By cryptoadmin 
One of the best gaming keyboards could make you are feeling in complete management whereas sweating by means of a web-based shooter and extra comfy whereas taking in a 100-hour RPG. They might not all the time really feel as luxurious for typing as a customized mechanical keyboard, however they’ve turn out to be more and more refined with new options to enhance your play, and the perfect of them are nonetheless big upgrades over your on a regular basis membrane board. Should you’re trying to purchase one, I’ve spent means an excessive amount of time researching gaming keyboards over the previous couple of years, testing dozens of well-reviewed and boutique fashions alongside the way in which. Whether or not you need one thing small, wi-fi or simply plain low cost, listed below are those which have stood out essentially the most.
What to search for in a gaming keyboard
To be clear, any keyboard generally is a “gaming keyboard.” Should you play plenty of video video games at present and have by no means sighed to your self, “man, this keyboard is holding me again,” congratulations, you in all probability don’t must pay further for a brand new one. Self-proclaimed gaming keyboards typically come at a premium, and whereas the perfect supply high-quality designs, snazzy RGB lighting and some genuinely worthwhile options, none of them will provide you with god-like talent, nor will they abruptly flip unhealthy video games into good ones.
Mechanical vs non-mechanical
Now that we’ve touched grass, I did prioritize some options whereas researching this information. First, I largely caught to mechanical keyboards, not laptop-style membrane fashions. They are often loud, however they’re extra sturdy, customizable and broadly satisfying to press — all optimistic traits for a product chances are you’ll use for hours-long gaming classes.
Dimension
Subsequent, I most popular tenkeyless (TKL) or smaller layouts. It’s completely fantastic to make use of a full-size board in the event you actually need a quantity pad, however a compact mannequin provides you extra space to flick your mouse round. It additionally allows you to maintain your mouse nearer to your physique, which may cut back the strain positioned in your arms and shoulders.
Switches, keycaps and construct high quality
Linear switches, which are sometimes branded as “purple,” are typically favored by avid gamers. These give keystrokes a easy really feel from high to backside, with no tactile “bump” that might make quick, repeated presses much less constant. They normally require little power to actuate, they usually are typically quiet. Nonetheless, in the event you favor the texture and/or sound of a extra tactile or clicky swap, get a type of as a substitute. You may lose some velocity in esports-style video games, however nothing is extra essential than your consolation.
Some gaming keyboards are primarily based on completely different mechanisms totally. Optical switches, as an illustration, use a beam of sunshine to register keystrokes, whereas Corridor impact switches use magnets. These typically really feel linear, however they permit for a extra versatile set of gaming-friendly options, equivalent to the power to set customized actuation factors, assign a number of instructions to 1 key and repeat key presses sooner. On the whole, they’re sooner and extra sturdy too.
This analog-style performance has turn out to be the large development within the gaming keyboard market over the previous few years. A lot of the main keyboard manufacturers now promote a minimum of one mannequin with Corridor impact switches and, primarily based on my testing, it’s simple to see why: A lot of their customizations actually can provide you a extra granular (but nonetheless truthful) sense of management, particularly in additional aggressive video games. Consequently, a lot of our picks under are constructed across the tech.
Keyboards with these form of options normally aren’t low cost, nevertheless, they usually’re removed from important for individuals who primarily play single-player video games. A few of their methods have additionally stirred up controversy: One often known as SOCD (Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Instructions) cleansing lets you activate two completely different directional keys on the identical time, making it potential to, amongst different issues, obtain impossibly excellent strafing in taking pictures video games. A number of video games equivalent to Counter-Strike 2 have banned the characteristic because of this, although it might nonetheless be a enjoyable factor to mess around with in video games that don’t contain different folks. SOCD isn’t restricted to magnetic switches both; some mechanical keyboards assist it too.
A number of current keyboards have launched inductive switches, which promise the adjustable actuation options of Corridor impact keyboards however with higher battery effectivity. I haven’t been capable of take a look at considered one of these simply but, however we’ll look to take action in a future replace.
Keycaps and construct high quality
No matter swap sort, you need a body that doesn’t flex below stress, keys that don’t wobble and stabilizers that don’t rattle whenever you hit bigger keys just like the spacebar. I favor double-shot PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) keycaps over people who use cheaper ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic, as they gained’t develop a greasy shine over time and their icons gained’t fade. A hot-swappable PCB (printed circuit board) that makes it simple to vary switches if the temper arises is right, as are devoted media keys.
