For some gamers, their keyboard is as important as the graphics card inside their PC - we round up the best gaming keyboards you can buy in 2021.
For some PC gamers, having the right keyboard attached to your computer can be almost as important as the hardware inside it. However, for the uninitiated, it can be hard to see what all the fuss is about. Is there really any difference between fancy gaming keyboards and a basic keyboard from Microsoft?
Don't worry; here, we explain the different features you should consider when on the market for a gaming keyboard, along with a selection of the best gaming keyboards available in 2021.
While you're at it you should probably check out the best gaming mice to go with your fancy new keyboard, and our pick of the best regular keyboards in case you realise you don't need all the fancy gaming-specific features after all.
Best gaming keyboards 2021
Logitech G915 - Best overall
- Pros
- Low-profile design
- CHOC GL switch
- Great wireless performance
- Cons
- No hot-swappable keycaps
- Expensive
- $249.99
The Logitech G915 is the first 9-series keyboard from the company in quite some time, and the wait has been worth it. The G915 is a stunningly thin low-profile gaming keyboard –22mm thick, to be precise – without compromising on the experience and performance that gamers want from a mechanical keyboard.
The body is comprised of a 5052 aluminium alloy top case and a steel-reinforced base to provide a keyboard that is robust, durable, strong and weighty – you don’t want your keyboard skating around your desk during intense in-game moments, do you? And, of course, it wouldn’t be a gaming keyboard without full Lightsync RGB backlighting customisable via the company’s G Hub software.
There’s more to the G915 than the look though; it’s the first Logitech keyboard to feature low-profile CHOC GL switches, measuring in at half the height of standard mechanical keys. The low-profile keys make typing and gaming with the keyboard a more comfortable experience when compared to standard mechanical keyboards, and you’ve got three variants of switch to choose from: GL Clicky, GL Tactile and GL Linear. The Clicky variant provides the audible and tactile feedback that most gamers want from a mechanical keyboard, and simply put, the typing experience is a dream.
Alongside the mechanical keys, you’ll find soft-touch profile switch and media control buttons and a gorgeous ridged metallic volume wheel. Our only complaint is that the function of the wheel can’t currently be customised via G Hub, although we hope that changes in the future. There are five macro keys for you to customise, though!
The G915 is also wireless, boasting Logitech’s proprietary Lightspeed wireless tech that provides 1ms response times, translating to lightning-fast response times during those crucial gaming moments. The keyboard also features standard Bluetooth support, allowing you to connect to a secondary device and switch between the two with the press of a button – ideal for streamers that have separate capture and gaming PCs.
Of course, with all those shiny RGB lights, you might worry about battery life – but you shouldn’t. The G915 lasts 30 hours with RGB backlighting enabled, which isn’t bad, but if you disable it, it jumps up to a whopping 1100 hours. The battery charges from 0-100 in three hours on average, and it can be used while it’s charging too.
If the idea of charging the keyboard is off-putting, we’d recommend the Logitech G815. It boasts the same design and features as the G915 but it’s wired-only (and a bit cheaper too, at £169.99/$199.99).
Mountain Everest Max – Best modular keyboard
- Pros
- Modular design
- Premium build
- OBS Studio integration
- Cons
- Expensive
- No Mac support
- From $269.99
Offering a blend of premium materials, exceptional build quality and genuine keyboard innovation, the Everest Max has the potential to be the ultimate modular keyboard – although it does come at a premium.
At its core, the Everest Max offers a TKL design ideal for gaming with a full-size keyboard and per-light RGB lighting. The two brushed aluminium faceplates give the keyboard a premium, weighty feel, and the squishy palm rest provides ergonomic support during longer gameplay sessions.
That’s fairly standard, but the Everest Max takes things a step further with its modular design. Along the sides of the keyboard you’ll find several USB-C ports, not for peripherals but other Everest Max accessories. Those come in the form of a premium media dock/display dial combination that attaches to the top right, and a number pad that you can attach to either the left or right of the keyboard.
The display dial is the real standout element of the dock system, offering a simple way to get at-a-glance information on PC performance, adjust volume, change the RGB pattern and much more, and when it’s not in use, it can display fun graphics and logos too. The Numpad is just as exciting, with an additional row of customisable display keys that turn it into something resembling Elgato’s Stream Deck.
In fact, using the Base Camp software for PC, you can take things a step further. Using the software, you can program the display keys to open certain apps or games, and there’s OBS Studio support for streamers, giving you quick access to streaming-specific macros at your fingertips. It’s also where you can program custom actions for the display dial, and you can customise the per-key RGB lighting too.
The customisable nature of the keyboard extends to the Cherry MX hot-swappable switches. Mountain offers a choice between red, blue, brown, silent red and silver Cherry MX switches at purchase, and includes all the tools needed (along with one of each type of switch) in the box to swap them out later if desired. There’s very little in the way of rattle and excess noise while typing too, although you’ll still get that signature click that gamers thirst over.
