The Best Gaming Keyboards in 2025

SteelSeries’ gaming keyboards negociate to consistently impressment maine implicit the years, particularly with the Apex lineup. In 2024, SteelSeries refreshed its Apex Pro for a 3rd procreation that consists of full-sized and tenkeyless models (including a wireless version). When I reviewed the Apex Pro TKL Gen 3, I was hard-pressed to find an facet I would alteration astir it. From the OmniPoint 3.0 switches to the OLED power panel, it has precisely what I’m looking for successful a gaming keyboard.

Regardless of the exemplary you spell with, the SteelSeries Apex Pro isn’t a flashy keyboard, but its sleek, elemental plan is complemented with keycaps that person a bold font benignant and tasteful RGB that shines through. The existent prima is the Hall Effect switches – these aren’t conscionable creaseless and buttery to benignant on; each keystroke feels accordant and satisfying. And due to the fact that they’re Hall Effect, you tin acceptable a customized actuation constituent betwixt 0.1mm to 4.0mm for immoderate key. Being capable to person an extra-short actuation constituent successful competitory shooters is advantageous, and mounting it backmost to mean for enactment and typing gives it a versatility that precise fewer keyboards offer.

Additionally, features similar Rapid Tap, Rapid Trigger, and Protection Mode tin amended performance, though their usefulness whitethorn alteration depending connected what you play (and beryllium wary of Rapid Tap being banned successful definite games). The OLED sheet is great, though, and being capable to power things similar media, RGB lighting, actuation points, macros, and accusation displayed is bully on with swapping customized profiles. The artillery beingness is manageable, topping disconnected astatine 45 hours nether perfect conditions, but keyboards are 1 peripheral wherever I tin enactment with constricted artillery life.

From astir each angle, the Gen 3 SteelSeries Apex Pro is the keyboard I’ve been looking for, and it’s astir apt going to instrumentality the perfect keyboard to get maine disconnected of it.

Razer has respective gaming keyboards successful its lineup and it tin beryllium hard to separate 1 from another. Don’t get maine wrong, the Ornata and Huntsman bid are large successful their ain right, but it’s the flagship BlackWidow V4 Pro that takes the apical spot for me. What the Deathadder is to mice, the BlackWidow is for keyboards. Several iterations person led to a apical performer that is casual to urge due to the fact that of its physique quality, mechanical switches, and further features.

While it whitethorn not person that saccharine OLED surface with the Command Dial arsenic seen successful its tenkeyless counterpart, the full-sized V4 Pro has a useful programmable dial connected apical of a file of macro keys. It besides has a afloat acceptable of media controls connected the top-right corner. All of it is customizable to a crisp grade done the Synapse software, giving it a unsocial benignant of versatility that’s large for productivity. Razer has besides evolved with its ain roster of mechanical switches and the tactile Oranges, clicky Greens, and linear Yellows are immoderate of the champion retired there. These are each apical performers and person a somewhat shorter actuation constituent for quick, clean, and accordant keystrokes. You tin besides entree a higher polling complaint up to 8000Hz, and portion it whitethorn not beryllium that important compared to mice, it is 1 mode Razer covers each aspects of performance.

It’s the small things and the years of iteration that person led to it being supra the competition, arsenic expressed successful our Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro review, and galore different keyboard makers (with the objection of SteelSeries) whitethorn privation to play catch-up.

There’s a batch of contention betwixt lesser known brands astatine the fund level, but the 1 keyboard nether $50 I volition ever basal by is the Keychron C3 Pro. Keychron has consistently been 1 of my favourite brands and the C3 Pro keeps things elemental with its no-frills tenkeyless design. It’s a wired mechanical keyboard that comes with either Keychron’s linear reddish power oregon tactile brownish switches. It lone has reddish backlighting to lucifer the reddish accents atop the achromatic colour scheme, truthful if you’re picky astir looks, you whitethorn privation to poke astir Keychron’s different offerings.

When it comes to show however, the C3 Pro stacks up with immoderate of the best, particularly with the linear reddish switches, which is my idiosyncratic favorite. Keystrokes are smooth, responsive, and consistent, conscionable similar the classical Cherry MX reds with a 2mm actuation point, 4mm question distance, and 45g actuation force. It’s got N-key rollover, 1000Hz polling rate, and web-based QMK/VIA bundle that’s a batch easier to usage than emblematic downloadable bundle suites from the large companies. For astir 40 bucks, the C3 Pro is simply a layup erstwhile choosing a fund gaming keyboard.

Compact 60% keyboards whitethorn not beryllium for everyone – not lone bash these chop disconnected the fig pad similar a tenkeyless, but they nix the halfway file and relation enactment arsenic well, relegating these controls to cardinal combos. Even if they whitethorn not beryllium the champion for productivity, these keyboards are truthful cute. The super-small footprint is an charismatic prospect, redeeming table abstraction and cutting retired immoderate perchance unnecessary controls. So if you’re into this peculiar design, I springiness a precocious proposal to the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra TMR.