For the sake of simplicity, I solely thought of prebuilt gaming keyboards for this information, although most of the picks under enable for personalisation down the road. Should you (and your checking account) actually need to go wild, try our information to constructing a customized keyboard.
Software program, connectivity and RGB
If a keyboard has companion software program, it ought to allow you to program macros and customized key bindings for video games with out frustration. For comfort, a wired keyboard ought to join by means of a removable USB-C cable. An excellent wi-fi keyboard gained’t add severe lag, however provided that it makes use of a USB receiver, not Bluetooth. (It’ll in all probability price extra as nicely.) Some gaming keyboards promote super-high polling charges — i.e., the velocity at which a keyboard experiences to a pc — to scale back latency, however except your monitor has an particularly quick refresh price, the same old customary of 1,000Hz needs to be fantastic. And whereas no one wants RGB lighting, it’s enjoyable. Client tech may use extra of that, so the cleaner and extra customizable the RGB is, the higher.
How we examined
One of the simplest ways to guage a keyboard is to simply… use it, in order that’s what I did. To cowl quite a lot of use circumstances and design kinds, I’ve researched dozens of keyboards over the previous a number of months that’ve broadly obtained excessive marks from skilled reviewers and customers alike. I’ve then used every mannequin I’ve introduced in as my each day driver for quite a few days. Since I write for a dwelling, this gave me sufficient time to get a robust sense of every keyboard’s typing expertise.
For gaming, I give particular focus to every keyboard’s responsiveness in quick, reaction-based on-line shooters equivalent to Halo Infinite, Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, Valorant, Overwatch 2 and XDefiant, as many would-be gaming keyboard patrons get one within the hopes that it’ll assist with that style particularly. I made certain every keyboard felt comfy with different kinds of video games, although, equivalent to Baldur’s Gate 3 (a turn-based RPG), Hello-Fi Rush (an motion sport with an emphasis on timing and rhythm) and Forza Horizon 5 (an arcade racing sport). I used the latter to higher consider the pressure-sensitive options of the analog keyboards I examined.
If a keyboard might be configured with a number of swap sorts, I acquired the linear mannequin. Upon receiving every keyboard, I eliminated a number of keycaps to make sure none had been chipped or damaged. I famous whether or not any keys felt wobbly, whether or not the case flexes below stress, whether or not the feel and end of the keycaps adjustments after use and whether or not bigger keys just like the spacebar felt significantly rattly or hole. I typed on every keyboard in fast succession in a quiet room to get a way of the place they ranked when it comes to noise. For wi-fi fashions, I checked whether or not the battery drain at 50 p.c RGB brightness aligned with a producer’s estimate. I appeared to outcomes from websites like Rtings to make sure nothing was out of order with latency. I did my very own testing on a 144Hz monitor with my private rig, which features a Tenth-gen Core i9 CPU and an RTX 3080 GPU.
This helped me guarantee every keyboard met a baseline of general high quality, however to reiterate, a lot of this course of is subjective. I can inform you if a keyboard is loud primarily based on how I slam my keys, as an illustration, however you will have a lighter contact. What my tastes discover “comfy,” “pleasing,” and even “helpful,” chances are you’ll dislike. As I’ve written earlier than, keyboards are like meals or artwork in that means. So, maintain an open thoughts.
Different gaming keyboards we examined
Notice: The next is a collection of noteworthy gaming keyboards we’ve put by means of their paces, not a complete record of all the pieces we’ve ever tried.
Wooting 60HE+
You possibly can think about the Wooting 60HE+ our “1A” choose, because it’s basically a extra compact model of the 80HE with a 60 p.c structure. It helps the identical analog gaming options, has the identical four-year guarantee and nonetheless makes use of the nice Wootility software program. It’s additionally $25 cheaper. Should you favor a smaller design and don’t want arrow keys, you should buy it with confidence. Nonetheless, extra folks will discover the 80HE’s bigger structure simpler to make use of on a day-to-day foundation. Its gasket mount, up to date switches and additional sound-dampening materials make it extra pleasant-sounding and comfier for typing out of the field. Plus, whereas the 60HE+ can solely relaxation at one mounted angle, the 80HE comes with a number of units of detachable ft.
