The right gaming keyboard ultimately comes down to the right feel while you’re playing. Membrane switches

are familiar, but often spongy. Mechanical keyboards offer key switches that are responsive when typing or moving in a game, and feel good to push down. That feel is important, because the keyboard is the peripheral you’ll spend the most time with at your PC, and it has to feel right. The gaming keyboard market has undergone some major changes.

The gaming keyboard market has undergone some major changes. Some companies have made their products increasingly sophisticated, while others are going back to their roots. We’ve also seen the rise of proprietary switches from a few companies. With all these new releases, we believe it’s time to update our best gaming keyboard section.

Best high-end gaming keyboard All of the macros RGB lighting Handy media controls Build quality that's made to last Crazy expensive No USB passthough

The Corsair Vengeance K95 RGB is the updated version of the aging Vengeance K95. Being numero-uno in Corsair’s gaming keyboard lineup, the Vengeance K95 RGB has all the uber-end features that competitive gamers need. A set of 18 programmable macros rests on the left side, more than enough for even the most demanding MMO gamers. Macro programming isn’t restricted to just the macro keys; every key on the K95 is also programmable. To top it off, there are four profiles that can be stored directly in the onboard memory. It also comes with a full set of media control buttons and a superb detachable wrist rest.

Although we like the Vengeance K95 RGB outfitted with the tactile Cherry MX Brown switch, it also comes in Cherry MX Reds if you prefer a straight, bump-less travel. The switches use Cherry’s new transparent switch housings and surface mount LEDs to up the light show.

The Corsair Vengeance K95 RGB has an anodized aluminum front plate that exposes its switches. When turned on, the dazzling lights spills over the edges. A vast library of effects can be applied through the Corsair Utility engine.

The keycaps on the K95 RGB are still made from ABS plastic. They’re grippy and feel alright. There’s a separate set of textured keycaps for the WASD keys included in the box.

With almost everything covered, the only key feature missing on the K95 RGB is USB pass-throughs. This is a bit irritating since the K95 RGB needs two USB ports to function.

The Corsair K95 RGB pushes the ceiling of what a gaming keyboard can be—including the price tag. If its high asking price is too much to bear, then you can also opt for the older, non-RGB version for a significant discount.

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Best overall gaming keyboard Excellent performance Perfectly priced Respectable build quality and appearance White-only backlighting can be distracting

For a keyboard without much bells and whistles, the G610 Orion Brown still manages to give off a gaming vibe. That said, its plain, rugged design also has no problem blending in with your office cubicle. Logitech has kept the entire board free of prints save the beautiful light-up “G” symbol at the top left, which enhances its overall appeal in simplicity.

There are two variants of the G610 Orion to choose from: one with Cherry MX Red switch and the other with Cherry MX Brown. We like the Cherry MX Brown version. Cherry MX Brown is known as the “do-it-all” Cherry MX switch with a silent and beefy tactile point and a light actuation force.

The G610 Orion comes with an essential feature set to satisfy a majority of gamers. The top right corner is populated with a group of media control keys and an excellent volume wheel. The windows key can be disabled by pressing the “Gaming Mode” button, and macros can be programmed into the function row using the Logitech Gaming Software. Though it lacks a dedicated macro column, most gamers can squeeze by just fine without one.

The only slight disappointment with the G610 Orion Brown is its fiercely bright backlight, but you can choose to dial this back a notch in the lighting options. We found 40% to be a comfortable brightness level to use in the dark. The limited lighting effects are also underwhelming.

Tacked onto its sleek looks, solid performance, and robust features is a gentle pricetag. With an MSRP of $120, the Logitech G610 Orion offers tremendous value without shedding any important function.

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Best budget gaming keyboard Extremely affordable for a gaming keyboard Decent build quality Has backlit keys Full numpad Flimsy and slippery keycaps

The Thermaltake Poseidon Z has been around for nearly two years, but its tremendous value still firmly seats it as one of the most popular mechanical keyboards on the market. At the time of writing, you can easily pick one up for around $65.

