Ultimate Selection: Elite Gaming Keyboard Picks

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• We’ve updated many of our best gaming keyboard picks with some of the latest and greatest options around. Take a look!

A great keyboard is important for PC gaming. Speed, stability, and build quality are all huge factors. But with so many styles available on the market today, it’s hard to tell which keyboards are the best for you. We help narrow it down.

UPDATE: 12/14/2023

We’ve updated many of our best gaming keyboard picks with some of the latest and greatest options around. Take a look!

Wooting 60HE

Best Gaming Keyboard Overall
See at Wooting

HyperX Alloy Origins Core

Best Gaming Keyboard Under $100
$80 at Amazon

G.Skill KM250

Best Gaming Keyboard Under $50
$45 at Amazon

Asus ROG Azoth

Best Wireless Gaming Keyboard
$190 at Amazon

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023)

Best TKL Gaming Keyboard
$158 at Amazon

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GMMK 60% Percent Compact

Best 60% Gaming Keyboard
See at Amazon

What to Look For in a Gaming Keyboard in 2023

Chances are high that you have used a keyboard at some point in your life. So, what separates a gaming keyboard from the keyboards that come packaged with your computer? There are a few important things to consider with a keyboard meant for gaming.

First, gaming keyboards generally have higher build quality than standard keyboards. A keyboard you pick up in your local electronics store is meant for general daily use, while a gaming keyboard should be built to withstand years of constant key-mashing and heavy use.

A huge factor in keyboard design is the difference between mechanical and membrane keys. Mechanical gaming keyboards have individual switches for each key and are generally preferred among hardcore gamers and even hardcore typists.

There are so many options out there for mechanical key switches, and they are usually color-coded based on their unique feel. Your preferences may vary, but if you don’t have much experience with the various kinds of switches don’t worry. There are plenty of guides online to help explain keyboard terms .

Many mechanical keyboards give you the option to swap the keys out for different ones. On top of that, you have to consider the build quality of these switches, and how long they will last. Most keyboards come with information on how many presses the keys are rated for. High-quality key switches are a key aspect of choosing the right keyboard.

The form factor is another important attribute of gaming keyboards. In recent years, smaller keyboards such as TKL and 60% boards have become popular among gaming fans. “TKL” stands for “tenkeyless ,” and refers to a keyboard without a number pad. A 60% board is 60% of a full-size keyboard and is even smaller. They’re lightweight, cost-effective, and removing things like the number pad can free up precious desk space for mouse movement.

A huge factor in buying a gaming keyboard is cost. Luckily, there are boards available at a wide range of price points. Some top-of-the-range keyboards may seem excessive, but most manufacturers offer scaled-down versions of their products to fit any budget.

Last but not least, there are aesthetics. As we all know, half the reason to build a high-powered gaming PC is to have enough LED lights that it can be seen from space. As a result, most keyboards designed for gaming come with built-in RGB lighting.

These can get very intricate and downright outrageous at times. Sure, if you’re only interested in pure efficiency, RGB may not be a topic that concerns you. But in the world of gaming keyboards, this is important. Many of the top brands in keyboards put as much focus into RGB as they do into making great keyboards, so thankfully, this is a scenario where you can have your cake and eat it too.

With all of these topics covered, let’s talk about some of the best keyboards available today.

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Best Gaming Keyboard Overall: Wooting 60HE

Wooting

The Wooting 60HE is the undisputed ruler of the gaming keyboard market. The main reason for this domination is found under the keycaps—we’re talking about the keyboard’s analog, ultra-fast switches that come with a feature called Rapid Trigger .

You can tweak the actuation point of each and every Hall Effect Lekker switch found in the Wooting 60HE in 0.1mm steps, from 0.1mm to 4.0mm. This allows total control over the activation of every single key. Then there is Rapid Trigger, a feature that adjusts each key’s actuation and deactivation points on the fly. You activate the switch as soon as you press it and deactivate it the moment you lift your finger. Rapid Trigger unlocks fast and precise strafe control in games such as Valorant, Apex Legends, or Overwatch 2.

The switches are also analog, and they register motion in 0.1mm steps, allowing for control like you’d get with joysticks on a regular gaming controller . This is great for driving games and other titles requiring precise movement. The switches also support multiple actions depending on whether you press a switch fully or partially. For example, you can press a switch partially in League of Legends to see the casting range and then press it fully to cast after you’ve seen the range.

Having the best mechanical switches for gaming on the market isn’t the only strong side of the Wooting 60HE. The keyboard also features excellent built quality, and it sounds brilliant for a gaming mechanical keyboard thanks to the lubed stabs and multiple layers of dampening foam. You’ve also got high-quality, double-shot PBT keycaps.

Best of all, you can remove the entire keyboard assembly from the default case and place it inside the Tofu60 Redux case , a high-end custom keyboard housing, giving you a dose of luxury and an even better typing sound. You can also use other custom 60% keyboard cases—just ensure the case in question is compatible with the Wooting 60HE before buying it.

