The best gaming keyboards you can buy

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Insider Pick:

• A great gaming keyboard can be the difference between first and second place, and the Corsair K95 Platinum is the best of the bunch, thanks to its beautiful mechanical feel, RGB color profiles, and comfortable layout.

When it comes to buying computer peripherals, gamers often need something a little higher quality than everyone else. After all, when you’re gaming, every millisecond counts, and the feel of a keyboard and mouse can have a pretty major effect on a gamer’s performance.

There are quite a few things to consider when buying a gaming keyboard. While most gamers would argue that a wired keyboard is the right way to go, some still might prefer the convenience of a wireless keyboard.

You’ll also want to think about whether or not you want a mechanical keyboard. Mechanical keyboards often feel better and are a little more responsive than membrane keyboards, which are often featured on cheaper all-in-one computers or in cheap laptops. Mechanical keyboards also often last longer than membrane keyboards.

There are a few other features to think about, too. For example, you could get a keyboard with RGB lighting, which allows you to customize the backlighting color of your keyboard for cool visual effects.

Of course, there are a ton of gaming keyboard out there — and not all of them are good choices to buy. That’s why we’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Whether you’re looking for a top-of-the-line keyboard with the best performance possible, or simply a great keyboard to fit your budget, we’ve put together a guide to the best gaming keyboards you can buy.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the Corsair K95 Platinum Keyboard is our top pick and why you might prefer the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 Keyboard, the Logitech G Pro Keyboard, the Logitech G613 Keyboard, or the Corsair K55 RGB Keyboard.

The best gaming keyboard overall

Corsair

Why you'll love it: If you’re looking for a keyboard with all the bells and whistles – like RGB color profiles and a wrist rest – then the Corsair K95 Platinum is the keyboard for you.

If you’re looking for a keyboard with lost of fun, special features, then the Corsair K95 Platinum is the keyboard for you. Not only is it well-designed and beautiful to look at, it also works like a dream.

The keyboard features everything you would want from a high-end keyboard. It boasts full RGB color-profiles and it even has 8MB of storage so you can store and those profiles and switch between them effortlessly. It’s also a fully mechanical keyboard, so those of you who are looking for that tactile mechanical feel and the durability that comes with it will enjoy the keys.

Not only is the Corsair K95 a beast, its design is comfortable, too. The keyboard features a nice rubberized wrist rest that can be flipped over for either a textured or a smooth feel. It’s full-sized, with a number pad, and it offers six programmable buttons on the left, which could be very helpful to gamers who are willing to dive into the included software.

Most reviewers agree that this is the keyboard to beat, and as such, most have given it pretty spectacular reviews. PCGamer gave the keyboard 9.5/10, while IGN went a step further to give it 9.6. Whether it’s 9.5 or 9.6, however, the consensus is that the Corsair K95 Platinum is about as good as a gaming keyboard can get.

Pros: Well-designed, customizable, mechanical, RGB color profiles

Cons: Expensive, large

Buy the Corsair K95 Keyboard on Amazon for $199.99

The best mechanical gaming keyboard

Razer

Why you'll love it: The Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 offers a super satisfying mechanical motion that’s perfect for lovers of mechanical keyboards, plus, it's super cool looking.

The Corsair K95 Platinum may well be the best gaming keyboard out there, but if you’re looking for a great keyboard that places a heavy emphasis on the mechanical aspect of the keyboard, then the Razer BlackWidow Chroma may be the one for you.

The original BlackWidow Chroma is a few years old now, but now there’s the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2, which offers many of the same features as the original keyboard, with slightly improved software. It also brings wrist rests for a more comfortable overall experience. 

The keyboard boasts colorful RGB profiles, excellent accompanying software, and customizable buttons. Most important of all, though, is the keyboard's super satisfying typing experience. It also boasts ports for headphones and microphones, which is perfect for gamers.

We aren’t the only ones that liked the Razer BlackWidow Chrome V2. It’s been consistently well-reviewed by all the major tech reviewers. Tom’s Guide and Trusted Reviews both gave the keyboard 8/10, which is a very respectable score. The only downside to the keyboard? It’s still a little expensive, and the RGB lighting isn’t the most well put together.  

Pros: Excellent design, palm rests, customizable buttons

Cons: Expensive

Buy the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 on Amazon for $139.99 (originally $169.99)

The best compact gaming keyboard

Logitech

Why you'll love it: The Logitech G Pro keyboard does away with the rarely-used number pad to offer a much more compact footprint.

The Logitech G Pro series has been pretty well-reviewed, and while the G Pro mouse is probably better-known, the keyboard has a lot to offer, too. For starters, it’s ultra-compact, which is great news for gamers on the go, or those of you who simply want to save a little desk space.

There’s always a trade-off when it comes to cutting down on space, and in this case, that trade-off is the number pad. Now, number pads are a little dated at this point, but many gamers still swear by them, and if that’s you, you should probably avoid this keyboard. If, however, you’re fine with doing away with the number pad, then this is the gaming keyboard for you.

Logitech has put a lot of attention to detail into this keyboard. For example, the keyboard offers a so-called “game mode,” which shuts down buttons like the Windows button, which would close down a game if accidentally pressed while playing. It also offers lit keys, a nice, braided Micro USB cable, and more. That cable is detachable, which is great for those who need to take the keyboard on the go.

There are some downsides to this keyboard, apart from the lack of a number pad. The keyboard is also pretty expensive, and it doesn’t come with a carry case — an extra you should have for a device that's built to be portable. Those downsides, however, aren’t enough to dissuade reviewers. Tom’s Guide gave the keyboard 8/10, and IGN gave it an even better 9/10.

Pros: Small, well-designed, detachable cable

Cons: Expensive

Buy the Logitech G Pro Keyboard on Amazon for $94.99 (originally $129.99)

See the rest of the story at Business Insider