The joy of a customisable modular keyboard is that you can tweak your setup on a much more granular level than most other keyboards available in 2021. If you want one keyboard for work and play and you’ll make use of features like the display dial and display keys, the Everest Max is a capable option.
SteelSeries Apex Pro - Best for actuation customisation
- Pros
- Adjustable key actuation
- Multiple profiles
- Mini OLED display
- Cons
- Not every key is adjustable
- Expensive
- $199.99
This flagship gaming keyboard from SteelSeries is more than just a looker, and it has one killer feature that is (so far) pretty unique: adjustable actuation.
The custom OmniPoint mechanical switches can be adjusted to any actuation point between 0.4mm and 3.6mm. In layman's terms, that means it can register your keypress from the slightest of nudges through to a full depression down to the board, making the keyboard as fast or slow as you like.
Naturally you can set multiple profiles, and even adjust actuation per-key, meaning you can set one comfortable level for typing and another for gaming, or even custom gaming profiles per key - with a slow actuation for special attacks you don't want to risk wasting but a faster response on your movement keys, for example.
It's a phenomenal trick, but it's not all the Apex Pro has going for it. There's RGB lighting (also per-key), a magnetic wrist rest, USB passthrough power, and 3-way cable routing underneath the board.
This also features the mini OLED display seen on previous SteelSeries keyboards, used in conjunction with a clickable metal roller and an extra button to switch profiles or adjust actuation or illumination on the fly. It can also display a small image whenever you want - the SteelSeries logo by default, or your own custom image if you prefer.
There's one big caveat to the Apex Pro, which is that not every key uses the OmniPoint switches. The main portion of the keyboard does, but the Fn, arrow, and NumPad keys don't have the adjustable actuation - so bear that in mind in case any of those are in regular rotation for you.
It's also not cheap at £199/$199 - though you can save a little by opting for the tenkeyless option - but this is about as sturdy and full-featured a keyboard as you're going to find, so we'd say it'll be worth the cost for some.
Hexgears Venture - Best for work and play
- Pros
- Kalih Choc switches
- Low-profile design
- Wireless connectivity
- Cons
- No programmable keys
- Varying battery life
- No palm rest
- $159
The Hexgears Venture is one of the least gaming-y gaming keyboards in this chart, but don't hold that against it: this is a phenomenal mechanical keyboard with per-key RGB lighting - it's just one that also wouldn't look out of place in an office.
The most unique feature here is that it uses low-profile Kailh Choc mechanical switches, which give a typing profile closer to a laptop than a classic mechanical board. That means the Venture is compact, comfortable if you're used to a laptop or membrane keyboard, and is lightning fast to type (or game) on.
You get a choice of three key switches: brown, red, or white. Our review unit uses the white switches, which are the clickiest and clackiest of the lot. If you fancy something quieter consider the brown, but for gaming you're really best off with the red, which use a linear switch for consistent response.
Beyond simply being a mechanical board, the main 'gaming' feature is the lighting. There's not only per-key RGB lighting, but also an RBG light ring that runs around the underside of the keyboard's edge. The two sets of lighting are controlled separately - so you can have them synchronised or clashing - though they're only controllable from the on-board controls, with no current software option to customise things.
The Venture is also missing out on gaming luxuries like extra programmable keys, and that's in part because it's designed to appeal beyond the gaming market. The slimline, minimalist aesthetic makes this just as appropriate to an office as a gaming rig, so it's the perfect keyboard for anyone who needs to game and work from the same machine.
There's Bluetooth support if you want to use the Venture wirelessly, with hot-switching between up to four connections. Battery life varies though - you'll get a few weeks of use without the lighting, or just 16 hours of active time if you stick the RGBs on. Still, for gaming you might prefer to use it wired anyway, and Hexgears includes a braided USB-C cable for charging the rechargeable AA batteries or just using the whole thing wired.
The Venture won't be the right keyboard for you if you want a comprehensive set of macro keys and extra features - there isn't even a palm rest. But if you just want a mechanical keyboard with RGB lights, the option to run it wirelessly, and a design that you wouldn't be embarrassed to show your mum, the Venture is very hard to beat.
Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro - Best TKL keyboard
- Pros
- Compact TKL design
- Titan Switch Optical Keys
- Great performance
- Cons
- Expensive
- No macros
- Black model shows dirt build-up
- $159.99
The Asus ROG Strix Scope TKL Deluxe might be a bit of a mouthful, but it’s also the flagship keyboard from Asus’ gaming-focused sub-brand, Republic of Gamers, offering a high level of performance with a surprisingly small footprint.
