Ultimate Console Controllers Guide - 2024

One-handed gaming keyboards are a great choice for PC and console gamers who want to customize their gaming setup to allow for more fluid and responsive gameplay. Not only do gaming keypads take up far less space than conventional keyboards, but many of them provide a greater level of customization with custom keymapping and macro configuration functions.

Razer Tartarus Pro

Best Overall
$130 at Amazon

Redragon K585 DITI One-Handed RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Best Budget Keypad
$40 at Amazon

Koolertron One-Handed Keyboard

Best One-Handed Keyboard
$80 at Amazon

HORI Tactical Assault Commander (TAC) Mechanical Keypad

Best Keypad for FPS
$90 at Amazon

Keychron Q0 Plus Wired Full Aluminum Custom Number Pad

Best Gaming Keypad for MMOs
$120 at Amazon

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Best Gaming Keypad Overall: Razer Tartarus Pro Gaming Keypad

Razer

Equipped with 32 fully programmable Razer Analog optical switches, theRazer Tartarus Pro Gaming Keyboard is the ideal gaming companion for setting up time-saving hotkey actions and macros to make your gaming more fluid and responsive.

It features an eight-way directional thumbpad for precision movement and an integrated wrist rest for comfortable long-play sessions. There’s a quick switch button on the side that allows you to toggle between up to eight user profiles on the fly, and dual-function keys allow you to bind two commands to each keystroke.

Plus, as you’d expect, it comes with a suite of Razer Chroma customization options, a 16.8 million color palette, and light syncing that’s compatible with popular titles and Philips Hue, making it the perfect companion for immersive gameplay.

Razer Tartarus Pro

Best Overall

Customize your gameplay experience with the Razer Tartarus Pro Gaming Keypad. With 32 fully programmable keys, unlimited profile storage, and Razer Chroma RGB lighting, you can play your way with ease.

Pros

• 32 fully programmable keys
• Up to eight quick-toggle profiles
• Razer Chroma RGB lighting
• Fully programmable macros

Cons

• Expensive

$130 at Amazon See at Walmart

Best Budget Gaming Keypad: Redragon K585 DITI One-Handed RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Redragon

An excellent budget-priced gaming keypad, theRedragon K585 DITI One-Handed RGB Gaming Keyboard is for gamers who are looking to introduce more precision to their gameplay without breaking the bank.

Featuring 42 hot-swappable mechanical keys with seven dedicated macro keys, there’s plenty of real estate to play with here, with the opportunity to assign up to 28 macro settings in total. The five different RGB backlight options are a nice touch, although these are somewhat limited compared to other gaming keypads.

Elsewhere, you’ll find a USB passthrough port to allow easy connection for your other peripherals, and a detachable magnetic wrist rest for some added comfort. For the price point, there’s very little to quibble about here, and everything feels nice to use, with a solid construction behind it.

Redragon K585 DITI One-Handed RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Best Budget Keypad

If you’re looking for customizable control on a budget, the Redragon K585 One-Handed Keyboard has got you covered. With 7 programmable macro keys and cool RGB lighting, it’s ideal for providing a custom gameplay experience that won’t break the bank.

Pros

• Affordable
• Seven macro keys
• USB passthrough port
• Five RGB lighting presets

Cons

• Not as in-depth or feature-rich as pricier keypads

$40 at Amazon See at Walmart

Best One-Handed Keyboard: Koolertron One-Handed Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Koolerton

TheKoolertron One-Handed Mechanical Gaming Keyboard features 45 fully programmable keys with 24 macro buttons. This mini USB macro keyboard is designed to make life easier, whether that’s for gaming or for managing your workload.

For designers and creators, there’s a four-layer configuration and built-in MCU storage, so you can easily switch out custom settings to suit multiple scenarios. There’s a rotating knob function that enables you to scroll through webpages, adjust lighting modes, volume, or skip tracks with ease, and blue LED lighting for a cool look.

This mini keyboard can be used in conjunction with a full-size keyboard and allows for near-endless amounts of customization. The ideal deskside companion for work and play.

Koolertron One-Handed Keyboard

Best One-Handed Keyboard

Great for gaming or for boosting your productivity, the Kooletron One-Handed Keyboard has a ton of customization options, including 24 macro keys and a four-layer configuration, making switching between your custom settings a total breeze.

