There’s little point in investing in a high-end PC while settling for a basic gaming keyboard, as it will most likely hold you back from victory. For this reason, we’ve created the best gaming keyboard list so you know which are the best options to buy right now.
Our team of experts review a wide range of gaming keyboards throughout the year, ranging from great value picks that excel at the basics, to more luxury keyboards packing fancy features such as hot-swappable switches and OLED displays.
Keyboards that get a 4-star rating or above are considered for this best gaming keyboard list, allowing you to find all of the recent top-rated options in one convenient article.
We’ll be updating this list on a frequent basis, so make sure to check back in a few weeks if you can’t find a keyboard you like right now. And if you’re looking for keyboards that perform well outside of gaming, you can also check out our Best Mechanical Keyboard or Best Wireless Keyboards lists.
Best gaming keyboards at a glance
- Best overall: Wooting 60HE Plus – check price
- Best low profile: Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile – check price
- Best tenkeyless: Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL – check price
- Best value: Roccat Pyro – check price
- Best for macros: Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro – check price
- Best hall-effect switches: Corsair K70 Max – check price
- Best ultra-low profile: Corsair K100 Air Wireless – check price
- Best miniature: SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless – check price
How we test
We use every keyboard we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by playing a variety of different genres, including FPS, strategy and MOBAs.
We also check each keyboard’s software to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
- Properly sturdy build quality
- Quick linear switches are ideal for gaming
- Affordable price
- Great backlighting
- Lack of USB passthrough
- Grooved plastic may not please some
- Cherry MX clones may not be the choice for purists
- Incredibly slim
- Snappy and tactile ULP switches
- Vibrant lighting
- Clever software
- Incredibly expensive
- Adjustable actuation point switches are a game changer
- Solid build quality
- Bright RGB lighting
- Expensive
- 60% layout may be too small for some
- Customisable Command Dial
- Immensely comfortable wrist rest
- Brilliant RGB backlighting
- A little pricey
- Semi-mandatory accompanying app
- Gorgeous looks
- Powerful and snappy switches
- Software provides good functionality
- Expensive
- Good looks
- Pre-lubed switches feel excellent
- Vibrant RGB lighting
- Fiddly and slow software
- Gorgeous looks
- Rapid trigger and analog capabilities are very powerful
- Lightweight software with lots of functionality
- Expensive for fully custom variant
Wooting 60HE+
Best overall gaming keyboard
Pros
- Gorgeous looks
- Rapid trigger and analog capabilities are very powerful
- Lightweight software with lots of functionality
Cons
- Expensive for fully custom variant
The Wooting 60HE Plus is the best gaming keyboard we’ve reviewed, offering a gorgeous design, powerful hall effect switches and rapid trigger and analog capabilities.
The 60HE Plus is a small keyboard with a compact 60% layout, meaning you won’t find a number pad, arrow keys or a function row here. Rather, the keyboard offers the necessary keys while providing more desk real estate for competitive gamers.
The build quality is fantastic and, at 970g, the keyboard feels premium even when compared to top performers from competitors like SteelSeries and Razer. It also comes in a wide variety of colours from neutral shades like black, white and grey to brighter blue, purple and pink. This makes it easy to pick a keyboard that fits into your existing setup. There’s also some of the cleanest and brightest RGB lighting we’ve tried to highlight each key.
When it comes to the different key configurations, you can choose between a pre-built keyboard or a custom option. The model we received included a polycarbonate plate, hall effect PCB, a silicone sandwich pad and screw-in stabilisers.
You can pick between the brand’s Lekker45 switches or the heavier Lekker60 ones, with both being hall-effect switches that offer smooth, linear actuation for gaming. We found both analog and rapid trigger to be fast and they feel great when gaming. The acoustics are also fantastic with no rattle or ping in sight.
If you’re looking to remap the keys and functions, the 60He Plus has you covered with its lightweight Wooting Wootility software, allowing you to customise the inputs and lighting with plenty of functionality.
The only downside to this keyboard is how much it costs – especially if you’re looking at the fully custom variant. However, if you want the best of the best, this is our pick.
Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full Review: Wooting 60HE Plus
Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile
Best low profile gaming keyboard
Pros
- Gorgeous looks
- Smooth and snappy switches
- Vivid RGB lighting
Cons
- Armoury Crate is clunky
As evidenced by the excellent top pick on this list, Asus has some impressive keyboard chops, but it isn’t all about performance. The Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is a compact and portable low profile wonder that has a strong typing experience to boot.
