Best gaming keyboards in 2024

Whether you're an esports athlete or a casual PC gamer, choosing one of the best gaming keyboards can level up your battle station. Gaming keyboards get better and better every year, so you can get a fantastic gaming and typing experience in one device, whether you're using your keyboard at home, at the office, or on the go. 

While many laptops have nice, snappy keyboards, these top gaming keyboards are designed for speed and precision. From all-purpose feature-packed powerhouses to compact esports models, any of these keyboards would make a great companion for a laptop or PC. 

This guide details our top picks this year. To complete your setup, check out our best gaming mouse picks and gaming monitors. If you're looking for a new mobile gaming rig, look at our best gaming laptops and best cheap gaming laptops guides to start your search. 

Stevie Bonifield

Stevie Bonifield is a freelance tech journalist who loves mobile computing, gaming gear, and especially keyboards and mice. After reviewing dozens of gaming products for Laptop Mag, Stevie is an expert in the world of peripherals, including gaming keyboards and the top-tier mechanical switches it takes to get your next high score.  

The Quick List

Best gaming keyboard overall

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The Razer BlackWidow V4 75% is the best overall gaming keyboard, combining top-notch performance with fantastic design and features. At $189.99, it comes at a premium price, but it's worth it. 

The BlackWidow V4 75% sounds and feels great for typing and gaming. It's gasket-mounted now and even has a pre-installed tape mod, enhancing each keystroke's acoustics. So, the updated Razer Orange tactile switches sound and feel premium right out of the box. 

The BlackWidow V4 75% has a built-in volume roller and media keys, which are convenient for games and everyday use. It delivered excellent performance in all of our tests. The tactile keys are light and fast yet still feature the tactile feedback many gamers love. Whether you're a casual gamer or an esports athlete, it's hard to go wrong with this. 

Read our full review of the Razer BlackWidow V4 75%. 

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Best budget gaming keyboard

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For just $80, the Epomaker x Aula F75 delivers a fantastic gaming and typing experience. It's a step up from more basic mechanical keyboards, laptop keyboards, or membrane keyboards, but it's still reasonably affordable. Whether you're new to gaming or a price-conscious gamer, the Epomaker x Aula F75 will give you the performance you need to dominate the scoreboard without emptying your wallet. 

The Epomaker x Aula F75 has smooth, responsive Leobog Reaper linear switches. They're super comfy to type on but also deliver some severe speed during gaming. You can also use wired or wireless with Bluetooth or the 2.4GHz USB dongle. 

There are a couple of minor drawbacks to the Epomaker x Aula F75, but nothing that impacts performance. Including a braided or fabric cable instead of rubber would be nice, but some users might not like how the RGB backlighting is limited to preset modes. However, those are some pretty reasonable compromises considering the price. 

See our full Epomaker x Aula F75 review. 

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Best esports gaming keyboard

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Competitive gaming requires a keyboard with fast, consistent switches and a reliable, low-latency connection. The Endgame Gear KB65HE provides both. 

This compact keyboard puts performance first with incredibly fast Gateron KS-37B Hall Effect switches. These specialty magnetic switches deliver the fastest actuation possible by eliminating the friction in conventional mechanical switches. You can even customize the actuation force to fit your unique playstyle. 

The 65% size also makes the KB65HE easy to angle on your desk to maximize ergonomics for the WASD keys. The full-aluminum case ensures the KB65HE won't move around on your desk during gameplay. It also means this little keyboard is durable enough to handle traveling to gaming competitions, so you can always have your favorite gear with you. 

While it costs $150, this is easily one of the best gaming keyboards for esports players, whether you're a pro or a casual Overwatch player looking to upgrade your gear. 

See our full Endgame Gear KB65HE review. 

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Best full-size gaming keyboard

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More and more new gaming keyboards are TKL or smaller, making full-size gems rare. Luckily, the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is one of the best gaming keyboards for MMO and MOBA players or anyone who needs space for macros. This pricey but premium battle station has all the keys you need, including the number pad. 

The BlackWidow V4 Pro comes in a sleek matte black chassis that's equipped with a slew of extra knobs and media keys for controlling volume, playback, and anything else you want to use them for. All of the bonus keys, including the knob and textured roller, are addressable through Razer Synapse, adding room for even more macros. 

To sweeten the deal even more, the BlackWidow V4 Pro includes a comfy faux leather wrist rest right out of the box. It also has a bit of texture, which is excellent for those who get sweaty palms during gaming sessions. Thanks to the addressable RGB backlighting, you can also fully customize the look of your BlackWidow. 

See our full Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro review. 

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Best 60 percent size gaming keyboard

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The HyperX Alloy Origins 60 is a beautifully designed 60% mechanical gaming keyboard that demands a second glance. If we had to pick one keyboard to strut down the catwalk of the gaming keyboard equivalent of New York Fashion Week, we'd turn to the HyperX Alloy Origins 60.

Its 60% form factor isn’t ideal for professional use, but it functions perfectly as a personal keyboard for the traveling gamer. While it has been designed and sturdily built with the average gamer in mind, the Alloy Origins 60 also makes for a comfortable keyboard to type on. And while it features everything a gamer would want in a keyboard, it could use more onboard memory to support more than three profiles.

See our full review of the HyperX Alloy Origins 60.

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Best optical gaming keyboard

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Razer's Huntsman series is tough to beat when it comes to optical switches. Their latest model, the Huntsman V3 Pro TKL, is a slick, featured-packed powerhouse. 

Optical switches aren't for everyone, but they can offer a serious bump in performance, which is the case with the Huntsman V3 Pro TKL. One beneficial feature of the optical switches on this keyboard is the ability to customize the actuation point. The pre-set Rapid Trigger mode is also great for quickly setting the actuation point to maximize keystroke speed. 

The Huntsman V3 Pro TKL also includes a volume wheel and media buttons to adjust your audio during games easily. As a tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard, it's compact enough to easily angle on your desk while retaining the crucial function and media keys for some gamers. This is an excellent pro-grade gaming keyboard, but it comes at a premium price of $219.99. 

Read our full review of the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL. 

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How to choose one of the best gaming keyboards

This list includes some of the best gaming keyboards you can buy, but you might still wonder how to choose the best one. Every gamer has a different price, playstyle, and favorite genre, so prioritizing one or two features can help narrow your search. 

If you have less than $100 on a new gaming keyboard, go for the Epomaker x Aula F75. There's no shame in trying to save money on gaming gear, and this keyboard will provide top-notch performance similar to much more expensive options. 

For most gamers with a budget of $100 or more, the Razer BlackWidow V4 75% is the best choice. It strikes the right balance of speed, build quality, and size to fit any playstyle or genre. 

However, some gaming genres with unique demands call for specially equipped gaming keyboards. First, if you're a fan of MMOs, MOBAs, or other games that need a lot of macro keys, go for the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro. This full-size keyboard is decked out with all the keys and knobs you could want. 

Likewise, competitive gamers who like esports titles or other fast-paced games should go for either the Endgame Gear KB65HE or the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL. These keyboards use specialty switches that minimize friction to maximize actuation speed. They're both similarly priced, so it comes down to whether you prefer a smaller keyboard with Hall Effect switches or a larger keyboard with optical switches. 

After you choose one of the best gaming keyboards, complete your setup with a top-rated gaming mouse to maximize your performance. If you're looking to upgrade your gaming setup, take a look at our guide to the best gaming laptops. 

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Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it. 

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