Game On: A Ranking of Premium Gaming Keyboards

Choosing the right keyboard, especially for gaming, can be overwhelming, thanks to all the switches, macros, and designs available. Here are some of the best gaming keyboards available today.

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  Corsair

Corsair K100 RGB

Best Overall
$175 at Amazon

• 
  
  Roccat

ROCCAT Magma

Best Budget
$30 at Amazon

• 
  
  SteelSeries

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gaming Keyboard

Best TKL Keyboard
$165 at Amazon

• 
  
  Keychron

keychron K8 Tenkeyless Wireless

Best for Mac
$110 at Amazon

• 
  
  Logitech

Logitech G915 Keyboard

Best for MMOs
$185 at Amazon

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Best Gaming Keyboard Overall: Corsair K100 RGB

Corsair

TheCorsair K100 RGB screams quality from the second you take it out of the box. It features everything you need for work and gaming in one tidy package. With its solid aluminum frame, it feels every bit as premium as it looks.

Corsair OPX optical-mechanical key switches offer lightning-fast input with only a 1.0mm actuation distance. This offers one of the most responsive typing experiences from a modern gaming keyboard, helping you to be more productive at work or more responsive when playing games.

With six built-in programmable macros, the K100 RGB is perfect for both gaming and streaming. And, if you want to customize your RGBs on the go, you can use the iCUE wheel to make controlling backlighting easier than ever before.

Corsair K100 RGB

Best Overall

$175$250 Save $75

The Corsair K100 RGB is one of the best gaming keyboards around today. With impressive lighting, six programmable keys, and a durable aluminum frame, it’s no wonder it’s one of the top choices for gamers.

Pros

• Per-key RGB backlighting
• 4,000Hz Hyper-polling
• Programmable buttons
• Comfortable wrist rest

Cons

• Fairly expensive

$175 at Amazon See at Best Buy See at Newegg

Best Budget Gaming Keyboard: ROCCAT Magma

ROCCAT

TheROCCAT Magma is an affordable gaming keyboard that looks far from cheap. With its full-body RGB backlighting, it will stand out in your gaming setup and impress even the most seasoned gamers.

With advanced anti-ghosting, the ROCCAT Magma ensures that every keystroke is recorded, no matter how frantic the action gets. It will always be able to keep up with you, keeping you in the action for longer.

For those who don’t want to hear their keyboard, the ROCCAT Magma features silent membrane keys. It’s equipped with high-quality rubber domes to ensure silent typing that remains responsive no matter how quickly you type.

ROCCAT Magma

Best Budget

$30$50 Save $20

The ROCCAT Magma is an affordable gaming keyboard that offers many features without the added cost, making it a great choice for those on a budget.

Pros

• Stylish design
• Great value for money
• Extremely silent

Cons

• Not the most comfortable wrist rest

$30 at Amazon See at Newegg

Best TKL Gaming Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex Pro

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf

TKL keyboards are perfect for competitive gamers, and they don’t get much more impressive than theSteelSeries Apex Pro . Thanks to the smaller size, it’s perfect for taking with you for competitive tournaments or even a LAN party.

The OLED smart display is great for keeping track of in-game information, Discord, and tons of other helpful information and settings, all from one easy-to-access place.

OmniPoint adjustable switches allow you to customize the actuation distance from 0.4 to 3.6 millimeters. In addition, the RGB Illumination can be customized with up to 16.8 million colors per key, offering an unparalleled level of customization.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gaming Keyboard

Best TKL Keyboard

$165$190 Save $25

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gaming Keyboard is a small and portable TKL keyboard designed for competitive gamers.

Pros

• OLED smart display
• Magnetic wrist rest
• Adjustable per-key actuation

Cons

• Might be too small for non-competitive gamers

$165 at Amazon

Best Gaming Keyboard for Mac: Keychron K8 Tenkeyless

Keychron

TheKeychron K8 Tenkeyless wireless gaming keyboard is perfect for Mac gamers looking for a mechanical gaming keyboard. With a unique Mac layout, it features all the Mac function keys while also being able to work on Windows.

With Bluetooth 5.1, the Keychron K8 Tenkeyless wireless gaming keyboard can connect to up to three devices. This means you can quickly switch from using it on a Mac to an iPad in no time.

The battery on the Keychron K8 Tenkeyless wireless gaming keyboard is designed to never let you down. It can last up to 72 hours with RGB lighting or a whopping nine days without RGB lighting.

keychron K8 Tenkeyless Wireless

Best for Mac

The Keychron K8 Tenkeyless Wireless is the ultimate gaming keyboard for Mac users. It’s also extremely portable, with Bluetooth 5.1 and a 4,000mAh battery.

Pros

• Long battery life
• Solid build quality
• Affordable price

Cons

• Not the best keycaps

$110 at Amazon

Best Gaming Keyboard for MMOs: Logitech G915

Logitech

The ideal gaming keyboard for MMOs is theLogitech G915 . This keyboard features five dedicated programmable macro keys and three G-Hub presets installed on a sturdy, low-profile backlit keyboard.

Depending on your preferences, you can opt for the classic Logitech G915 or the TKL version—both offer an excellent tactile experience and minimal latency. During use, you can seamlessly switch between three switch variants: GL Tactile, GL Clicky, and GL Near.

You don’t have to worry about the battery dying during long gaming sessions, either, since the Logitech G915 can deliver up to a 30-hour battery life. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some other keyboards, the Logitech G915 is a powerhouse worth considering.

Logitech G915 Keyboard

Best for MMOs

$185$250 Save $65

Vivid, lightweight, and adaptable — it’s impossible to describe the Logitech G915 in just a few words, but that description comes close. The versatile and responsive design of the G915 makes it an ideal fit for MMOs, but it’s a solid contender for any dedicated gamer.

Pros

• Vivid, customizable RGB
• Five macro keys and three presets
• Three tactile modes
• Fantastic wireless capability

Cons

• Not enough macro keys for some applications
• Regular keys aren’t remappable

$185 at Amazon

FAQ

Q: What’s the difference between a gaming keyboard and a regular keyboard?

The most prominent differences between gaming keyboards and regular keyboards are that gaming keyboards are sturdier, generally provide better tactile feedback, cause less typing strain, and often include extra features like macro keys tailored for gamers. They aren’t required, but gaming keyboards make video games significantly better.

Q: What is a mechanical keyboard, and why is it better for gaming?

Mechanical keyboards use individual mechanical switches for each key rather than relying on a cheaper membrane switch. Mechanical keyboards are considered better for gaming because their key presses are highly predictable and provide excellent tactile feedback. Many provide additional features like N-Key Rollover, which is ideal for games that require complex key combos.

Q: Which mechanical switches are best for gaming?

Some of the best mechanical switches for gaming include red switches, which provide little-to-no resistance; brown switches, which provide light tactile feedback; and blue switches, which provide medium tactile feedback. Some of the otherpopular mechanical keyboard switch types include black switches, lekker switches, and speed silvers.

Q: What does TKL mean?

TKL stands for TenKeyLess—and simply put, TKL refers to keyboards that don’t have the ten-key numpad. TKL keyboards are excellent for gaming because many keyboards that omit the numpad are either compact (making them an ideal fit for small gaming setups) or replace the numpad with something more useful, like programmable keys.

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