Author:
ashley
Last Updated:
11/05/2022
Our criteria – how do we rate the top keyboards for gaming?
There’s a few different criteria we consider before we consider a keyboard the best gaming keyboards on the market. All the keyboards must meet these criteria before we even consider them among the best gaming keyboards.
- Mechanical – We can tell you, without a doubt, the best gaming keyboards are all mechanical keyboards. Mechanical keyboards have spring loaded switches under every single key, making for a refined gameplay experience every time.
A membrane keyboard, which you would find is the most common keyboard type, is much cheaper, but greatly lacks in the quality that a mechanical keyboard has.
- Features – Many keyboards are made of flimsy stuff, but with the best gaming keyboards, that won’t be a worry.
The top keyboards for gaming are not only durable, they can adapt to your playing style – more sensitive keys, or maybe more heavy duty keys if you tend to brush across keys a lot.
There are plenty of untapped features to be found in the best mechanical keyboards for gaming
- Polling rate – All good gaming keyboards have a high polling rate. Essentially, a polling rate is how fast the keyboard inputs the data into your PC. You need good gaming keyboards that will match the quality of your monitor – high quality, and highly responsive.
Top 10 best keyboards for gaming- what are the best keyboards for gaming?
When we were trying to narrow the best gaming keyboards, we could hardly narrow down the list. We attempted to get the list down to five, or even seven, but there’s so much quality in terms of gaming keyboards out there. So, here’s our top 10 best keyboards for gaming.
- Razer Huntsmen v2 Analog – Razor sharp greatness
Specs and facts
- A price of $300
- A wired interface
- Beautiful, rainbow-like background lighting
- Analog mechanical switches
What makes the Razer Huntsmen one of the best gaming keyboards for gaming?
Simply put, it’s the closest you can get to keyboard perfection. The best gaming keyboards look to the Huntsmen v2 Analog for quality, and this is because it has everything you would ever need.
The tactile feedback is amazing, and it comes with a set of wrist rests that are designed to save wrist pain, and make playing with the best mouse for gamers easier.
You can completely customise the key actuation – meaning it can be as sensitive, or as rigid as you would like. Simply put, this is one of the great keyboards for hardcome gaming, and is worth every penny.
Disadvantages – Are there any downfalls to the Razer Huntsmen?
Its price. This can be a real kick to the gut for many hungry gamers, but its price is the real downfall. It still tops our list as the Top 10 best keyboards for gaming, but spending nearly $300 on the best gaming keyboards can be really tough for some gamers. It’s certainly only suited to those who can afford it.
Our rating
It ticks every box. Adjustable key actuation, a tactile feedback that is quicker than lightning and a great wrist rest that takes a lot of stress off your wrists. It’s, without a doubt, the best Razer keyboard for gaming. For that, we rate it:
9.5/10
- Corsair K100 RGB Optical – A premium addition
Specs and facts
- Price is $250
- Corsair OPX switch actuation
- Beautiful RGB Backlights (Red Green Blue)
- USB ports
- Dedicated media controls
- Detachable wrist rest
What makes the Corsair K100 one of the best gaming keyboards to buy?
This massive beauty really goes the extra mile to provide users with some great keyboard action. It has an aggressively quick key response, a nice variety of keys to suit any gamer and some nice grooves in the keys that are easy to rest on, and prevent pressing.
It certainly has one feature all the top 10 best keyboards in gaming have – a beautiful aesthetic, of RGB lighting. It ticks all the boxes that the best gaming keyboards on the market should.
Disadvantages – are there any downfalls to the Corsair K100?
It’s size can be a little overwhelming for casual gamers. It has a neat collection of great features and bonuses that really tops it as a great esports keyboard, but it would take up the size of an entire desk, and you’d have to clear away everything else to get it fit. But, it’s well worth the space and room it takes up.
Our rating
Without a doubt, this keyboard is one of the great keyboards for gaming among good gaming keyboards.
It’s beautiful lighting, the many features it provides for gamers – and cool little features, like the key grooves, are really just groovy. It’d adapt well with any of the best PCs for gamers, and for that, we rate it:
9/10
- Roccat Vulkan TKL Pro – A first class, compact addition to the top gaming keyboards for gaming
Facts and specs
- Price is $175
- A wired interface
- Adaptable, mechanical keys that you can easily programme
- Warming green and yellow backlighting
What makes the Roccat Vulkan a great esports keyboard?
The Vulkan is brilliant, because it’s small. Some gamers just don’t like the massive, feature loaded gaming keyboards when they’re playing. And, Vulkan really excels at making the best small gaming keyboard you’ll find.
It’s mechanical keys really are a thing of beauty. Not only do they have their unique appearance, but they are also completely accurate and quick to work with any monitor of your choosing.
Not to mention, they barely make a noise when you touch them – and their durability really is second to none. The Vulkan is easily a good gaming keyboard due to its absolute excellent features for its size.
Disadvantages – Are there any downfalls to the Roccat Vulkan?
The one thing, again, that could be off-putting for many casual gamers is the price. It’s a little hefty on the price range for a smaller gaming keyboard, topping around $175.