Not lone does this keyboard spell for cheaper than astir boutique keyboards, it besides sports the uncommon TMR power type. Tunneling magnetoresistance is pugnacious to find and it's a antithetic benignant of magnetic power from Hall Effect, but it's efficaciously the aforesaid successful presumption of functionality. Magnetic switches are gaining crushed successful the gaming spaces due to the fact that of its reliability and customization, and the FUN60 Ultra TMR besides sports features similar adjustable actuation points, which tin beryllium effectual successful competitory gaming. Although I don't needfully deliberation a 8,000Hz polling complaint is ace adjuvant erstwhile it comes to keyboards, the FUN60 Ultra does person it, and if anything, it helps springiness you bid of caput that you person the champion effect clip possible. There are inherent limitations to going with a compact 60% layout, but our reappraisal of the FUN60 Ultra TMR volition archer each astir wherefore it's a fantastic gaming keyboard.

I’d been a large instrumentality of Logitech’s keyboards done the years – the G413 was a long-time favourite due to the fact that of its sleek design, low-key Logitech G branding, and buttery creaseless and accelerated keystrokes. That keyboard has much oregon little evolved into the Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid, which sports a amended trim, updated magnetic switches, and the latest Lightspeed wireless tech for apical performance.

The finer details assistance the G Pro X TKL Rapid basal retired from the question of different 75%-sized keyboards retired there. The brushed aluminum apical has a bully and unsocial look to it, and the exposed keycap plan lets the RGB flourish successful a tasteful way. And portion different TKLs whitethorn sacrifice on-board controls to prevention space, the G Pro X TKL Rapid keeps those kinds of features without getting excessively bulky. The measurement wheel, media controls, and mode toggles are casual to entree connected the apical enactment of the keyboard, which I find convenient for mundane use. Its keycaps are a spot antithetic than most, sporting a slick decorativeness arsenic opposed to the rougher matte benignant of different keyboards connected this list. Paired with Logitech's debut into magnetic switches, keystrokes connected the G Pro X TKL Rapid are satisfying and responsive, and the customizability that comes with magnetic switches sets a caller standard.

While different keyboards whitethorn person the caller hotness of OLED screens and precocious polling rates, the G Pro X TKL Rapid does everything it sets retired to do, and does it highly well. That makes it 1 of the champion tenkeyless keyboards and precise casual to recommend, which we accidental arsenic overmuch successful our Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid review.

These days, I get a batch of tenkeyless keyboards for reappraisal and person a brushed spot for those mini 60% layouts. But erstwhile I request a full-sized functionality, I truly similar the 96% layout, which keeps each the keys but crunches things into a smaller committee truthful there’s nary wasted space. These are pugnacious to find, which is wherefore I loved the archetypal Keychron K4 for a while, but it got adjacent amended with a Hall Effect refresh.

With the Keychron K4 HE, I was instantly impressed with the Gateron Nebula switches since they're firm, much truthful than astir magnetic switches. It performed arsenic expected successful some competitory gaming and arsenic my mundane workhorse, which is to accidental it held up admirably, particularly since you tin shorten the actuation constituent done its web-based configurator. It’s besides built connected a minimalist frame, truthful it’s slim and really doesn't instrumentality up a full batch much deskspace than the emblematic tenkeyless keyboard. Keychron’s keyboards thin to beryllium no-frills and absorption connected the essentials, but its colour schemes adhd a spot of property (like the pick and wood atom version) and the Bluetooth wireless connectivity gives it immoderate other versatility to boot.

The crammed quality of 96% layout takes a spot of getting utilized to – if you privation to usage the halfway file functions, you request to swap modes, which, portion casual to do, is conscionable a quirk you request to relationship for. So if you request that fig pad and afloat functionality portion redeeming a spot of table space, I cannot urge the Keychron K4 HE enough. You get large magnetic switches astatine an affordable price, which is wherefore I scored it a creaseless 9 successful my Keychron K4 HE review.

The Corsair K100 RGB was reviewed by IGN's team, and it takes a full-sized keyboard to the extreme. Its brushed aluminum sheet is beautiful, letting the RGB flood underneath the exposed keycaps. The marco cardinal file connected the near gives you overmuch much power if you need, and the assorted media controls and programmable buttons and knobs connected the apical barroom springiness a premium and look and feel. It strikes a bully equilibrium of flashy and functional arsenic to not beryllium gaudy, but inactive transportation an expensive-looking vibe. And I bash similar the RGB strips on the broadside of the committee itself – I mean, if you're going to beryllium extravagant, spell up and clasp it.

At $250 for a wired keyboard, you’re inactive getting your money’s worth, particularly if you get the K100 with Corsair’s proprietary OPX Optical switches. You tin inactive opt for the mechanical Cherry MX Speed switches, which are superb, but optical switches person a unsocial and satisfying consciousness to them. It uses airy to registry inputs alternatively of carnal mechanisms, but either way, it’s built connected a coagulated framework that gives you steadfast and accordant keystrokes.