The ROG Falchion RX makes a great first impression with a design that is both understated, in a traditional gaming keyboard sense, but eye-catching for its bright white keys. It feels high quality while remaining impressively slim and offering immense portability, including a plastic cover. Handy connectivity some through wired, Bluetooth and a 2.4GHz receiver.
The main event is the low profile typing experience. We found it to be positively glorious. This Asus ROG offers smooth and snappy keypresses that are top-tier gaming performers but also act as an impressive hybrid option for productivity work.
You can game for plenty of time with this wireless set of keys, with up to 400 hours when the RGB is off and the 2.4GHz receiver is used. The ROG Armoury Crate is helpful as well, letting you customise the stylish RGB lighting and some remapping.
Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full Review: Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile review
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL
Best tenkeyless gaming keyboard
Pros
- Incredibly well-built
- Powerful and versatile key switches
- Synapse 3 offers lots of customisation
Cons
- Expensive
- Wrist rest isn’t as plush as its predecessor
For a long while the range that lends its name to the new Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL has been a go-to for high-class gaming keyboards. This trimmed-down tenkeyless board is no different.
When you’re looking for luxury in the gaming space, you head to Razer. The Huntsman V3 Pro TKL offers it in spades, with a sturdy construction and classic sleek Razer looks. The TKL layout means you get that extra desk space but additional function keys remain present for key macro customisation and more.
For performance, you get doubleshot PBT caps, which provide a comfortable yet detailed press as you type on this high-performance gaming option. We loved the speedy press you get from these second-gen optical Analog switches. Razer’s Rapid Trigger feature also adds an extra dose of swiftness to every response.
You also get Razer’s powerful Synapse software. It’s ideal for customising lighting, especially if you have more than one Razer device but it goes further, providing useful presets and settings, such as Gaming Mode for preventing accidental keypresses.
Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full Review: Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL review
Roccat Pyro
Best value gaming keyboard
Pros
- Properly sturdy build quality
- Quick linear switches are ideal for gaming
- Affordable price
- Great backlighting
Cons
- Lack of USB passthrough
- Grooved plastic may not please some
- Cherry MX clones may not be the choice for purists
The Roccat Pyro is an excellent value gaming keyboard, especially considering it does the basics incredibly well.
It’s well built, with its sturdy plastic frame ensuring no noticeable flex in the chassis. We also found its metal top plate to feel fantastic and offer a more premium look than the price of the Pyro suggests. The keycaps on offer may not be PBT, but their smooth ABS plastic felt good under finger for both typing and gaming. The fact the keycaps were also double-shot moulded also allow the vibrant RGB lighting to shine through with ease. It also comes with a plastic wrist rest for added comfort which we thought was a nice touch, although it is made of scratchy plastics, which feel a little jagged on our wrists with extended use.
Inside, there are some TTC Red Switches, which we found to be great for general gaming, given their light actuation force and snappy linear keypress. They’re also some of the more substantial feeling Cherry MX clones out there, with a consistent force and tone. Some other clones we’ve tested can feel scratchy and offer an inconsistent sound and feeling between two keys, but these TTC Reds didn’t fall into that camp at all. Alongside this comes handy creature comforts for a gaming keyboard in the form of anti-ghosting and full NKRO which make keypresses as precise and accurate as they can be through ensuring no inputs are missed.
We also found the accompanying software, Roccat Swarm, to offer fantastic functionality with loads of customisation on offer, ranging from configuring the Pyro’s RGB lighting to programming macros and mapping keys. On the point of convenience, the Pyro is a wired keyboard and connects up via a standard USB-A connector, which is handy.
Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full review: Roccat Pyro review
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro
Best for macros
Pros
Cons
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is a keyboard with customisability at its forefront. First off, there’s the customisable Command Dial – essentially a more elaborate macro key. The dial allows you to adjust the parameters of various settings within your PC. You can use it to adjust the keyboard’s RGB lighting, move through playback, zoom in and out, and more. Each setting isn’t far away, with just a click of the dial required to toggle between different ones.
The level of customisation doesn’t end with the Command Dial, with plenty of regular macro keys on offer. There are five going down the left of the keyboard as well as three on the side of the peripheral. It’s a plethora of options for those who love a good shortcut, with Razer’s software offering up nigh-endless choices on what you can do with the macros.
Customisability extends beyond macro keys as well, with RGB lighting able to be tweaked to the nth degree. Each key is individually backlit and you’ve got a wide range of timid or extravagant effects you can apply to the lighting. This keyboard is about choice and it’s lived up to whether that’s with the macro keys or the RGB lighting.