The TKL Deluxe features a tenkeyless design, which, for those at home, means it’s missing the number pad, allowing the keyboard to be much more compact than the competition. You might question why you’d want a smaller, portable mechanical keyboard and we have one reason: more room to manoeuvre the mouse. It’s especially handy if want you drop down the DPI for finer control over your sniper aim in online shooters, because you need a lot of space to register bigger movements.
But while it’s smaller, Asus has made the left CTRL-key larger to avoid accidentally hitting the Windows key instead of crouching - we’ve all been there, right? It’s admittedly one of the smaller design elements of the TKL Deluxe, but it shows the attention to detail that Asus has gone to with its flagship gaming keyboard.
But the coolest feature, by far, is the inclusion of the Stealth key. You’ll find the key marked by a guy in a hoodie and, with a single press, the keyboard hides all active windows and mutes audio, perfect for those times when you shouldn’t really be gaming but the urge to play Apex Legends is too great. Once the coast is clear, hitting the Stealth button again restores the windows and unmutes your audio. Handy, right?
Stealth key aside, the TKL Deluxe offers just about everything you’d expect from a premium gaming keyboard, including Cherry MX switches that feel responsive and provide the satisfying click that gamers love, per-key Aura RGB lighting and a Quick-Toggle switch that allows you to quickly switch between media and function key inputs, ideal for both gaming and working.
You’ve even got a padded magnetic wrist rest for longer sessions, but using it covers up the cool bottom RGB strip that illuminates the surface in front of it.
Of course, with this level of functionality on offer, the Strix Scope TKL Deluxe isn’t cheap, but we think it’s well worth the money.
Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E 4 - Best keycaps
- Pros
- Matte, concave keycaps
- Cherry MX Switches
- Eye-catching design
- Cons
- No Macro keys
- Muted RGB lighting
- Odd keyboard feedback
- $129.99
Following a strong re-entry into the PC peripheral market in 2018, Mad Catz has continued to release high-quality gaming accessories, and the latest is the S.T.R.I.K.E 4. The elegantly simple mechanical keyboard boasts the typical Mad Catz aestethic, complete with Mad Catz detailing along the bottom of the matte-black keyboard, but with enhanced features that should improve your game performance.
The highlight of the keyboard are the keys themselves; they’re matte, just like the body of the keyboard, giving them a nice feel, further enhanced by the concave design of the keys. Beneath the keys, you’ll find Cherry Mechanical switches that provide great travel, but we must admit, it’s not the ‘clickiest’ mechanical keyboard we’ve used. It almost feels like a membrane/mechanical hybrid, but with the performance of a standard mechanical keyboard.
You’ll also find anti-ghosting tech on-board that helps log and process every single keypress, but that’s fairly standard in gaming keyboards at this price point.
Beneath the keys, you’ll notice what the company calls Chameleon RGB Lighting. That’s standard RGB lighting to everybody else, with the S.T.R.I.K.E 4 offering per-key lighting along with 18 preset LED effects that’ll jazz up your PC gaming setup. The lights are fairly muted compared to other gaming keyboards on the market, and while that may sound like a drawback, we see it as a plus – how many times have you been distracted when gaming by the bright pulsating lights on your keyboard when gaming? Exactly.
That can be further enhanced via the F.L.U.X companion app for PC, which allows you to customise not only the lighting setup on a per-game and per-key basis, but allows you to remap keys and create macros to get the upper-hand on your opponents in the heat of battle. The only real drawback is that the S.T.R.I.K.E 4 doesn’t offer dedicated macro keys, although you could repurpose one of the many media/function keys available.
Whether you want a gaming keyboard for the lighting or the performance, the Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E 4 is a great option.
Corsair K65 RGB Mini - A stylish 60% keyboard
- Pros
- Compact design
- Responsive
- iCUE software
- Cons
- Keycap markings hard to see
- No sound dampening
- No flip-out feet
- $109.99
The K65 RGB Mini is Corsair’s first 60% keyboard and isn’t called the K60 because that name has already been used. You could criticise Corsair for being a bit late to the party, but the K65 has everything and does everything you’d want from this compact form factor.
It’s useful where space is at a premium but you want a high-quality, responsive keyboard for gaming. As you’d expect from Corsair, the RGB lighting is excellent, with the ability to control and change the effects with keyboard shortcuts, not only via the iCUE software.
Using iCUE you can remap keys and customise effects, and these are saved to the hardware itself so you can travel with the K65. There’s also on-board macro recording.
You’ve still got all the keys that are ‘missing’: they’re available by using the FN button and the symbols printed on the side of the keycaps. Unfortunately, these aren’t transparent so don’t light up and can’t be seen in the dark. The bottom row has a standard layout so you can swap in your own keycaps.
There’s an optional ‘radiant’ spacebar with a triangle pattern that lets the three LEDs shine through more than the standard one: both are included in the box, along with a Corsair-logo’d keycap.
