Best gaming keyboards for every type of gamer
Gaming keyboards are the electric toothbrushes of first-person shooters (and then some). You have no idea how much easier and more enjoyable the process is until you get your hands on one.
Of course, you've already heard the rumours. That's why you're here. You're here under the promise of even better game play from the likes of Fortnite, PUBG, Overwatch and more.
But first, you need to understand what you're looking for. Gaming keyboards come in all specs and sizes and your best gaming keyboard will require an individual and informed choice.
Let's start with the latter...
Should I buy a mechanical keyboard?
There are clear advantages to mechanical keyboards over your everyday pressure-sensitive pads.
Entry-level gaming keyboards often utilise scissor switches - a hybrid dome which has a folding mechanism under each key so it can press down on a membrane.
Mechanical keyboards, on the other hand, use springs and levers to offer gamers an incredibly fast and precise response rate. Often, with under-key LED lighting. Programmers and pro-gamers alike tend to wax lyrical about mechanical keyboards but home gamers may not find the keys' feedback to their taste.
What are Cherry keys?
When you hear people talking about blue and red keys, they’re typically referring to mechanical key types rather than coloured keys themselves. The most common mechanical keys are manufactured by a company called Cherry and keyboard manufacturers source directly from them.
Since Cherry MX’s patents expired, however, almost every name-brand gaming company have experimented with their own version.
For keyboards which highlight their Cherry ‘colour’ as a selling point, it is important to understand each version’s sound and performance profile. For linear keys try Red, Silent Red, Speed Silver, Nature, White, Black, Silent Black and Linear Grey. For tactile, non-clicky keys try Brown, Clear and Tactile Grey. For tactile and clicky keys try Blue, White and Green.
Does a gaming keyboard need media keys?
Now that you’ve figured out how mechanical you’d like your keyboard to be, it’s important to consider your macro and media key requirements.
Most keyboards have around 90 keys but the number varies depending on the addition of a number pad (which some gamers never touch) or macro key deck. These keys are especially helpful for MMORPGs as they allow you to program game commands.
Corsair, Logitech and Razer also have solid interfaces that work well with their peripheral (ie mice and headsets).
If you tend to change your volume and music during game play, media keys (often found in the upper corner of a keyboard) will also allow you play, pause, change volume and skip tracks without losing focus.
And now for our pick of the best gaming keyboards of 2019...
1. Razer BlackWidow Elite
Best for supercharged customization that will stand the test of time
This is the best mechanical keyboard at this price point, bar none. Firstly, the award-winning mechanical switches have been designed specifically for gaming and are guaranteed up to 80 million keystrokes. You can even customise everything from individual key lighting to bindings and macros.
The BlackWidow Elite also offers an unusual benefit - hybrid on-board memory and cloud storage - which lets you access your personalized settings anywhere you need them.
Tip: Razer knock £10 off the RRP after you sign up to their newsletter.
2. Eagletec KG011-UK Mechanical USB Keyboard
Best for gamers who've spent all their money on the rest of their rig
As budget gaming keyboards go, it is usually impossible to find anything of this quality under £100. Eagletec’s, however, is completely mechanical, solid as a rock, and features 18 different RGB lighting modes.
Where you might expect this keyboard to fall short, it’s actually rather impressive. The key feedback has been applauded for clicking like the best from competitors' pricier ranges and it even boasts non-slip (and splash proof) ergonomics.
3. ROCCAT Vulcan 100 Aimo RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Best for dinner and a show - but you'll see what we mean, below
Roccat are a tried and true purveyor of PC gaming peripherals and their Roman fire god-honoured keyboard is no exception. The metal gaming keyboard is not only a sight to see, but a powerhouse of performance. We're talking 16.8 million LED colour variants, mechanical Roccat Titan switches which snap back to place immediately during the most intensive gaming imaginable, and its design is quite literally built to battle spills, crumbs and dust.
‘Aimo’, specifically, refers to the lighting’s incredible intuition to follow your keystrokes around the ‘board. It’s a spectacle.
4. Corsair K63 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Best for wireless gaming you don't have to compromise for
This is where you're going to see those Cherry MX Red mechanical keyswitches we were talking about come to life. Wireless keyboards were risky business for responsiveness when they first came on the scene but Corsair's mechanical K63 has been manufactured to offer flawless, uninterrupted gaming. You simply unplug and play; the ultra-fast 1ms 2.4GHz wireless is faultless, the 128-bit AES encryption protects your keystrokes from wireless eavesdroppers, and a single USB charger offers 20 hours of battery life should you feel like spending the day on the couch.
With CUE-programmable macro and media keys, the K63 has to be the best wireless gaming keyboard on the market.
5. Logitech G513 GT Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Best for classic, streamlined control
Though this is only one of many Logitech gaming keyboards, the G513's Romer-G switches take it straight to the top of the pile. If you're looking to more-than-level the playing field, these tactile mechanical switches take response time down to its absolute minimum. As an added pro, they're also quieter than most mechanical keyboards.
But its benefits don't end there; the gaming keyboard’s RGB lighting lives inside - rather than under - each key and Logitech’s clever LightSync technology can synchronise the lights to mimic those in the game you're playing.
6. Razer Huntsman Quartz Edition
Best for serious gamers who refuse to judge a book by its cover
A pink gaming keyboard won't be everyone's cup of tea, but the Huntsman Quartz offers everything the fuchsia-loving gamers among us could hope for. And more.
With new opto-mechanical technology, each key comes with an optical light sensor inside the switch. This means each keystroke activates a receiver for instant actuation. In layman’s terms, it’s speedier than ever.
Each keypress is also lighter than the others in this list, though similarly clicky, making the gaming experience feel a little more luxurious and satisfying than it might do otherwise.