For TKL (TenKeyLess) keyboard, that can be quite pricey for many gamers. But, we can guarantee, it is the best esports keyboard in the entire world.
Our rating
Crafted by one of the best gaming keyboard companies in Roccat, the Vulkan TKL really sets the standard for all TKL keyboards. It contains many great features that some of the regular sized great keyboards for gaming have. Quick and soundless key action, unbelievable input rate – and some beautiful lighting. For that, we’ll give it a:
8/10
- Logitech G915 Lightspeed – a seamless wireless experience
Facts and specs
- Price is $260
- Wireless interface
- A Logitech GL switch actuation
- RGB LED lighting
- Dedicated media controls
- Amazing battery life
What makes the G915 Lightspeed such a great keyboard for gaming?
When it comes to wireless keyboards, the Lightspeed covers every gamers wireless dream. It can be difficult to perfect a great wireless gaming keyboard experience, but the Lightspeed does. Proving it is one of the best Logitech gaming keyboards.
There’s a great variety of media controls on the top right, and some keys down the left hand side that you can programme to whatever function you wish.
And, the keys are some of the best tactile, and responsive keys you’ll find in a wireless keyboard. You can pick from linear, clicky or tactile. With its slimline, sleek design, it won’t take up too much space on your desk either.
Disadvantages - are there any pitfalls to the G915 Lightspeed?
- Macro keys –All the top keyboards for gaming have macro keys, but the Lightspeed has them all the way on the far left of the keyboard. This may be awkward for some gamers that have smaller hands, and are unable to reach that far easily.
Our rating
We’d usually take a wired keyboard over a wireless any day. But, the G915 has proved many issues about wireless keyboards wrong. There’s no lag to speak of, the variety of features is just as great as with a wired keyboard. It really ticks all the boxes for the top keyboards for gaming wirelessly, and for that, we’d give it a
8/10
- Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 – Ridiculous value for money
Facts and specs
- Price is $110
- A wired interface
- Kailh switches with low actuation force
- Stunning subtle keyboard lighting
- Programmable macro keys
What makes the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard so great?
I know, when you ask ‘What are the best keyboards for gaming?’, you wouldn’t think Alienware would pop up. They aren’t known for their cheap products… but, this time around, you wouldn’t believe the value you get for money.
At an unbelievable $110, this is the best, cheapest gaming keyboard by far. It’s a durable keyboard. It’s macro keys are easily accessible, and are one of the most varied in the game at the moment. It doesn’t slap you in the face with an abundance of features, but to be frank, it doesn’t need to be. The price and quality of this good gaming keyboard alone makes it great for casual gamers.
Disadvantages – are there any drawbacks of the Pro Gaming Keyboard?
One thing we’d advise you of is that it is a plastic model. So, while it is fairly durable, it can be prone to falling apart with too much usage. When it comes to eSports keyboards, you’d find most are made of tougher materials, like metal alloys. With this plastic keyboard, you may feel something is a little off when you’re playing.
Our rating
Alienware have really outdone themselves with this keyboard. While Alienware are known for having the best gaming chairs, keyboards aren’t really their forte. So, they really outdid themselves with this great value model. At just over $100, it really is one of the top 10 best keyboards for gaming. For that, we’ll rate it
7.5/10
- Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB – best customisable keyboard you can find
Facts and specs
- Price is $450
- A Split TKL keyboard (TenKeyLess)
- RGB Backlights
- USB Ports
- Multiple wrist rests
What makes this Freestyle split keyboard so spectacular?
When asking ‘what are the best keyboards for gaming’, you wouldn’t think a split keyboard would be on there.
It’s a big learning curve, learning how to use a split keyboard – especially, if you’re used to a regular keyboard. Well, this Freestyle Edge really simplifies things.
It allows you to adjust the split length to shoulder length, which will greatly reduce stress you have on your back, neck and arms. You also have enough space in between to fit a controller, or maybe a mouse in, if you so need to.
You can customize every key on the entire keyboard, macro and regular keys. It really is a perfect fit for esports keyboards, because you can easily fit any key to fit any game you’d like.
Along with the quick response rates of each of the keys, the Freestyle Edge really provides a new layer to the best gaming keyboards.
Disadvantages – are there any downfalls to this split keyboard?
- Hand positioning – If you decide to keep the keyboard at shoulder length, you’re going to have a bit of an issue with your hands. Your hands are used to being close with other gaming keyboards, so having this far apart will feel awkward and might affect your performance.
Our rating
As far as offering something different, the Freestyle really shows how much gaming keyboards can be capable of. With a design that really will help your posture and any pain you might have in certain muscles, as well as great key response time and unlimited customisation options, this keyboard really ticks all the boxes.
Although it does fall into a niche category of sorts, and will take some gamers time getting used to it if they’ve never used a split keyboard before. Because of all this, we’ve rated the Freestyle:
7/10
- Razer Huntsmen Elite – Just a little faster
Specs and facts
- Price is $210
- Razor Opto-mechanical switches
- A dumbfounding 16.8 million RGB backlights
- Dedicated media controls
- A detachable, magnetic wrist rest
What makes the Huntsman Elite such a quick keyboard?
