If I am an FPS gamer, which gaming keyboards should I choose? Or I am an RTS player, how do I choose? For a gamer, choosing the right game keyboard is the most important.
Whether it’s reaction speed or gaming experience, the gaming keyboard is great.
Today we will use this list to show you the performance, advantages and disadvantages of each keyboard and which game they are best suited for.
Corsair’s New K65 RGB Mini Is a Compact Keyboard With Big Ambitions. Much to the chagrin of devout arrow key lovers in forums everywhere, Corsair has entered the competitive arena of the premium, ultra-compact 60% mechanical keyboard with its K65 RGB Mini. CORSAIR gaming keyboards power top esports professionals with features like CHERRY mechanical keyswitches and powerful CORSAIR iCUE software. If your keyboard has some broken keycaps, you can contact Corsair Customer Support to get those keycaps replaced. Create a help ticket here to request keycap replacements. When requesting keycap replacements, include photos of the following in your help ticket.
Best gaming keyboards: What to look for
You can also select the checkboxes on the right to add mouse and keyboard events. When you are finished recording, click the record button again to stop recording. Assign your macro to one of your mouse buttons or keys. Create a new hardware profile. Select your Scimitar RGB Elite in iCUE. Click the + button in the PROFILES tab.
Unless money is extremely tight, the most important feature in a gaming keyboard is a set of mechanical switches. Most membrane models simply don’t measure up, due to shallow key travel and a lack of tactile feedback. RGB lighting is a common feature, but also one that can add dozens of dollars to a keyboard’s price tag.
Look for it if you want your keyboard to match the rest of your gaming setup. Extra macro keys are useful for gamers who play a lot of MMOs or competitive shooters. Tom’s Guide also has a comprehensive primer on how to find the best gaming keyboard for your setup.
On the other end of the spectrum, if budgeting is your primary concern, we’ve also rounded up the Best and Worst Cheap Keyboards you can buy.
None of them can match a dedicated gaming keyboard, but some are better than others if you just need to play a few casual titles now and then. And make sure to follow our best gaming deals for the latest gaming sales and discounts.
How we test gaming keyboards
When we recommend a gaming keyboard, it’s because we enjoyed using it ourselves. Our reviewers also test products thoroughly to make sure they surpasses a certain threshold of excellence – we like to spend at least a few days with every keyboard as the full-time replacement for our current decks.
10 Best Gaming Keyboards of 2021:
| Name | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Corsair Vengeance K70 RGB | 17.2 x 6.5 x 1.5 in | 2.76 pounds |
| Logitech G910 Orion Spark | 19.8 x 8.2 x 1.4 in | 4.35 pounds |
| Coolermaster Storm Quickfire TK | 15 x 5.7 x 1.7 in | 4.5 ounces |
| Razer BlackWidow Chroma | 6.5 x 17.7 x 1.6 in | 2.75 pounds |
| Tesoro Excalibur G7NL | 17.7 x 5.7 x 0.9 in | 3.17 pounds |
| CM Storm QuickFire Rapid-i | 14.02 x 5.31 x 1.3 in | 2.16 pounds |
| SteelSeries Apex M800 | 6.8 x 20.1 x 1.6 in | 3.06 pounds |
| Razer DeathStalker Ultimate | 18.4 x 8.4 x 1.1 in | 1.95 pounds |
| Mad Catz STRIKE TE | 20 x 2.8 x 7.9 in | 2.65 pounds |
| ROCCAT RYOS MK Pro | 20 x 9.2 x 1.5 in | 2 pounds |
1. Corsair Vengeance K70 RGB
The K70’s previous series of selling points lies in its simplicity, while the latest products have more features and better quality. This keyboard is equipped with more novel LED lights, but also has a more aesthetic design.
A four-way input switch is placed on the back side of the keyboard. The cleverness of this setup is the ability to reduce the polling rate to 50%. From 1000Hz to 500Hz, even stripping the main BIOS mode, every momentary transition is possible.
80-90% of it is made of plastic, which makes it more efficient in the game. The full-button design of the button allows the sweat-loving player to get a better gaming experience.
The K70 successfully combines many small details that are often overlooked by the manufacturer but are worth mentioning, but in general, the K70 does not give us a more revolutionary design.
- Dazzling color keyboard backlight
- Round and minimal design
- Perfect texture
- Relax wrist design
2. Logitech G910 Orion Spark
Mechanized buttons plus private custom macros allow Orion Spark to debut on such keyboards. While keeping its keyboard consistently high, Logitech is still stunning to Logitech.