Those who crunch numbers will definitely appreciate the inclusion of the number pad. At a budget price, this is a huge bonus compared to many of the other tenkeyless (TKL) options in this price category. It also comes with blue backlighting, a feature that’s often lost in the pursuit of lowering the cost.

Thermaltake’s decision of going with Kailh switches instead of Cherry MX which may upset some die-hard Cherry fans. Kailh switches are often perceived as inferior in quality when compared to Cherry MX switches. In reality, you’d be hard put to tell the difference between Cherry and Kailh, even if you are a veteran.

The Thermaltake Poseidon Z comes in either Kailh Blue or Brown flavors. What you choose is up to you. Blues have fantastic feedback for typing but have a loud click, Browns offer slightly less tactility but are much quieter.

There are no ornate designs with the Poseidon Z: It’s cased in a plain but durable plastic chassis. While its shell feels solid, there’s an unsightly red logo sprayed above the number pad. The Thermaltake logo has also been etched into the center of the spacebar, but we’re willing to overlook these small details considering its price

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Best keyboard for typing enthusiasts DIP switches at the back to change the position of the FN key Dual-injected keycaps RGB backlight Full range of Cherry MX switch options available (Blue, Brown, Red, etc.) Plastic front face looks cheap Would like to see PBT keycaps over ABS Pricey for its feature list

Designed to be the ultimate end all, be all desk companion, the Ducky Shine 5 is geared towards the office knights. The USB cord is detachable so it can be swapped with different lengths and colors. There’s a set of switches on the back that changes the location of the “FN” key depending on the user’s hand dominance.

The Ducky Shine 5’s best feature by far is its excellent dual-injected (also known as double-shot) ABS keycaps. The dual-injection method layers two different colored plastics on top of one another, with the bottom layer seeping through the top layer to act as the key print. Not only does this help add weight and thickness to the keycap, it also ensures that the key prints stay bright.

The fifth iteration of Ducky’s Shine series is also the first one to adopt RGB backlighting. The Ducky Shine 5 supports a plethora of eye-watering colors and effects that can be configured directly through the keyboard. The LEDs are mounted on a separate PCB from the switches to maximize the illumination area.

Ducky uses Cherry’s entire switch line-up including Cherry MX Black, Brown, Red, Blue, and Cherry’s latest Nature White for its Shine 5. We received the model with the Cherry MX Black switch. Its heavy actuation force and linear travel is ideal for silent gaming, but we prefer a more tactile switch for typing.

While the Shine 5’s build quality is superb, we wish that the front plate is made of actual metal instead of just plastic that’s brushed to mimic a metallic texture. We also would’ve liked to see PBT plastic keycaps instead of ABS. PBT plastic has better shape memory, is harder than ABS, and won’t shine after prolonged use. For a keyboard that costs around in the mid-$100 range, that’s not too much to ask.

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Best membrane keyboard Modest, professional appearance Topre switch is fantastic for a non-mechanical switch Cherry MX-compatible stems Removable cable Highly portable May be too austere for some Lacks backlighting No lock (e.g. CAPSLOCK) indicator lights Crappy keycaps

While it’s true that Cooler Master’s “hybrid capacitive” switch can’t really be called a membrane switch, its construction borrows heavily from rubber dome. The inspiration for its design came from a premium switch type called Topre. The Topre switch has an additional spring sandwiched between the membrane layer and the PCB, preserving much of the characteristics of rubber dome while simultaneously providing a vastly superior feel. Topre is widely considered to be one of the smoothest keyboard switches on the market and one with the highest consistency. The specific ones on the Novatouch have an actuation force of 45g and a 1mm actuation distance.

The Cooler Master Novatouch TKL breaks many records in the Topre keyboard category. It’s the first Topre keyboard to incorporate Cherry MX-compatible stems, giving us the freedom of using custom-designed keycaps. It also leads the pack by being the first Topre keyboard to ever feature NKRO over USB. Sitting in the mid-$100 range, it’s one of, if not the most affordable Topre keyboards available.