Razer has done it again, and with the Huntsmen Elite, offered a far different product than the Huntsmen Analog. The octomechanical switch is a hard thing to master for the best gaming keyboards.
But, the Huntsman Elite does so – so that every time you hit one of the mechanical keys, a blinding light shoots out from behind the key. Pretty neat. It also means actuation is immediate.
This is a great eSports keyboard if you’re playing a text based sports game,as it’s a great typing keyboard. The detachable, and magnetic wrist rest also serves for ease of comfort, and a whole variety of media controls. With some great personalised customisation, it’s a good gaming keyboard that is full of surprises and unique in it’s own way.
Disadvantages – are there any pitfalls to the Huntsman Elite?
- No macro keys – The major difference between the Huntsman Elite and the Huntsman Analog is that the Elite lacks macro keys.
There’s no real function to customise any macro keys to your own liking, a feature that has become commonplace and relied upon for gaming keyboards.
Our rating
The Huntsman Elite provides a different experience than the Analog, and certainly one for the quicker gamer. With the quickest response time we could respond among great keyboards for gaming, and some brilliant colors and customisation, it offers plenty of full features. For that, we rate it
7/10
- Razer Cynosa Chroma – Not all great gaming keyboards wear mechanical keys
Facts and specs
- Price is only $90
- Has a wired USB interface
- All of the keys are programmable
- RGB lighting per key
- Supports Windows 7+ and OSX 10+
What makes the Cynosa Chroma such a great membrane keyboard?
Some gamers would rather retreat to the comfort of the softer, reliable membrane keyboards. And, that’s alright. We’ve allowed the Chrosa to join our list, simply because it’s one of the best gaming keyboards on the market – even for a membrane keyboard.
It far and away leads the pack in terms of membrane keyboards. With customisable keyboards and nice RGB Lighting that changes for every single key, it doesn’t have any fancy features. But, it’s a solid keyboard, and does the job for any membrane keyboard fan.
Disadvantages – are there any downfalls to the Cynosa Chroma?
- Membrane limitations – As expected, there are some features a membrane keyboard just can’t live up to. A lack of a wrist rest, or media controls may be disappointing to some gamers.
Our rating
When it comes to membrane keyboards, we can be critical. But, the Cynosa Chroma is what all membrane keyboards set out to achieve – great playability, a nice aesthetic and some brilliant customisation features. With all that in mind, we rate it
6.5/10
- The Steelseries Apex Pro – Per Key actuation
- Price is $290
- Omnipotent adjustable switches
- 16.8 million RGB Backlights
- Dedicated Media Controls (via OLED)
- Detachable, magnetic wrist rest
What makes the Apex Pro one of the best gaming keyboards on the market?
This is the best Steelseries keyboard. Why? Because, it offers the ability to set the actuation for keys on an individual basis.
Each of the keys can be pressed as hard or as gently as you like. This is the feature that Steelseries has built the Apex Pro around.. but, it’s the only standout feature they have.
They do have a great OLED display which is novel, which allows you to display some great visuals on your keyboard (don’t necessarily have to be colours) It’s a bit gimmicky, but it’s certainly a neat feature.
Disadvantages – are there any downfalls to the Apex Pro?
- Lack of great standout features – We said it before, but the Apex Pro really lacks a real abundance of great features. It has one with the actuation per key function, and some cool gimmicks, but nothing that stands out.
Our rating
All in all, this is a solid addition to the list. We definitely think the actuation per key is a revolutionary feature, and some gamers will really love this keyboard. For that, we rate it
6.5/10
- HyperX Alloy Origins 60 – Affordable and compact
Facts and specs
- Price is $150
- A wired interface
- RGB keyboard backlighting
- Mechanical switches
What gets the Alloy Origins onto our list?
Mini keyboards are often strange, and hit or miss. It can be easy to cut a lot of features with a mini keyboard. But, the Alloy Origins really hits the mark as one of the top keyboards for gaming
With excellent performance, great key customisation and some beautiful backlighting, it’s well worth the investment if you’re looking for a mini keyboard.
Disadvantages – what are the drawbacks to this keyboard?
- Cut corners – The same issue as is with a lot of mini keyboards. To cram all of that functionality into such a small keyboard, there’s always going to be some features missing. Just be aware of that before you invest in this keyboard.
Our rating
The Alloy Origins tops off our list with a bow, as it manages to cover many things that other mini keyboards fail to do. It would certainly work well with some of the best gaming chairs due to it’s small design.
With customisable keys, quick performance and a well-built design, this mini keyboard gets a
6/10
Conclusion – Nothing but choice
To wrap up, we’ve collected a great collection of the best gaming keyboards for you to cycle through. You know the factors that we consider for every gaming keyboard before we consider it, and what we consider to be the best gaming keyboards on the market.
Though the Razer Huntsman v2 Analog tops our list, it might not suit you. It all depends on what suits you, and what your tastes are. Choose a keyboard that works for you, but we can guarantee one thing. Any of these 10 keyboards will be worth the investment.
Best Gaming Keyboards FAQ