There’s a choice of Cherry MX Red or Speed switches: it’s odd that Corsair didn’t use its own OPX switches alongside the Axon processor. The highlight is the 8,000Hz polling, but this isn’t the default setting (it’s 1,000Hz). Do you need 8K polling? Probably not, and do bear in mind it will have an impact on your CPU load.
Aside from the choice of switches, there are a number of other niggles with the K65. First, there’s no sound damping at all, so it’s quite a noisy keyboard. Second, the USB-C port isn’t quite in the centre which, once you notice, is an annoyance. Third, there are no flip-out feet, so there’s just one angle.
So for those who aren’t die-hard Corsair fans, Ducky’s cheaper One 2 Mini RGB is a 60% to consider as well.
Roccat Vulcan 120 Aimo - Best build quality
- Pros
- Premium build quality
- Raised keys
- Titan Switch Tactile
- Cons
- No Macro keys
- No Mac software
- Large footprint
- $159.99
If you’re looking for something a little more premium than Roccat’s Horde Aimo, then look no further than the Vulcan 120 Aimo. It’s the premium model in Roccat’s keyboard range, complete with a premium design that would work well at home or in the office and features we’d love to see introduced on other gaming keyboards.
The Vulcan 120 Aimo features an anodised aluminium top plate that is robust and fingerprint resistant, helping to keep the keyboard looking slick during long gaming sessions. This is paired with raised keys, giving the keyboard a unique design while also making it much easier to clean the bits of dust and food that tend to build up beneath them. That’s not the most impressive feature of the keyboard, though.
The shining feature of the Vulcan 120 Aimo is the Titan Switch Tactile, a new switch exclusively developed by Roccat for use in its keyboards. The switch provides quicker response times – up to 20 percent faster according to Roccat – without having to apply much pressure on the key, and it’s noticeable in use when both gaming and typing in general.
The switch is housed in a transparent cover that allows the backlit LED lighting to shine through brightly, as well as provide a glimpse at Roccat’s engineering prowess. While the lighting on Roccat’s Horde Aimo left a lot to be desired, the lighting on the Vulcan 120 Aimo is much more vivid and responsive.
The keyboard boasts several built-in lighting modes, all adjustable via the dedicated FX button and the dial in the top-right of the keyboard. The dial has several uses, from adjusting volume to tweaking the colour pattern on the keyboard, and can be customised for other uses via the Roccat software for PC.
Our one complaint? At such a premium, we’d have liked to have seen the inclusion of dedicated macro keys for more advanced gamers.
What to consider when buying a gaming keyboard
Not all gaming keyboards are born equal, and there are features that you should look out for when on the hunt for a new one.
Membrane vs mechanical
One of the principal differences is the keys themselves, and whether the keyboard is mechanical or membrane-based. Membrane keyboards use a layer of conductive plastic underneath the keys which forms an electrical contact when pressed. Mechanical keyboards, on the other hand, use physical switches underneath each key, which are actuated when pressed.
Mechanical keyboards are generally said to be more crisp and responsive and keyboards using the high-quality Cherry MX mechanical switches are a firm favourite of PC gamers, allowing for faster, more precise keystrokes.
The principal downside of mechanical keyboards is that they're more expensive and bulky, versus more streamlined membrane models. There are also a variety of mechanical switches, such as the Gateron, Kailh, Romer-G and QS1 switches others in the market today - however, the Cherry MX switches are still the most popular switches out there.
RGB lighting
Of course, how a keyboard feels is only part of its appeal; you want it to look good as well. Many gaming keyboards now come equipped with backlighting, allowing you to see what you're typing even in the dark, as well as often enabling you to program specific colours or patterns for aesthetic appeal.
There are two types to look out for; per-key and zones. The former allows you to customise the colour for each key, and usually comes with a range of stunning RGB effects and can be used to highlight specific keys when gaming, while the latter only lets you customise lighting on a per-zone basis.
Layout and macro keys
Layout is also an important aspect of gaming keyboards. Many games rely on lightning-fast reflexes, and a split-second can mean the difference between glorious success and humiliating, abject failure. For this reason, gaming keyboard layouts are optimised for maximum efficiency, with ergonomic layouts, programmable keys and numerous shortcuts meaning that everything you need is always right where you need it.
Part of this is macro keys: programmable buttons to which you can assign long, complicated strings of keystrokes. This enables you to execute complex commands and manoeuvres with a single button press, saving time and effort and letting you focus on your gaming strategy. You can even create multiple profiles with separate macros, allowing you to tailor your macro sets to specific games.
Many additional factors can influence a gaming keyboard's appeal - the design and build quality, the convenience of its configuration software, additional multimedia keys and so on. You may find that if you're only an occasional gamer, you're perfectly happy with the most basic of peripherals. But for those of us that consider gaming a serious hobby, upgrading to a dedicated keyboard will change the way you play.
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