Best gaming keyboard 2025

What is the best gaming keyboard? Whether you're into first-person shooters, epic RPG adventures, or just need a reliable typing tool, equipping yourself with a good gaming keyboard can transform your setup. With options such as ultra-fast switches for the ultimate in competitive gaming response, extra macro keys to perform extra functions at the touch of a button, or extra noise dampening to create a whisper-quiet typing experience, there are all sorts of ways to up your game.

We've tested a wide range of gaming keyboards to bring you a list of the very best and our top pick overall is the FAQ sections to help guide you.

How to choose your best gaming keyboard

When looking for the right keyboard (either among those on this list, or elsewhere) we recommend considering all the following points before making a decision.

Start with price. We understand that some people are going to have to make a decision exclusively based on what they can afford. If that's you, you can still find some decent quality gaming-focused keyboards for around $30 (£25) but going much lower than that can bring one too many compromises. At this price, the main compromise is you'll have to miss out on mechanical keys. That means the keys will tend to be not as responsive and not last as long, but that's why they're so cheap. At around $50 you can get 'no-name' mechanical keyboards that can be decent but you'll be looking at $70-$80 and higher for mechanical boards from known brands.

Next to consider is size. Perhaps the biggest trend in keyboards right now is for smaller sizes – known as form factors – such as tenkeyless (TKL), 75%, 65%, and 60%. These all refer to the size of the keyboard in relation to a traditional full-size keygboard with 105 keys. TKL chops off the number pad section and 75% does the same but squishes the cursors and Home/End cluster closer to the other keys. 65% and 60% are even smaller, often losing the cursor and F1-12 keys for a really small keyboard. Smaller keyboards look great and leave you lots of extra room for your mouse to move but learning to live without the removed keys can be a frustration.

Gaming keys are the next factor to consider. They were originally the main thing that defined a gaming keyboard. They give you extra buttons to press to fire off macros or other commands, without needing to reassign other standard keys to these functions. These days, there's less focus on them but some people still prize having dedicated extra keys.

Media keys may also interest you. These are the volume wheels, mute buttons, and play/pause/skip track buttons with which some keyboards are equipped. You can also find some keyboards that come with screens and multi-function dials. They're all super-useful features though more for general desktop use than actual gaming.

When it comes to typing feel and build quality, membrane or mechanical keys should be next on your choices list. Membrane or rubber dome keyboards are a cheaper form of keyboard that uses switches where the spring and switch is formed by a rubber dome that you press on. Meanwhile, mechanical switches use individual springs and either metal s or magnetic or optical sensors to tell when the switch is pressed. Membrane keyboards can be very cheap and quiet but don't feel as nice, lack customization, and don't last very long. Mechanical keyboards are more expensive but last ages and can be customized with different switches and keycaps.

With those choices out the way, RGB is of course also a factor. Is it an essential addition, or simply a flashy extravagance? That's for you to decide but some form of backlighting is often useful for seeing keys properly in darker environments. Some cheaper boards have only zones of lighting while others have per-key lighting for highly-programmable light shows.

It used to be the case that wireless technology wasn't responsive enough for reliable gaming performance but these days it works great. Wireless keyboards are more expensive, though, and you need to charge them once a week. A simple wired board won't ever suffer a disconnect or need charging, though, and unlike a mouse or headset, it's not like you often move a keyboard. If you're specifically looking for only keyboards without wires, check out our best wireless mechanical keyboard guide.

The very latest big deal in gaming keyboards is the ability for keys to respond in a tuneable way. This means you can have keys act like analog triggers or setup clever functions such as rapid trigger and Snap Tap. The former of these lets you re-press a key far quicker than usual while the latter lets you switch between two keys – left and right strafe, for instance, far more quickly than usual.

Gaming keyboard FAQs

Do I need a gaming keyboard?

The line between a gaming keyboard and just a decent quality keyboard has blurred in recent years. It used to be that a gaming keyboard was one with extra gaming keys but these days it tends to just mean it has RGB lighting. Ok, we exaggerate. Most gaming keyboards are also optimized for a rapid response whereas non-gaming models might prioritize battery life but leave you hanging when it comes to a crucial in-game moment.