Along with the freedom and control the BlackWidow V4 Pro offers you, it’s a keyboard with Razer’s stamp of quality. There’s a sturdy metal build and a simply phenomenal wrist rest for dodging typing fatigue. You’re paying a lot for this keyboard but Razer does a lot to back up its high price with luxury materials and comfort.
Reviewer: Callum Bains
Full review: Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro Review
Corsair K70 Max
Best hall-effect switch gaming keyboard
Pros
- Gorgeous looks
- Powerful and snappy switches
- Software provides good functionality
Cons
- Expensive
The Corsair K70 Max is an excellent new gaming keyboard from a trusted brand, with cutting-edge features to ensure you are getting one of the best gaming keyboard experiences around.
At over £200/$200, the K70 Max isn’t a cheap keyboard but if you’ve got the capital then you won’t be disappointed. Your cash gets you a high-end feel that offers no deck flex at all and robust overall construction. There’s a touch of solid plastics but it’s backed up by smooth anodized aluminium. This gives the keyboard a luxurious look and feel that’s fitting its high price.
To appeal to serious gamers, Corsair is using hall-effect switches here. These kinds of switches use a magnet and a sensor to register a click rather than a more traditional mechanical option. As a result, you can make adjustments to the actuation point to suit your needs and wants. Some games may warrant a higher actuation point whereas some are more befitting of something lower, it’s a feature that avid gamers should love. The keypress itself is smooth and snappy, backed up by an 8000Hz polling rate.
On top of its high-end design, the lighting receives top marks too. The Corsair iCue software allows for endless customisation of the vivid RGB lighting as well as allowing you to easily tweak the actuation point and more.
Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full review: Corsair K70 Max review
Corsair K100 Air Wireless
Best Ultra Low Profile gaming keyboard
Pros
- Incredibly slim
- Snappy and tactile ULP switches
- Vibrant lighting
- Clever software
Cons
- Incredibly expensive
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless is an Ultra Low Profile gaming keyboard, with a skinny frame and slender keys resulting in a wonderfully sleek design that takes up very little desk space.
Low-profile switches can sometimes feel a little too shallow and uncomfortable, but that’s not the case here. The Cherry switches provide a satisfying tactile bump, with the high actuation force requiring firm presses as to avoid accidental keystrokes. The short travel distance also ensures a speedy performance, so there’s little delay between key presses and the resulting on-screen action.
It also has onboard macro keys and multimedia buttons, while offering both Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz support for wireless connectivity. Our tests also show the quoted 50-hour battery life to be accurate.
The biggest issue? This gaming keyboard is very expensive at £279.99/$279.99/€299.99, which is likely too pricey for the vast majority of gamers. But our reviewer called it one of the best gaming keyboards he’s ever used, so we still think it’s worth the investment.
Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full review: Corsair K100 Air Wireless review
SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless
Best mini gaming keyboard
Pros
- Adjustable actuation point switches are a game changer
- Solid build quality
- Bright RGB lighting
Cons
- Expensive
- 60% layout may be too small for some
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is the best mini gaming keyboard we’ve reviewed. Its compact size ensures that you won’t clutter up your desk space, and it delivers a top-notch performance for those who want to gain an edge in multiplayer games.
We found the OmniPoint switches to offer a smooth actuation, with light key presses. What’s more, you’re able to configure the actuation point of each key, anywhere between 5% and 95% of the total key travel. This makes this keyboard extremely customisable.
The Apex Pro Mini can connect up to your PC with two different wireless formats: via the bundled USB-C receiver, or through Bluetooth. The former is the fastest, ensuring there’s virtually no latency when playing games wirelessly. We were also hugely impressed with the compatible software, allowing you to remap keys and configure the vibrant RGB lighting.
If you love the idea of a mini gaming keyboard, but don’t want to miss out on having arrow keys, we also recommend considering the HyperX Alloy Origins 65. Although it doesn’t offer quite as much customisation as the Apex Pro Mini, especially in terms of software.
Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full review: SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Review
We also considered…
We’ve reviewed
See all reviewsFAQs
Mechanical keyboards feature physical switches underneath each key, which result in a crunchy, tactile feel, making them ideal for gaming.
RGB stands for ‘Red Green Blue’. Any keyboard that features ‘RGB lighting’ means it can produce lots of coloured lighting by combining the three core colours together.
There’s nothing stopping you from using a gaming keyboard for work, although some models do lack a number pad. However, mechanical gaming keyboards tend to be noisy, so be mindful if you’re sharing a working space with others.
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Comparison specs
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