List last updated and expanded: July 2017. Note that if you click on one of these links to buy the product, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.
Picking the best keyboard is almost like picking the perfect pair of shoes – it largely comes down to personal preference. But if you’re specifically in the market for a gaming keyboard, there can be no debate – you need a mechanical keyboard. Mechanical keyboards offer a better typing and gaming experience, are more satisfying to use, and just feel (and sound) cool. Therefore, all the keyboards we’ve evaluated here are mechanical, as that is a baseline requirement for any “gaming” keyboard, in our opinion.
If you’re looking for the best gaming keyboard, look no farther. We’ve combed through all the best mechanical keyboards, wired and wireless, to come up with our picks for the best gaming keyboards for 2017:
We actually reviewed the non-R version of this keyboard, but the only difference is the R version does not include the extra textured keycaps for popular gaming keys as well as a small case for them. We didn’t really dig the caps though, as they are too sharply angled for typing, so in our opinion the R version is the one to get, especially since it’s less expensive too at just around $100 on Amazon. Also, this is probably the only documented case where adding an R to the name of something lowered its price.
This keyboard is the boss of the ones we tested because it has every feature you could ever want in a gaming keyboard at an extremely reasonable price, making it a very well-rounded package. First, it’s available with either Cherry MX Red or Brown switches, so it has the most popular types of Cherry switches for gaming or typing. Second, it’s totally loaded with features, including RGB lighting, a spacious wrist rest, six dedicated macro keys, media control buttons with a volume wheel, USB and audio pass-through, and it even has a little plastic arm that holds your mouse cable to prevent it from getting hung up on the edge of your desk. If you opt for the non-R version you even get textured keycaps and a little case for them that snaps onto the edge of the keyboard. Oh and if you like the style of this keyboard but don’t like RGB lighting, there’s an MX version that is the same but with red lights only.
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