 45g of force, which means they’re ridiculously effortless to spam however nevertheless supply tactile feedback. They’re additionally great for typing for lots the identical reason.
The rest of the Elite is nicely designed too, with a comfy removable magnetic wrist rest, a full suite of committed media controls, and a multi-function dial that can be used for whatever from altering your PC’s volume to scrolling via lighting suites for the 16.8 million RGB color options.
It additionally elements some available storage on the keyboard, so you can without problems shop your preferences to a profile that will tour with you if you go it to a unique machine.
It’s an excellent, fully-featured keyboard with some simply fantastic switches, even though you may pay a premium for the privilege of the usage of them.
Switch: Razer Opto-mechanical | Size: Full size | Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB | Passthroughs: No | Media Controls: Dedicated | Wristrest: Detachable magnetic
SteelSeries Apex Pro
best gaming keyboards for per-key actuation.
The Apex Pro may additionally be built around one headline feature (its ability to set the actuation point for each and every key individually).
Still, it is additionally an incredibly solid, competitive gaming keyboard even except for that groundbreaking customization.
That said, adjusting the actuation factor on a key-by-key basis is an incredible boon, specifically for every person that splits their time between typing and gaming.
If you discover you struggle to decide between a linear and tactile switch, the Apex Pro provides you a hybrid that can satisfy each need in an identical model.
Set a deeper actuation for typing or greater when you want to spam keys in a MOBA or MMO. Or if you locate you are frequently nailing a particular key by using accident and blowing your cooldown, you can set it individually to require that you bottom out, so you may simply need to push it with intention.
The Apex Pro additionally features a novel OLED display in the top right-hand corner of the board, which lets you alter the actuation (though solely throughout the complete board uniformly; the per-key settings require the SteelSeries Engine software), take care of media controls, or even display a tiny animated gif.
While it is a greater gimmick than a necessity, it does let you alter some key settings except having to dig deep into a separate software suite.
And the low profile of the chassis with the heightened keycaps contributes to a beautiful aesthetic, with little to no wasted space around the board’s edges.
Switch: Omnipoint Adjustable | Size: Full size | Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB | Passthroughs: Single USB | Media Controls: Dedicated via OLED | Wristrest: Detachable magnetic