Customizing the macro keys and other buttons is reasonably straightforward, adjacent if Corsair’s bundle is simply a spot of a symptom to navigate, but erstwhile you person it each set, the K100 is 1 of the uncommon full-size-plus keyboards I tin get behind. To apical it each off, it offers 8,000Hz polling rate, which arsenic I’ve said earlier is overkill for keyboards, but hey, if you privation the implicit astir from your keyboard, it makes consciousness that the Corsair K100 offers it.

Razer has been connected a large tally with refreshes to its peripherals successful 2025, and that includes this low-profile translation of the BlackWidow V4. In the process of slimming down, it doesn't miss a bushed erstwhile it comes to show acknowledgment to Razer's ain mechanical switches that support the prime and precision expected from high-end gaming keyboards (whether you get the Yellow, Orange, oregon Green switches). And the sleek and slim plan is marvelous, yet understated, leaving a tiny footprint for specified a high-impact peripheral.

It makes a stellar archetypal content retired of the box. The brushed aluminum apical looks sleek, the ultra-thin illustration is simply a marvel to look at, and the density of the keyboard itself assures a definite physique quality. Its likewise bladed double-shot PBT keycaps complement the slim signifier factor, not adjacent reaching an inch successful tallness from the basal to the apical of a keycap. There are inactive interior layers to circular retired its physique specified arsenic sheet foam and lawsuit foam for dampening, though it's expectedly not rather arsenic robust arsenic a full-size keyboard. Considering the show and features packed into the keyboard, it's an awesome portion of tech.

There are a fewer unusual plan choices with the hamfisted AI app fastener and the bare abstraction connected the apical barroom of the TKL version. If you're peculiar astir getting a "creamy" dependable illustration from your keystrokes, this whitethorn not fulfill that need. However, getting this level of show and consciousness from specified a smartly compact keyboard is rather rare. Even if you're conscionable looking for a top-notch keyboard careless of signifier factor, the BlackWidow V4 Low-Profile keyboard should beryllium successful consideration.

Pulsar is simply a marque amended known for customized keyboard parts, truthful erstwhile I saw it enactment retired its archetypal standalone keyboard with the Xboard QS, I was intrigued. It’s much of an enthusiast-level merchandise – a tinkerer’s keyboard – fixed its unsocial diagnostic acceptable and carnal customizability. But I loved it adjacent retired of the box, and that’s a recognition to its physique quality, unsocial aesthetic, and unthinkable banal switches.

Starting with the mechanical switches, the Kailh Box Ice Mint 2 are linears with a mean actuation constituent of 2.0mm but a airy actuation unit of 38g, which makes it precise casual connected the fingers. Because the committee itself is built with respective layers of foam and frames, keystrokes are steadfast and responsive arsenic well. Typing each time and gaming each nighttime was made easier by design. I besides conscionable emotion the pristine achromatic and achromatic colour strategy on with the flimsy retro-futuristic aesthetic. The programmable measurement knob is simply a bully interaction arsenic well, letting you power the RGB lighting, too. There isn’t immoderate first-party bundle for the Xboard QS, though, truthful customizing it is simply a spot of a situation since you person to usage QMK tools, which takes immoderate learning. Physical customization is easier, though, since you tin easy instrumentality retired the mechanical switches oregon entree the innards if you want.

Despite its hefty $300 terms tag and wired limitation, I sang the praises of the Pulsar Xboard QS erstwhile I reviewed it. So, if you’re consenting to shot retired connected a wired keyboard and privation thing that’s unique, built to last, and astonishing to use, I springiness apical marks to the Xboard QS.

Building your ain keyboard is benignant of the mode to spell successful the enthusiast keyboard space, but fixed its reasonably niche, determination are inactive ways to customize keyboards disconnected the backmost of a large banal merchandise – similar the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% IGN reviewed. The crushed wherefore this peculiar exemplary lends itself good to customization is due to the fact that Razer made it specifically for that reason, connected apical of having each the high-performance features from the mean V4 Pro.

Although I would urge the Razer Oranges successful a heartbeat if you similar tactile, bumpy switches, you tin region each the switches easy and drawback successful immoderate 3- oregon 5-pin of your choice. I did this truthful I tin get my favourite linear switches in, and I ended up creating 1 of my favourite keyboards yet. That’s due to the fact that everything other built astir it is fantastic – from the respective layers wrong that made keystrokes satisfying and responsive, to the Command Dial I grew to love, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is the closest a mainstream shaper has gotten to embracing the tinkerer’s dream.

Best Gaming Keyboard Changelog

• 8/29/25: Our champion budget-level prime was changed from the Redgragon Surara K582 to the Keychron C3 Pro, which secured the spot with its borderline successful plan and show nether $50.
• 8/29/25: The caller BlackWidow V4 Low-Profile overtook the Logitech G515 TKL for the champion low-profile gaming keyboard. Razer brought its high-end plan and show to a brand-new refresh of its flagship keyboard.

Originally posted:

Aug 29, 2025 5:00 pm