Extra gaming keys can still be useful if you like to fire off complex actions at the touch of a button and don't want to reprogram other keys. Meanwhile, the other three main factors to consider for gaming are: size, key switch feel, and analog actuation.

When it comes to size, some people just prefer larger keyboards with all the extra features. However, many gamers now prefer smaller keyboards without numpads, as these leave more desk room for your mouse. As for key switch feel, many gamers prefer very light-feeling, linear switches rather than the heavier, more -heavy feel of tactile or clicky switches that many typists prefer. Light, linear switches can be easier to press in a lighting-fast reaction situation.

Finally, analog switches provide the ability for keys to function like the analog trigger of a controller. That alone isn't super useful but the same function means you can assign two trigger points to one switch, have a rapid trigger mode where keys can respond super fast, or you can adjust the height at which the key activates, all of which can be super useful in certain games.

What are mechanical switches?

PCGamesN has a comprehensive guide on mechanical keyboard switches, which will quickly make you an expert on all things clicky, linear, and tactile.

In a nutshell, there are two main types of keyboard switches: mechanical and membrane. The latter are cheaper to make so can be found on ultra-budget boards, plus they can be very quiet. However, they tend to not feel as responsive or last very long – heavy use can see them start to get unresponsive in only a year or so. Mechanical switches offer a more reliable feel and response and they last far longer, plus you can swap the keycaps and many boards let you swap the switches too so that you can experiment with different mechanical switches to find the ones you prefer – look for the switches being hot-swappable.

Can a gaming keyboard make you game better?

Yes and no. For most games, almost any keyboard that doesn't inherently have poor-quality, unresponsive switches will do what you need. However, for many other scenarios, gaming keyboards can transform your gaming.

For a start, gaming keyboards tend to prioritize response over other factors so are less likely to leave you frustrated after a crucial key tap produces no result (or a delayed result) on screen. This is particularly true when it comes to wireless gaming keyboards.

Keyboards with mechanical switches also tend to offer a more reliable, faster response than membrane keyboards, though that's true whether the keyboard is a 'gaming' one or not. Meanwhile, some people find extra gaming keys are a crucial addition for performing complex functions at the touch of a button, while the programmability of gaming keyboards can also help to optimize your gaming setup.

Finally, if you do opt for an analog mechanical keyboard, these can really unlock some interesting functions. You can make some keys react like analog triggers, providing subtle acceleration or braking input for raing games, for instance. Moreover, rapid trigger and Snap Tap functions can be transformative in some games.

What are Rapid Trigger and Snap Tap?

Rapid Trigger and Snap Tap are the names Razer has given to new functions that have been added to many keyboards with analog switches. Rapid Trigger uses the ability of analog switches to detect the exact height of a key – rather than just the moment it has ed a certain threshold like with a normal switch – to allow the key to be pressed again as soon as the keyboard detects that you've slightly released the key. In contrast, normal switches need the key to be pressed a certain distance to activate then bounce back up to a certain point before then can be pressed again.

This speed of re-pressing can be useful in a number of games. In fighting games it can allow for very fast combos while in FPS games, it can allow for fast counter-strafing.

Snap Tap allows s to hold down one key then press another key and have the keyboard automatically re-press the first key once the second key is released. So, for instance, you can hold down A for left strafe, then tap D for right strafe and as soon as you've released D, the keyboard automatically starts triggering A again. So, effectively, you can strafe left and right (or do whatever combo you want) by just holding down one key and tapping the other – there's no need to release both keys and alternate your key presses. So effective is Snap Tap at being used for counter-strafing (dodging left and right quickly to avoid being shot) that it has been banned in Counter-Strike.

Do I need an expensive gaming keyboard?

Need is a subjective word. If you just want any gaming keyboard to get going, cheap membrane keyboards will still be optimized for quick response and tend to have better-feeling keys than really cheap sub-$20 boards. When it comes to mechanical keyboards, the cheaper models are inherently more basic but will still offer most of the core responsive feel and reliability of more expensive boards. If you really value complete control, though, top-tier boards offer so much customization and amazing build quality.

If you want more help in building the perfect gaming set-up, read our article on the best gaming mouse options for complete confidence in your inputs.