Cooler Master played the minimalist card to the extreme. Macros, dedicated media keys, and USB pass-throughs have all been cut from the features list. Instead, we get an industrious-looking chassis coated with a matte finish. The plastic case feels sturdy and didn’t complain when we hammered away with our heavy hands.

We love the silent and tactile travel of the Topre switches. The vibration from bottoming out is far softer thanks to the dampening effect of the membrane layer. Cooler Master included a bag of O-rings to further reduce noise, but we prefer ours without. Despite having the same actuation force as Cherry MX Red, the problem with accidental presses weren’t nearly as frequent.

The Novatouch has many bright points, but hidden within its shadow are some critical flaws. As a premium keyboard, its keycap quality is mediocre at best; The prints on our sample started to fade after just two months of regular use. There’s also no backlight to speak of, not even the indicator lights for the caps and scroll locks. Though it’s significantly less expensive than its competitors, it’s still not cheap by any measure.

We agree that the Novatouch is bare to the extreme and may not have all the features a gamer would want, but it trumps any membrane keyboards in the performance and lasts a whole lot longer. If you swear by rubber dome, give the Cooler Master Novatouch TKL a look before picking anything up.

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How we test gaming keyboards and others we tested

To make it on to our list, the keyboard has to have a balance of three things: performance, build quality, and features that makes sense for what it’s designed to do.

When a keyboard arrives at our office, we first dig up some info on the make and switches to get a general idea of its quality. We then hammer our planks with words and gaming for days on end, often at the hands of multiple people to gather feedback from different perspectives. If it warrants, we’ll even tear the board apart and scrutinize its guts under a magnifying glass.

Judging features is much more finicky. What we think is important may not be important to you. But we always have you, the gamer, in mind when we review a product. Do these features really make a difference? Or are they just here as an artsy excuse to jack up the price? That’s what we try to answer.

Lastly, we always try to choose keyboards with more than one switch type available. The Novatouch was a special case because standard desktop membrane keyboards generally have little variation between one another.

Some games we use to test are: Starcraft 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Battlefield 4, and Witcher 3.

Competitors

We put our hands on a whole bunch of gaming keyboards in the process of testing for this article. Some of the others we tested are worth a mention, even if they didn't make a top spot on our list. After all, keyboards are highly personal devices; what works for one person may not work for another.

Das Keyboard 4 Professional

The Das Keyboard 4 Professional is the closest competitor against the Ducky Shine 5. Its performance and aesthetic appeal all closely match, if not exceed, the Ducky Shine 5. The Shine 5 ultimately came out on top due to its gorgeous backlighting, portability, and stability when the elevator feet are added. Instead of rubber feet, the Das Keyboard 4 has a fun plastic elevator bar that doubles as a ruler, but the lack of rubber made it very slippery sitting on our desk.

Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum

The G810 Orion Spectrum is the big daddy version of the G610 Orion equipped with Logitech’s proprietary Romer-G switches. While its performance is top-notch, it’s a hit or miss for most people since G810 offers rather shallow key travel.

Razer BlackWidow X Chroma

Stunning, beautiful, gorgeous…The Razer BlackWidow X Chroma has looks to die for. Unfortunately, there isn’t much substance behind that pretty face. There’s too little features to justify its hefty mid-$100 price tag. However, it’s a nice plank if you can find it closer to $140.

Roccat Ryos MK FX

The ROCCAT Ryos MK FX improves on the ROCCAT Ryos MK Pro by featuring a delicious set of RGB lighting using Cherry’s transparent switch housing and surface mount LEDs. But why leave out the USB pass-throughs?

Future testing

There are tons of keyboards we still haven’t reviewed but love to get our hands on. Here’s are a few on the top of our list:

SteelSeries Apex M800 Max Keyboard Nighthawk Topre Realforce (both TKL and full-sized variants) Filco Majestouch 2 HHKB Pro 2 Rosewill RK-9000V2 Tesoro Excalibur

A note on affiliates: some of our stories, like this one, include affiliate links to stores like Amazon. These online stores share a small amount of revenue with us if you buy something through one of these links, which helps support our work evaluating PC components.

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