Logitech G Professional X TKL Fast
The Logitech G Professional X TKL Fast is an effective magnetic-switch different to the Wooting 80HE in the event you should purchase from one of many main keyboard manufacturers. It’s wired-only, however it appears to be like good, with clear RGB lighting, a built-in quantity curler, devoted media keys and a sturdy metallic high plate. The anticipated fast set off and adjustable actuation methods all work fantastic, and Logitech’s G Hub software program is less complicated to get round than most apps from the big-name producers. It could acknowledge whenever you’ve launched sure video games, as an illustration, then apply any customized profiles you’ve made for them robotically. All of it prices $30 lower than the 80HE as nicely. The place it falls quick is the typing expertise: The default switches are fairly noisy, and bottoming out the keys feels stiffer right here in comparison with our high picks. If you’d like these Wooting-style options and like a clackier sound, nevertheless, it’s an honest purchase.
Logitech G Professional X TKL and G Professional X 60
The wi-fi Logitech G Professional X TKL and G Professional X 60, which use extra conventional mechanical switches, aren’t as scorching. They’re constructed nicely, however they’re too dear to not be hot-swappable or lack the analog options of the 80HE. There isn’t a lot sound-dampening foam in both fashions, too, so neither sounds nice. We like that each include a carrying case, although.
Keychron C3 Professional
The tenkeyless Keychron C3 Professional is the highest funds choose in our mechanical keyboard information, and it stays an amazing stand-in for the G.Talent KM250 RGB if you wish to keep below $50. With its gasket mount design, inner foam and pre-lubed switches, it feels and sounds fuller to press. The bottom model we examined lacks hot-swappable switches and solely has a purple backlight, however Keychron just lately launched revised fashions that handle that and add full RGB. That mentioned, their ABS keycaps really feel cheaper and may develop a shine over time, plus there’s no quantity knob. Some could discover KM250’s smaller dimension extra handy for gaming, too.
Keychron Q1 HE
The Keychron Q1 HE is type of an older model of the Lemokey P1 HE with the identical magnetic switches and a equally wonderful aluminum chassis. Its double-gasket design, pre-lubed switches and layers of froth make it a pleasure for typing. Its gaming options depend on the identical iffy software program, although, whereas the inventory keycaps are sculpted in a means that makes them trickier to entry shortly. These keycaps aren’t shine-through both, and the entire thing prices $50 extra, so there isn’t a lot cause to purchase it over the P1 HE.
Razer Huntsman V2 TKL
We beforehand advisable the Razer Huntsman V2 TKL as a mid-priced choose because of its mild optical switches, crisp PBT keycaps and impressively muffled tone (with the linear-switch mannequin, a minimum of). Its lack of analog options make it a tougher promote lately, although, and its keys wobble greater than these on the Keychron V3 Max. It’s not hot-swappable, both. Past that, Razer is barely promoting the model with clicky switches as of our most up-to-date replace, however we discovered these to sound uncomfortably sharp.
Razer Huntsman V3 Professional
The Razer Huntsman V3 Professional is a line of wired analog keyboards that is available in 60 p.c, TKL and full-size choices. They’ve nearly all of the options we like on the Wooting 80HE, however their optical switches are noisier and extra hollow-feeling.
Razer BlackWidow V4 Professional 75%
The BlackWidow V4 Professional 75% is Razer’s top-end wi-fi keyboard. It’s totally hot-swappable, with closely textured PBT keycaps, a strong aluminum high case and a nifty OLED show. The tactile Razer Orange switches in our take a look at unit persistently really feel tight, the bigger keys don’t actually rattle and the RGB backlight shines by means of superbly. It’s a superb keyboard — it’s simply not luxurious sufficient to warrant its $300 price ticket, particularly because it lacks any type of analog-style performance. The inventory switches are just a little too sharp-sounding for our liking as nicely.
Razer Huntsman Mini
The Razer Huntsman Mini is a fantastic alternative if you would like a 60 p.c keyboard and don’t want Wooting-style software program methods, with textured PBT keycaps, a sturdy aluminum high plate and the identical quick optical switches we praised with the Huntsman V2 TKL. The 60HE+ is rather more versatile, although, whereas the KM250 RGB is a extra interesting worth.
ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wi-fi
The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wi-fi (phew) is a robust different to the Apex Professional TKL if you wish to go wi-fi. It’s a pleasure to sort on, with excellent sound dampening, pre-lubed ROG NX switches, an impressively sturdy case and secure, PBT-coated keys. It’s hot-swappable, its battery life ranking is far larger than the Apex Professional TKL Wi-fi (90 hours with RGB on) and it has a multi-function key that places quantity, media and RGB controls in a single place. At $180, it’s additionally $90 cheaper than our SteelSeries choose.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t have the fast set off or customized actuation methods of Corridor impact keyboards just like the Apex Professional TKL Wi-fi or Lemokey P1 HE, and ASUS’s Armoury Crate software program is a little bit of a large number. The Lemokey P1 HE's all-metal design feels higher-end, too. However in the event you care about typing expertise greater than further gaming-friendly options, this one remains to be price trying into.
