Best gaming keyboards 2019: Reviews and buying advice

Choosing a gaming keyboard is a matter of non-public style. To that time, there are a plethora of choices, with a dizzying mixture of options. One individual could possibly be into Cherry Browns and white backlighting. Another would possibly favor Razer Greens and a rippling RGB glow. Gigantic wrist pads, compact shapes, numeric keypads, macro keys, quantity controls…. You get the image

To show you how to type by way of the various choices, we’ve rounded up a lot of planks, placing them by way of their paces, to provide you with our high suggestions. All of those are mechanical keyboards, and for good cause—they’re merely extra snug to make use of over the lengthy haul. But we’re open-minded, so if we encounter an alternate that works properly, you may even see it seem on this checklist. We’ll hold updating it periodically as we check new keyboards.

Updated 8/23/19 to incorporate our assessment of the Mad Catz S.T.R.I.Ok.E. 4, which is a tremendous gaming keyboard, even when not as progressive as we’d wish to see from the maker of the standout RAT mouse. Scroll to the underside of this text to see all our gaming keyboard opinions.

Best funds gaming keyboard

Not too way back, the CM Storm QuickFire TK was the go-to suggestion for a sub-$100 mechanical keyboard. For good cause, too: Classic black-rectangle design, no quantity pad for individuals who hate them, and totally backlit (with the colour various primarily based on the swap you select). Plus, it makes use of real Cherry MX switches.

The budget-friendly mechanical keyboard market has expanded fairly a bit lately, although. These days, I’d go along with Razer’s new BlackWidow X Tournament Edition—as long as backlighting isn’t a must have.

It lists for under $70, has the identical stylish exposed-metal-backplate design of the bigger BlackWidow X, and sports activities a discreet typeface on its keys. Oh, and not like Razer’s different keyboards, you will get this one with Cherry MX Blues.

Runner-up

If you’re keen to go proper as much as $100, the HyperX Alloy FPS provides some good perks. It comes with backlighting, options Cherry MX keys, and is the slimmest keyboard in the marketplace. I additionally like that the Mini USB cable is removable—you received’t must RMA the board if solely the cable busts.

That mentioned, the low finish of the market is a free-for-all. Logitech’s G610, the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate, G.Skill’s Ripjaws KM570, the Corsair Strafe—these are all fine-to-excellent keyboards that function (or no less than can function) real Cherry MX switches and per-key backlighting for below $100. The greatest distinction is design, which is a private choice. I occur to love the HyperX Alloy’s minimalist look, however another person might want a bulkier physique like that of the Strafe. And issues are much more difficult now with a…

Best funds RGB gaming keyboard