Last but not least is the web-based Wootility control software . You don’t have to install any app: Open your browser, visit the appropriate webpage, and do some tweaking. Once you’re done, every change is stored in the keyboard’s memory, and since it’s web-based, you can use Wootility on virtually every operating system.

Of course, Wooting 60HE isn’t a perfect keyboard. The two main stumbling points include the high price and the fact that the only way to get the keyboard is by ordering it online on Wooting’s website, and then waiting for more than a month for the company to finish producing the next batch of keyboards. We also don’t like plastic case, but that’s an issue affecting most high-end gaming keyboards. Last but not least is that you’re limited to a steel plate that goes over the PCB. Steel plates are rigid and produce a higher pitch sound; not everyone is a fan of that. An optional polycarbonate plate would be great to see.

SteelSeries and Razer tried to copy Wooting with their Apex Pro Mini and Huntsman Mini 60% Analog, two keyboards supporting adjustable actuation, with middling results. The Wooting 60HE is still the king because neither Razer nor SteelSeries don’t offer the same level of precision when it comes to adjusting the actuation point, and they also can’t match Wooting’s lighting-fast Rapid Trigger feature. If you’re looking for a great gaming keyboard with regular switches, the Razer BlackWidow V4 75% is a worthy alternative.

Best Gaming Keyboard Overall

Wooting 60HE

The Wooting 60HE is the best gaming keyboard on the market thanks to its analog Hall Effect switches, excellent software that comes with plethora of customization options, high-end PBT keycaps, superb build quality, factory lubed stabilizers, and a universal tray mount that supports various custom 60% keyboard housings.

See at Wooting

Best Keyboard Under $100: HyperX Alloy Origins Core

HyperX

A hundred dollars is still a lot to spend on a keyboard, but that’s the price point you want to hit if you’re looking for something great without completely breaking the bank. For that, you’ll want the HyperX Alloy Origins Core.

Even at just under $100, you get your money’s worth with this compact tenkeyless (TKL) package. First of all, it looks fantastic. The RGB lights under the keys create some seriously cool backlighting, and there are plenty of effects to play around with to get the most out of the lights.

The board is built on an aluminum body with HyperX’s own mechanical switches. If you can splash out the extra few bucks the aqua switches are a particularly great blend of tactile and smooth, as well as being rated up to 80 million clicks.

Overall, the Alloy Origins Core is just a great deal, a very high-quality keyboard for a reasonable price. There’s a reason this keyboard has become so popular, and it would be wise to consider if you don’t want to pay premium gaming keyboard prices.

Best Gaming Keyboard Under $100

HyperX Alloy Origins Core

$80 $90 Save $10

A top-notch keyboard with excellent mechanical keys and customizable RGB, the Alloy Origins Core is the best keyboard in an increasingly popular category.

$80 at Amazon

Best Gaming Keyboard Under $50: G.Skill KM250 RGB 65%

G.Skill

The G.Skill KM250 RGB 65% is a compact and affordable gaming keyboard that offers a lot for its $50 price. You’ve got a solid build quality, hot-swappable PCB, excellent PBT pudding keycaps for a super-bright RGB light show, excellent RGB backlighting, a volume knob, and a detachable USB-C cable.

The keyboard’s also surprisingly weighty for a budget gaming keyboard, adding to the well-built feel you get as soon as you start typing on it. The switches here aren’t analog or optical like on high-end gaming keyboards, but the linear Kailh red switches found on the G.Skill KM250 feel very smooth and are quite responsive. They also feature regular Cherry MX stems, meaning you can swap the default pudding keycaps if their see-through design isn’t to your liking.

Another plus is the 65% design that keeps the arrow keys while keeping the keyboard as compact as possible. And thanks to the hot-swap PCB, you can replace the default switches in case you don’t like them or get bored of them after a while.

On the other hand, the keyboard feels a bit hollow while typing because it doesn’t come with any dampening foam. The stabilizers aren’t lubed, further adding to the hollow typing sound. That said, these pet peeves are expected in a budget gaming keyboard, and you can lube the stabs or open the keyboard and install foam if you like, massively improving the typing sound.

Best Gaming Keyboard Under $50

G.Skill KM250

For a $50 gaming keyboard, the G.Skill KM250 offers metric tons of back for your buck. Excellent build quality, bright RGB, PBT keycaps, compact form factor, and a handy volume knob.

$45 at Amazon

Best Wireless Gaming Keyboard: ASUS ROG Azoth

ASUS

The ASUS ROG Azoth is a high-end gaming mechanical keyboard that comes close to the quality and overall typing experience found on custom mechanical keyboards. ASUS did an impressive job with Azoth, and the result is a great-sounding keyboard that comes with a hot-swap PCB, lubed switches and stabs, high-quality keycaps, multiple layers of dampening foam for a better sound, and the best wireless performance on the market.

The switches used are regular mechanical ones , available in multiple flavors—clicky, tactile, and two types of linear switches (NX Red and NX Snow). As for the stabs, they sound pretty good and come pre-lubed, but their proprietary design means you won’t be able to replace them with aftermarket stabilizers.