ASUS ROG Azoth
The ASUS ROG Azoth is sort of a smaller model of the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wi-fi with a number of extra fanatic touches, equivalent to a gasket-mounted design — which supplies keystrokes a softer really feel — a programmable OLED show and a toolkit for lubing switches within the field. It’s exceptionally well-made by any customary, not simply “for a gaming keyboard.” However its characteristic set nonetheless isn’t as versatile because the Wooting 80HE or SteelSeries Apex Professional TKL Wi-fi, which makes its $250 record value a tricky ask.
Alienware Professional Wi-fi Gaming Keyboard
The 75 p.c Alienware Professional Wi-fi Gaming Keyboard is significantly better than its bland identify suggests, with high-quality PBT keycaps, easy linear switches (that are hot-swappable), splendidly clear RGB lighting, a gradual wi-fi connection and a inflexible but light-weight design. But it surely's pretty loud, and at $200 there isn’t a lot cause to take it over the Lemokey P1 HE, which has a higher-quality design and extra succesful magnetic switches, or the ASUS Strix Scope II 96 Wi-fi, which presents a equally pleasing typing expertise at a barely lower cost. It’s price contemplating in the event you see it on sale, although.
NZXT Perform 2 and Perform 2 MiniTKL
The complete-size NZXT Perform 2 and tenkeyless Perform 2 MiniTKL are completely strong midrange choices with quick optical switches and the power to swap between two common actuation factors, however they’re let down by mediocre stabilizers on the bigger keys.
NuPhy Air75 V2
The NuPhy Air75 V2 is a classy wi-fi keyboard with a low-profile design. We advocate in our mechanical keyboard shopping for information, and it stays a superb alternative if if you would like one thing that blends the flatter, compact form of a laptop computer keyboard with the extra tactile really feel of mechanical switches. The design isn’t totally ideally suited for gaming, although, because the huge keys could make it just a little too simple to fat-finger inputs by chance and the inventory keycaps aren’t shine-through. NuPhy just lately launched a brand new mannequin with Corridor impact switches, which we’ll intention to check for a future replace.
Corsair K70 Max
The Corsair K70 Max is one other one with magnetic switches, however making an attempt to program its extra superior options by means of Corsair’s iCue software program was a ache.
Corsair K70 RGB TKL
The Corsair K70 RGB TKL is an honest if primary midrange mannequin, however it’s additionally on the noisy aspect in comparison with our high picks and it’s saddled with middling software program.
Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL
The Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL is one other low-profile mannequin that typically feels comfy and well-built, even when it's totally manufactured from plastic. It’s an honest different to the NuPhy Air75 V2, because it’s a lot quieter with its GL Tactile switches and comes with shine-through keycaps by default. Nonetheless, these switches aren’t hot-swappable, and the board can’t hook up with a number of units concurrently over Bluetooth. The low-profile form nonetheless isn’t the perfect for gaming both, plus the inventory keycaps aren’t fairly as grippy as different PBT choices we’ve used.
Logitech G915 TKL
The Logitech G915 TKL is an older wi-fi low-profile keyboard with a metallic body, however its skinny ABS keycaps really feel too low cost for one thing that’s normally priced round $180. The NuPhy Air75 V2 is a superior worth. Logitech launched an upgraded mannequin with PBT keycaps and a USB-C port final 12 months; we plan to check that one for our subsequent replace, however it’s nonetheless fairly costly at $200.
Current updates
February 2025: We've overhauled this information with new picks: The Wooting 80HE is now our high suggestion general, the SteelSeries Apex Professional TKL Wi-fi (Gen 3) is our new "greatest wi-fi" choice and the Lemokey P1 HE slots in as an honorable point out. We've additionally added notes on a number of extra gaming keyboards we've examined since our final replace, together with Logitech's G Professional X TKL Fast and G515 Lightspeed TKL, Razer's BlackWidow V4 Professional 75% and Alienware's Professional Wi-fi Gaming Keyboard. Lastly, we've made a number of minor updates to our "What to search for in a gaming keyboard" part.
June 2024: We up to date this information with a brand new “conventional mechanical keyboard” choose, the Keychron V3 Max, plus a pair new honorable mentions and extra notes on different gaming keyboards we’ve tried. Notice that we’ve examined — and can proceed to check — a number of different keyboards that aren’t explicitly marketed towards gaming, however we’ll direct you to our basic mechanical keyboard shopping for information for more information on these.
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