Mar 21, 2019 - Best gaming keyboard 2019: the best gaming keyboards we've tested. Razer Huntsman Elite. Roccat Vulcan 120 Aimo. The sci-fi keyboard. Logitech G513. Gaming in silence. Cooler Master MasterSet MS120. The complete package. HyperX Alloy Elite. Havit Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard. Razer Cynosa Chroma. Mar 11, 2019 - Best gaming keyboard 2018: We've rounded up the best gaming keyboards. Gaming keyboards offer an arsenal of benefits over typical keyboards. With other Corsair gear, like the Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless, and great.
If you just dropped a bunch of cash on the best gaming PC, you might be tempted to pick up a $10 keyboard and call it a day. If it works, it works, right? Well, for your gaming experience’s sake, it’s in your best interest to invest in one of the best gaming keyboards, especially after spending so much on your PC. Otherwise, you’re only doing yourself, and all your new PC games a disservice by not picking up one of the best gaming keyboards.
The best gaming keyboards, unlike many other PC components and peripherals, can actually make you better at the PC games you play, especially if you use a mechanical keyboard. Before you to pick up the best gaming keyboard for you, make sure to consider the kind of switches you want. Membrane switches are typically considered the worst for gaming, so finding a mechanical keyboard is ideal. And, don’t forget about RGB lighting – it wouldn’t be 2019 without having your desk light up like a Christmas tree.
So, what makes the best keyboard for gaming? Even if you don’t have a large budget, there’s an excellent gaming keyboard for you. If, on the other hand, money isn’t an issue, there are a ton of feature-rich keyboards with all the bells and whistles.
Let’s dive into all the best gaming keyboards you can buy today, all of which have been tested and reviewed by us.
1. Razer Huntsman Elite
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Fast key actuation
Expensive
Razer is taking speed to a whole new level with the Huntsman Elite, due to its new optomechanical switches. That sounds like a mouthful, but Razer has managed to do the unthinkable – combine mechanical switches with optical sensors. This combination allows the Huntsman Elite to take actuation to the next level, and you would be hard-pressed to find a faster keyboard on the market. But, switches aside, it’s remarkably comfortable to type on, and it’s covered with more RGB lighting than you can shake a stick at. Sure, it needs two USB cables for power and costs a small fortune, but with tech like this, it’s absolutely worth it.
Read the full review: Razer Huntsman Elite
2. Roccat Vulcan 120 Aimo
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Feels great to type
Expensive
If you just want to get a keyboard that looks good, then Roccat Vulcan 120 should be at the top of your gaming keyboard wish list. This svelte keyboard uses Roccat’s own Titan switches, rather than the Cherry MX switches found on most other keyboards on this list. And, we can vouch for how awesome they are. Not only does this gaming keyboard have amazing tactile feedback, but it’s comfortable to type on and won’t keep your roommates awake all night. It really isn’t hard to see why this is one of the best gaming keyboards on the market today.
Read the full review:Roccat Vulcan 120 Aimo
3. Logitech G513
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Superior key switches
No dedicated media keys
One of the biggest issues with Cherry MX Red keys is that while they’re good for gaming, they’re not ideal for typing anything other than your Steam credentials. And, that’s where the Logitech G513 and its Romer-G Linear switches steal the show. With its brushed metal finish that, miraculously, is practically immune to fingerprints, it all adds up to one of the best gaming keyboards on the market in 2019.
Read the full review:Logitech G513
4. Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Cherry MX Brown switches
Plastic body
When you think Alienware, “value” is probably the last word to come to mind. But, if we’re being honest, the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 is a genuinely great deal. At under 100 bucks or quid, you’re getting the toughest gaming keyboard with mechanical keys, dedicated macro keys and slick aesthetics. It’s not the most feature rich gaming keyboard in the game, but at this price, it really doesn’t need to be. This gaming keyboard gets the job done, and looks good while doing it – that’s enough to make the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768 one of our favorite gaming keyboards.
Read the full review: Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard AW768
5. Cooler Master MasterSet MS120
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: No
Compact design
Included mouse is mediocre
Not everything has to be super high-end, and the Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 is a testament to that. It’s a keyboard and mouse set, and while the mouse isn’t all that great, the keyboard is the star of the show. Sitting at just under a hundred bucks, the MasterSet’s keyboard is affordable while being up there with other, more premium ‘mem-chanical’ keyboards. The switches on offer bring a ton of tactile feedback and deep travel, and won’t keep your whole house awake at night as you’re furiously pounding away on it during an intense late-night Overwatch match. The Cooler Master MasterSet MS120 is, without a doubt, one of the best gaming keyboards under $100.
Read the full review: Cooler Master MasterSet MS120
6. Corsair K63 Wireless
Interface: Wireless | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Perfect couch gaming
Flimsy palmrest clips
We have seen plenty of wired gaming mice over the last few years, but not many wireless gaming keyboards. Until now. And, with the Corsair K63 Wireless keyboard, the computer peripherals company takes what made the wired version of the K63 so great, and put it into a wireless version – without compromising on much at all. Packing tight Cherry MX Red switches, full RGB lighting and convenient media controls, the K63 wireless is proof that wireless keyboards can be very capable in 2019.
Read the full review:Corsair K63 Wireless
7. Corsair K95 RGB Platinum
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Hypnotic disco lighting
Classy aluminum build
Rubber palm rest gets grungy quickly
A $159 price tag on a gaming keyboard might a tad too steep, but the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum, one of the best gaming keyboards we’ve tested in the last few months, really does give you a lot of bang for your buck. And, we’re not talking the more trivial bells and whistles like fancy RGB lighting – although since we are on the subject, this one’s got a whole lot of them, not to mention its integrated 19-zone light bar and the 16.8 million color options, to boot. By a lot of bang, we mean that its 6 dedicated macro keys, 8MB on-board storage and aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum frame.
Read the full review: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum
8. Havit Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Fully programmable keys
No multimedia buttons
You might be thinking that if you’ve seen one of the best gaming keyboards, you’ve seen them all: big, garish hunks of metal with bright RGB lighting. And, while the Havit Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard definitely has the RGB lighting, it leaves the rest of the cliches in the past where they belong. This appealing and responsive keyboard is only as big as it needs to be, and is thus extremely comfortable to type as well as game on. There are no multimedia buttons, but we’d happily make that trade any day for a keyboard this good at such a low price.
Read the full review: Havit Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard
9. Razer Cynosa Chroma
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Affordable
Membrane switches
Are you new to PC gaming, and in the market for a keyboard that’ll perform admirably without the high price tag that a lot of mechanical keyboards have? The Razer Cynosa Chroma might be for you. It might not have the tactile clickiness of a higher-end board, but the hybrid mesh switches perform well enough, boasting a 1ms polling rate and 10-key rollover. That’s not to mention the sick RGB lighting.
Read the full review:Razer Cynosa Chroma
10. Corsair K68 RGB
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes
Water resistance
Sub-par wrist rest
Accidents happen – it’s just a fact of life, especially when you’re gaming. Luckily, it’s becoming more common for the best gaming keyboards to be able to handle anything you could throw at them, even Mountain Dew. The Corsair K68 RGB takes an excellent keyboard design with Cherry MX Switches and makes it water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about a surprise soda shower during a frantic play session. And, with its subdued, stylish design and reasonable price tag, it’s not hard to recommend the Corsair K68 RGB.
Read the full review:Corsair K68 RGB
Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article