Like most other gaming keyboards, it’s more common. From the button layout to the personalized macro button, the G910 has it all.
Logitech‘s game software is the default driver for the keyboard, in addition to providing a variety of settings. In the G910, it is also a fully customizable software that can be used to adjust color, light and mode.
This well-designed keyboard is more suitable for games than typing. For those who use it to type, they may not like the extra button design on the side of the keyboard.
- Provides macro keys
- Unique keycap design
- Powerful software support
- Design for wrist comfort
- No sound (maybe advantages)
- Expensive price
- Asymmetric keyboard design is not good for non-gamers
3. Coolermaster Storm Quickfire TK
Cooler Master sells mice and keyboards in sets, and they can benefit from each other. At first glance, the design of this keyboard is very simple and authentic.
Storm Quickfire TK is one of the coolest mechanical keyboards available. You can choose to partially activate or fully activate the keyboard backlight. Its delay is as low as one millisecond or less. This keyboard offers 3 kinds of shafts for you to choose: Cherry MX Blue, Brown and Red.
The keyboard is about 34.8 x 14.5 x 3.2 centimeters in size, and the external wires are long enough to allow you to move easily. It also comes with a bigger, brighter LED light source that makes the visual experience more impactful.
FPS players will love this keyboard very much. The compact design also brings great stability, which is a great choice for real-time strategy games.
- Keyboard lock function
- Compact design
- Numerous buttons
- Three backlight modes
- The global feature button board takes some time to adapt
- Not equipped with macro keys is indeed a big adventure
4. Razer BlackWidow Chroma
If you look at the material alone, the keyboard is not so good because it is an all-plastic structure. After all, any product has a slight flaw.
Having said that, apart from manufacturing materials, it is indeed a good product with many excellent features and setting options.
This game keyboard has one of the biggest features, that is, the backlight can be set according to your preferences. In addition, this keyboard is also equipped with macro keys, USB interface and audio interface.
Compared with other products with relatively normal production quality, it is more expensive, and it is more suitable for those who prefer personalization when playing games.
Razer BlackWidow Chroma is undoubtedly one of the best gaming keyboards. This keyboard is equipped with macro keys, comfortable and programmable keys. Like Corsair K70 RGB, the matching software is very easy to use.
- Comfortable, programmable keys
- Simple, clear and highly personalized software
- Color backlight
- Simple and comfortable typing experience
- The production quality is slightly inferior
- Missing key response time setting
- Expensive
5. Tesoro Excalibur G7NL
The G7NL is equipped with a full-key, non-flush function that allows all buttons to be recognized without landing. The button has a click life of 60 million times. The rubberized button gives you a great anti-slip guarantee for your gaming experience.
Three kinds of shafts can greatly improve your efficiency in the game. Three LED backlight modes are available to meet your needs, and switching between modes is very fast.
If you only value the gaming experience, G7NL may be a little better. This keyboard provides a mode that is ideal for hitting the keyboard quickly. The game mode and macro keys are worthy of the name, and switching between modes is also very easy.
The only regret is that the keyboard support frame is designed to be very small in order to make the keyboard more convenient.
- Supports macro keys
- Affordable
- Cool backlight
- Relatively small keyboard size, design standards
6. CM Storm QuickFire Rapid-i
If you are a beginner, then it will be very suitable for you, the keyboard operation is very simple, it is very convenient to use.
This is a keyboard with a Cherry MX mechanical switch. The Cherry MX shaft offers a variety of options: red, tea, green, and more.
On this keyboard, Cooler Master tries to give players more free settings, you can set the direction of the arrow keys and WASD keys. In addition, you can configure the function of each button.
However, it does not provide setup software. This factor does not affect the settings of the archive. The 32-bit ARM processor that comes with the keyboard can save this data for you.
The performance of the CM Storm QuickFire Rapid-i is very strong, and the small body has a lot of interesting settings. Most importantly, unlike other keyboards in the evaluation, this keyboard does not require additional software.
- Efficiency-oriented design
- Smooth input experience
- No need to install software
- Multiple backlight modes
Corsair Keyboard K70
- Lack of many buttons
- No macro key provided
- Unable to set backlight
7. SteelSeries Apex M800
SteelSeries offers a number of personalized options. The design of this keyboard is very scientific and aesthetically pleasing.
The ergonomic design of this keyboard is excellent, but this is not the first factor you buy it. In fact, its lighting system is the biggest selling point. It offers up to 16.8 million color gamuts to bring you a rich palette of colors.