Pros

• 45 fully programmable keys
• 24 macro keys
• Rotating knob function
• Four-layer configuration

Cons

• Keypad software feels slightly dated

$80 at Amazon

Best Gaming Keypad for FPS: HORI Tactical Assault Commander (TAC) Mechanical Keypad

HORI

If you find yourself respawning on the battlefield more than you’d like, perhaps it’s time to consider a more tactical approach, like choosing theHORI Tactical Assault Commander (TAC) Mechanical Keypad . Designed for the PS5 and PS4, this handy helper aims to provide PC-style mouse and keyboard-style control for your console games.

This mechanical keypad features an eight-way directional analog stick and an adjustable palm rest to enable fluid, non-slip control, and has space for storing up to six user profiles per console, with additional customizations available via the companion app.

It’s missing the touchpad from the DualSense controller, and the price point may be a bit steep, but for console gamers, this PC-style keypad is perfect for running and gunning, and climbing up those leaderboards.

HORI Tactical Assault Commander (TAC) Mechanical Keypad

Best Keypad for FPS

Keep your head in the game and move around the battlefield like a PC player with the HORI Tactical Assault Commander Mechanical Keyboard. Bringing precision keyboard and mouse-style gameplay to your PS5.

Pros

• PC-style control for PS5 and PS4 users
• Store up to six custom profiles
• Programmable key functions
• Officially licensed by Sony

Cons

• No DualSense style touchpad function

$90 at Amazon See at Walmart

Best Gaming Keypad for MMOs: Keychron Q0 Plus Wired Full Aluminum Custom Number Pad

Keychron

For MMO gamers, theKeychron Q0 Plus Wired Full Aluminum Custom Number Pad is an ideal piece of kit for setting up those vital hotkey commands to enjoy a labor-saving, fluid gameplay experience.

Featuring full QMK/VIA support, the Keychron Q0 offers innumerable possibilities for customization. Dragging and dropping your favorite keys or macro commands is a breeze with the VIA software, and you can even program commands to the rotating knob on top of the keypad too.

With double-shot PBT keycaps providing a nice tactile feel and cool south-facing RGB lighting to round off the package, this hot-swappable keypad is the perfect way to customize your gameplay.

Keychron Q0 Plus Wired Full Aluminum Custom Number Pad

Best Gaming Keypad for MMOs

Create your own fully customized keyboard with the Keychron Q0 Plus Wired Full Aluminum Custom Number Pad. With full VIA support, you can customize keys and macros with ease for bespoke control of all your gameplay.

Pros

• Endless customization options
• Customizable rotating knob function
• Hot-swappable
• Dedicated macro column

Cons

• Pricey
• Design is a little plain

$120 at Amazon

FAQ

Q: What is a gaming keypad?

A gaming keypad is a small auxiliary keyboard designed for a more fluid gameplay experience. Typically, they include remappable key and macro functions and enable storage for several custom player profiles so that you can tailor your gameplay to suit different titles.

Q: Is a gaming keypad better than a keyboard and mouse?

Some gamers prefer a more traditional keyboard and mouse setup, particularly when it comes to fast-paced games, such as FPS titles.

However, a gaming keypad can save some valuable real estate on your desk and give you additional options to customize your player profiles for different games. Plus, their construction tends to be a little more robust than with a full-size keyboard, which can make them more suitable for the rough and tumble of squad-based shooters or PvP matches.

Q: Is a gaming keypad better than a controller?

This is always going to boil down to personal preference and what type of games you like to play. But undoubtedly, gaming keypads offer more in terms of precision and customization than a controller will. This puts them at a distinct advantage when it comes to more complex titles, such as MMOs, when multiple button functions and commands are necessary.

Even if you fork out for a customizable game controller, you will typically find these to be considerably more expensive than most gaming keypads and with comparatively less functionality, too.

Q: Do pro gamers use gaming keypads?

The majority of pro gamers favor traditional keyboard and mouse gameplay, as this enables the quickest reaction times for intense and fast-paced competitive gameplay.

Q: Are gaming keypads helpful for MMOs?

Gaming keypads make a great choice for MMOs and FPSs, as they provide a means to perform multiple actions at once. They usually feature a suite of customization options, from programmable macros to custom player profiles, so that you can tailor your experience to different titles. For MMOs, in particular, a gaming keypad can be a real advantage, thanks to their smaller profile (compared to a full-sized keyboard) and the depth of control and customization that they offer.

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