You’ve also got a customizable screen that can show your PC diagnostics and a tiny rocker you can use to adjust volume or navigate the screen-related menus. The keyboard features a high build quality with its top plate made of metal. That said, the bottom plate is made of plastic, the reason behind this decision being better wireless performance with plastic housing. Testing confirms this , showing faster performance compared to a 2.4GHz keyboard with a metal housing and virtually no differences between the wired and wireless performance of the ROG Azoth, a commendable result.

The main downside of the ASUS ROG Azoth is, as expected, the price. The keyboard’s default price is set at $250, but we recommend waiting for a sale and snagging it for about $200-$220. Then there’s the gamer-y keycap font that looks out of place–even despite the Azoth being a gaming keyboard. Luckily, you can swap the default keycaps, but you’ll have to spend extra for that.

Looking at alternatives, you’ve got the Logitech G915 , which offers a low-profile design, excellent wireless performance, and a much worse typing experience due to rattly stabilizers. The wireless version of our best TKL gaming keyboard pick, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL 2023, is another solid alternative to the ROG Azoth.

Best Wireless Gaming Keyboard

Asus ROG Azoth

$190 $250 Save $60

Thanks to its unmatched wireless performance, impressive battery life, and near-custom mechanical keyboard typing experience, the ASUS ROG Azoth stands out as the best wireless gaming keyboard you can get.

$190 at Amazon

Best TKL Gaming Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023)

Hannah Stryker / Review Geek

The updated 2023 version of the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL comes with a number of upgrades compared to the 2019 version of the keyboard, allowing the successor to snag the title of the best TKL gaming keyboard from the original.

The main selling point here is the inclusion of OmniPoint 2.0 switches that support tweaking the actuation point of each switch, similar to what the Wooting 60HE offers. While the switches aren’t as good as the ones in the Wooting 60HE, they are accurate enough to allow for precise tweaking of the switch sensitivity that can improve the experience of playing competitive esports titles, where movement is of the utmost importance.

You’re also getting the Rapid Trigger feature that enables fine adjustment of strafing movements. While the option isn’t as reactive as the Wooting 60HE, Rapid Trigger should improve your movement control enough to see the difference while gaming. Concerning the battery life, you can expect about a week of use before needing to charge the keyboard, which is a good result considering the rich RGB implementation.

Other features found on the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL 2023 include excellent PBT keycaps, praiseworthy build quality, a nice OLED screen that can show all kinds of info, a control wheel for adjusting volume and navigating around the OLED screen’s menus, included wrist rest, a removable USB-C cable on the wired version of the keyboard, as well as high-quality RGB backlighting.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL 2023 is also available as a wireless option . The wireless version supports 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.0, and performs as well as other wireless gaming keyboards, which means it’s is a bit behind the performance of the ASUS ROG Azoth when using the 2.4GHz dongle.

Regarding stuff we don’t like, the first entry on the list is rattly-sounding unlubed stabilizers. This noticeably downgrades the typing sound and makes the keyboard sound cheap. This is unacceptable in 2023, when most other big-name gaming keyboard brands offer factory-lubed stabilizers. Then there’s the high price, soldered switches you cannot hot-swap, and the SteelSeries GG app that mostly works fine but uses a lot of system resources and feels like it gets constant updates.

Best TKL Gaming Keyboard

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023)

$158 $190 Save $32

Adjustable OmniPoint 2.0 switches is the main reason to get the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023), but far from the only one. You’ve also got a remarkable build quality, an OLED screen as well as a volume knob, a comfortable wrist rest, and PCB keycaps.

$158 at Amazon See at steelseries

Best 60% Gaming Keyboard: GMMK 60 Percent Compact

Glorious PC Gaming

This diminutive class of keyboards has come a long way over the past few years. What used to be a niche market is now flooded with high-end products from big-name manufacturers. And despite the stiff competition from bigger brands, the GMMK 60% Percent Compact is about as good as a 60% board can get.

The GMMK comes with preinstalled mechanical switches, although the modular keyboard lets you easily swap them out for others without any soldering or technical know-how. If you’re averse to soldering, that alone is worth the price of admission.

You’ll likely be more than happy with the included switches anyway, as the Gateron Brown Tactile Mechanical switches offer enough tactile feedback for gaming while also being quiet enough not to annoy your roommate or wake up the entire house.

Its unique, modular capabilities immediately put it ahead of most of the competition, but Glorious didn’t stop there. The GMMK Compact also includes a built-in stand, RGB lights, a full aluminum top plate, and a layout that’s compatible with most third-party keycaps—giving you another way to customize your keyboard.

The GMMK is available in both black and white variants, and it’s reasonably priced at right around $100. Sure, you’ll find more affordable keyboards in this class, but few can offer the firepower of this tiny-but-mighty beast from Glorious.

Best 60% Gaming Keyboard

GMMK 60% Percent Compact

Its modular switch design makes it easy to customize the keyboard as you see fit, but it also comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a $100+ product. At the end of the day, there’s little to complain about with this little, pint-sized keyboard.

See at Amazon See at Glorious Gaming

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