It has a dual-core processor that provides compression sensitivity for your keyboard to avoid false touches. In addition, up to 256 button customizations and full-key collision-free can be achieved with SteelSeries Engine 3 software.
SteelSeries has developed the perfect QS1 linear shaft with experts in the shaft. The QS1 shaft adds an additional 25% more responsiveness to give you a more enjoyable gaming experience.
- USB interface
- Easy to use software
- Beautiful backlight
- Poor quality (all plastics)
- very expensive
- Larger size than other keyboards
- Not suitable for non-gamers
8. Razer DeathStalker Ultimate
LCD digital keyboard instead of the traditional digital keyboard, is the biggest highlight of this game keyboard. However, the biggest pit is that it is too expensive.
This keyboard is only suitable for gamers, and using it to do other things would be very inappropriate. There is no doubt that the award-winning Switchblade user interface is an outstanding feature of this keyboard.
Automatically save all your settings to the cloud server Synapse, you only need one account, you can automatically synchronize all settings anytime, anywhere.
The 4-inch LCD screen makes the recording board look very clear, but for amateur players, facing the high-end LCD panels may be overwhelmed.
Ten programmable LED buttons and a tall LCD screen are the coolest places, but the Switchblade interface is too small to disappoint many players in actual use.
- Switchblade
- Adjustable colorful backlight
- Razer Synapse 2.0
- Personalized design
- Only for gamers (not friendly to non-gamers)
- Uncomfortable typing
- Expensive
9. Mad Catz STRIKE TE
This is the first mechanical keyboard in the Mad Catz, where the competitive version is using the Kailh Shaw, not the Cherry MX. This keyboard provides faster response and better percussion.
Corsair K95 Keyboard Drivers
What fascinates the fans of the Mad Catz is its sturdy construction. When you pick up the keyboard, you can feel the solid texture it emits. Our test results also show that its quality is very reliable and will not be easily bent.
Heavy plastic material allows it to maintain a strong sense of technology while maintaining a solid appearance. After passing our violent test, it did not even have a trace of scratching and tearing.
This is a great keyboard for games, and playing with it will not give you a bad game experience. When typing, it may be slightly delayed, but at the same time it can reduce the wrong input rate by 25%.
- Programmable macro key
- Strong quality
- Multipurpose keyboard
- Macro key design is too compact
- Limited personalization software
10. ROCCAT RYOS MK Pro
If you need an affordable keyboard, RYOS MK Pro is one of the best choices.
Its four-button switching mode is great for playing games, and the separate backlight buttons are cool. There are also a lot of programmable options. The built-in USB and audio interface make this product even more brilliant.
Perhaps the best thing about this keyboard is that it offers a lot of programmable buttons that are easy to use, making it easy to win in the game.
Its design is consistent with the style of the ice leopard. The biggest feature is the option of its dozens of macro keys. There are 8 default macro keys. During the game, the keyboard is very smooth to use, and the mechanical axis buttons react very sensitively.
- Audio and USB interfaces
- Numerous programmable options
- Personalized backlight
- Backlights do not have multiple colors (only blue)
- Hand care can not be disassembled
Conclusion
These are all the best gaming keyboards we have reviewed. It is not an easy task to conduct a meticulous evaluation of a large number of gaming keyboards. We try to be fair and impartial and hope to help you in the selection process.
Technology in the technology industry is growing very fast, especially in the gaming industry. As time passes, the gaming keyboard on our list may slowly enter the dust of history, but these classic products will become a common memory.
In order to keep this article up to date, we will try to update the list of keyboard products regularly. Finally, I hope this article can help you. If you have questions, you can contact us or leave a message behind the article.
iCUE 4.10.273 Patch Notes
Corsair Keyboard K55
- Multipoint is now supported for all compatible Slipstream Devices. To start the process, users must have a combination of compatible Slipstream keyboard, mouse, and/or headset. A wizard has been implemented in the ‘Connections’ tab for your respective Slipstream USB Receiver. Please note a firmware update is required for all devices to support Multipoint pairing.
- Resolved an issue related to firmware update with HS75XB
- Implemented tutorials for K65 MINI
- Implemented Weight Tuning feature for NIGHTSWORD
- Implemented an Enhancement: Add Screen to Setup Wizard for RGB Fans
- Implemented Enhancement for Nexus that Loop pages on start / end screens
- Added CORSAIR One Blue Color to Custom Palette
- Changed the Scaling for Opacity Slider
- Changed 'Set as Default' for DPI Presets to 'Activate' for Clearer Consistency
- Updated Message for 8K Polling on SABRE PRO mice
- Resolved an issue with iCUE crashing when Skip is used during message to Re-plug Device
- Resolved an issue that iCUE crashes from sleep and hibernation
- Resolved an issue that Installer has a delay before launching successfully
- Resolved an issue for Alert State that after 'Reset' button to Restore to Normal Operation is pressed, it takes a few seconds for GUI to disappear and effect to take place
- Resolved an issue that renaming a Lighting Effect when 'hidden' disables the effect entirely
- Resolved an issue with the Color Picker Wheel and Lighting Effects: Solid not appearing properly
- Resolved an issue that Homepage sensor widgets do not update temperature units when changed until after iCUE restart
- Resolved an issue for Home Screen Add Widgets Window that when scrolling through items, scroll bar keeps adjusting and popping the page up
- Resolved an issue that when Enabling Dashboard Products by Toggle, all Items should be Selected
- Resolved an issue that Sensors were automatically activated when user click to the on button in Dashboard tab
- Resolved an issue that ALT + F4 on iCUE can cause window Title bar to appear
- Resolved an issue that the 'Settings' tab doesn't close when its icon is selected
- Resolved an issue that background should be darkened when Pop-Up is open
- Resolved an issue that users should be able to deselect Remap: Keystroke field
- Resolved an issue that Sensors on Home screen, when populated, all populate on the left column instead of filling in both columns
- Resolved an issue that the scroll wheel doesn’t interact with the scroll bar of the home screen
- Resolved an issue that system profile search engine cannot work automatically
- Resolved an issue that Text Editor and File Explorer of Launch App Action should have a button added
- Resolved an issue for MACRO that uncheck in 'executive uninterrupted' button works incorrectly after restart system
- Resolved a typo with surface calibration
- Resolved an issue with spelling in Language Selection
- Resolved an issue that the information of Import Profiles is not localized
- Resolved an issue that the information of Export Profiles is not localized
- Resolved an issue that the brightness of Nexus doesn't sync with iCUE when user starts iCUE first time.
- Resolved an issue for NEXUS widgets that do not update temperature units when changed in iCUE Settings
- Resolved an issue for Nexus that missing function 'Mic Mute/Unmute' of VOID Surround Series headsets
- Resolved an issue with Slipstream compatible mice unable to pair Wireless mice through the 'Connections' tab
- Resolved an issue for K100 that Control Wheel: Info is overlapped when users do the last instruction
- Resolved an issue for K100 that allowed users to incorrectly select specific keys for predefined effects
- Resolved an issue for SABRE PRO mice with the name being too long to allow for selection of buttons
- Resolved an issue for K65 MINI that menu does not work when swapping menu key function
- Resolved an issue for VOID PRO USB that beat effect shows the wrong color
- Resolved an issue for DRAM that Lighting Effect Water that Ripple and Base colors affect the opposite element
- Resolved an issue for Hydro X that Lighting does not work when multiple reservoirs are configured
- MSI JCORSAIR Port will now match and share lighting data in profiles with Lighting Node PRO
- Resolved an issue for K65 MINI’s FN Shortcut list not being translated
- Resolved other various minor bugs and issues
To install this package please do the following:
- Make sure that all system requirements are met.
- Save the downloadable package on an accessible location (such as your desktop).
- Locate and double-click on the newly-downloaded file.
- Allow Windows to run the file (if necessary).
- Read EULA (End User License Agreement) and agree to proceed with the installation process.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
- Close the wizard and perform a system reboot to allow changes to take effect.
About Keyboard Packages:
Install the proper keyboard software and your system will be able to recognize the device and use all available features. This will also make it possible for owners to configure additional hotkeys.
In case additional keyboard accessories are connected, this step can also improve the bundle's overall stability and compatibility, as well as performance.
Therefore, if you wish to install this release, simply make sure that your computer OS is supported, save the package, extract it if necessary, run the available setup, and follow the on-screen instructions for a complete installation.
Bear in mind that, even though other platforms might be compatible, we do not recommend applying this software version on configurations running under OSes other than the specified ones.
That being said, if you consider applying the present version, download and install the package. Also check with our website whenever you can, in order to stay up to speed with latest releases.
Corsair Gaming Keypad
It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.
Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed an incorrect or mismatched driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.
Corsair Gaming Keyboards
- COMPATIBLE WITH:
- Windows 7
Windows 7 64 bit
Windows 8
Windows 8 64 bit
Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 64 bit
Windows 10
Windows 10 64 bit - file size:
- 735 MB
- CATEGORY:
- Keyboard & Mouse